Carlos Codeiro announced his resignation as president of US Soccer in a statement released via his Twitter account on Thursday night. Cordeiro said he was stepping down over language contained in a legal filing as part of the federation's defense against a suit filed by women's national team claiming gender discrimination over wages and working conditions.

The court filing said men's national team players had a greater level of responsibility than the women and that their job "requires a higher level of skill based on speed and strength."

Cordeiro conceded that the language used had "caused great offense and pain" to the women's national team and others and that it was "unacceptable and inexcusable.” He also said he took responsibility for not fully reviewing the filing before its submission.

"Had I done so, I would have objected to language that did not reflect my personal admiration for our women's players or our values as an organization," he said.

The language so offended members of the women's national team that prior to a friendly against Japan in Texas on Wednesday, they took to the field wearing their warmup jerseys inside out to obscure the US Soccer logo.

Members of the USWNT wore their warmup jerseys inside-out in protest on Wednesday

First female president

Replacing Cordeiro as president US Soccer Vice President Cindy Parlow Cone, who takes over on an interim basis until the federation's next annual general meeting in February 2021. At that meeting, a new president is to be elected for the last year of Cordeiro's term.

Parlow Cone played for the USWNT from 1996-2004, winning the 1999 Women's World Cup and two Olympic gold medals. After hanging up her boots, she took up coaching, leading Portland Thorns FC to the 2013 National Women's Soccer League championship. She was elected US Soccer vice president in February 2019.

pfd/ (AP, Reuters)