Carusa optimistic report findings can instigate change

The Republic of Ireland's San Diego-born striker Kyra Carusa has said she's "optimistic" that revelations of abuse and misconduct within the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) can lead to swift, positive change.

An independent investigation showed abuse and misconduct "had become systemic" in the league and the governing body US Soccer said it would move immediately to implement reforms.

US Soccer brought in Sally Q Yates and King & Spalding LLP to conduct the independent inquiry and released the full findings.

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct - verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct -had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims," the Yates' report said.

Carusa began her career playing college soccer in the States before moving to Europe. She currently plies her trade in Denmark with HB Koge. When asked about the Yates report, she said: "Personally, having teammates and friends, and knowing quite a few people who play in the league and who have played on these teams and under these programmes, I think the biggest thing is that programmes need to hear what women have to say and take those allegations seriously.

"I think the report shows that there were a lot of mishaps and missteps. Of course we are human and those things can happen, but for it to be over 170 pages worth of mishaps and missteps is quite concerning.

"To know that my friends were a part of those teams or were involved in those programmes that were directly affected by that, or indirectly on teams that don’t even get affected by that, I think for me reading it over, I would hope that this, in a perfect world, doesn’t ever happen again.

"But the biggest thing is that these programmes can