Canada Soccer awaits response after 'best and final' compensation offer to men's, women's teams

Canada Soccer's general secretary said Tuesday the organization has presented a "best and final" offer of compensation to its men's and women's national teams and is awaiting their respective responses.

The offer comes as the women's team is en route to Australia in preparation for the FIFA Women's World Cup, which begins July 20. 

"What we've tried to do to the best of our abilities, and I believe we have done this, is to bring equity in compensation," Jason deVos said. "But I think for me the most important piece is that we have equalized the standard of care across both programs.

"We have equalized the opportunity for them to be active in every window and to be able to give them the competition that they need, the training that they need to reach their highest level of performance and that the same environment across both programs."

Team captain Christine Sinclair said this week the team wanted a deal before the World Cup.

"We knew this was going to be a fight. We knew it was going to take some time," Sinclair told The Canadian Press. "But us as a women's team have flat out told the CSA that we need a deal in place for at least the World Cup and this year before we head down there. So obviously we're getting close. I think it will happen. Will it be a long-term deal? No. But something will be done before the World Cup starts."

WATCH | Canada Soccer's Jason deVos commits to equality:

DeVos said Canada Soccer's offer also includes what he called an equitable standard of care for both the women's and men's programs around travel, hotels, training grounds to staff.

"That experience will be at the highest level possible and it will be consistent across both programs," he said. 

This comes in the wake of another