Cindy Palo, President of the U.S. Soccer Association and a former women's soccer international, lamented: "The facts revealed in this report are heartbreaking and deeply troubling. The abuses revealed in this report should not be tolerated at any sporting event, training facility or workplace.
" As the national regulator of the program, US Soccer will do everything in its power to ensure that players at all levels can grow, learn and compete in a safe and respectful environment. We have responded swiftly and will be joining forces with the heads of soccer programs at all levels across the country to seek their invaluable input in an effort to bring about far-reaching and sustained change in the soccer ecosystem." Palo emphasized.
While the report did not directly address youth soccer, it did reveal potential pitfalls: "The roots of abuse in women's soccer run deep and cannot be eradicated by reforms to the NWSL alone." A series of Guardian reports last year also revealed multiple allegations of sexual harassment and forced sex in U.S. college women's soccer leagues.
