While discussions are ongoing between the Canadian Soccer Association and the national women's team, the squad's threat of an international competition boycott still looms in the wake of coach Carolina Morace's vow to step down before the end of the year.
Money is the heart of two major disputes between soccer's main governing body and its senior women's team: the first involving Morace's desire to better control how her team budget is spent, and the second concerning players' compensation or lack thereof.
According to the lawyer representing the players in compensation talks, the team has been asking for an improvement to their 'ad hoc' pay scheme for years.
"They receive payments on a tournament-by-tournament basis and sometimes they have to negotiate those payments in the actual days leading up to a tournament which isn't really acceptable," Bunting said Thursday.
The Canadian Press reports that the CSA has tendered a compensation offer to the team and expressed willingness to meet with coach Morace, but Bunting says he's still waiting for more the sports body.
In an interview with CTV's Canada AM on Thursday, Bunting said he's waiting for more information from the CSA before he can suggest fair compensation for the women's team.
"We really need to see what the arrangements are with the men's side so we can properly evaluate and consider what an appropriate arrangement would be on the women's side," Bunting told CTV's Canada AM.
While the association has said sharing of such information would violate "confidentiality agreements," CSA general secretary Peter Montopoli said Wednesday he is nevertheless certain an agreement will be reached eventually.
"I see that the resolutions will come," Montopoli told CP. "I wouldn't be honest with you if I said the resolutions are within the next 24 hours ... But I do see it's one of those issues that needs to be resolved certainly, and that the right people will make the right decisions in the best interests of the program, for sure."
In contrast to the national men's team, which is ranked 80th in the world, the women's squad is ranked 9th and considered a podium contender both at the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany and at the 2012 London Olympics.
Midfielder Carmelina Moscato says it's an honour to be part of the national squad, but is acutely aware her commitment comes at a price.
"We've all given up club opportunities, which is our main source of income, to dedicate ourselves to the national team and our cause," she told Canada AM, lamenting the $2,000 per month gig she could have had playing for a club in Italy.
Moscato doesn't regret her choice, however, considering the unprecedented recent success of the national team under the leadership of coach Morace.
The former Italian international has elevated the team with her 19-8-5 record -- including a record 11-game unbeaten streak -- since she took the job in February of 2009.
"In the past two years she's come in and kind of revamped the culture and really gotten some really top results," Moscato said.
But Morace announced last Friday that, despite her contract obligations through the 2012 Olympics, differences with the CSA had prompted her decision to quit the team after the upcoming World Cup.
In a gesture of solidarity on Monday, the players responded with their own announcement promising to boycott international competition until the association makes a long-term commitment to keeping Morace around.
"We know we'd like her moving forward," Moscato explained. "With her we can succeed and we actually believe that we can medal at this World Cup. For us that's something very exciting and somewhat new."
The women's team is scheduled to leave for a training camp in Rome on Friday, ahead of the Cyprus Cup competition that kicks off on Feb. 28.
With just five months to go before the World Cup gets underway, Moscato said missing the Cyprus tournament would hinder the team's preparation.
"So that's absolutely something we don't want to do and we hope we don't have to, but its something we're willing to do to achieve what we'd like, she said, explaining that her teammates agreed they're willing to trade the chance of glory on the field for the long-term health of their sport.
"It's a bit of an aggressive approach at this point, but we've tried everything."
With files from The Canadian Press
