TORONTO - Canadian coach John Herdman says women's soccer is on the rise but has a ways to go before it can generate the kind of money that the men's game does.

"The women's game's grown massively over the last 15 years," he said in an interview Friday. "I think it's gone even quicker in the last eight years, in terms of opportunities overseas, the type of wages players will get in professional clubs in Europe etc. And then the commitments from a lot of national bodies around the world to centralize contracts, to make sure that women's teams are rewarded for the work that they put in.

"I still think it's young and it's growing and it's about the women's game continuing to increase in popularity."

Herdman's comments came in response to a question about a pay equity challenge filed by five members of the World Cup-winning U.S. team. The American women have accused the U.S. Soccer Federation of wage discrimination in an action filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo contend they are paid nearly four times less than their male counterparts on the U.S. men's national team.

The union representing the players is currently involved in a legal dispute with U.S. Soccer over the terms of their collective bargaining agreement.

"The women's game has to almost become a product on its own and it has to be a product for women," said Herdman, an English native and longtime women's coach. "I think until the women's game is actually supported by women, and fully supported by women where females decide that this is our game, our product, we're going to come and support it, it's always going to be a challenge to raise the same sort of dollars that are raised in the men's game."

While noting he was no expert on the subject of pay equity, Herdman pointed to the rise in netball in New Zealand while he was coaching there.

"Women owned that sport, women fully supported that sport. The stadiums were packed every single weekend to watch women's netball — 10,000 people would turn up in a 10,000-seater stadium. Women led — CEOs, marketing people, they created a product just for women that was unique for women.

"And I think if we get the product right here in Canada or in the (U.S.-based) NWSL or in the leagues in Germany, where mums and daughters and aunties and grandparents feel that that's where they go, instead of wherever else they go to have their pastime, then I think the sport is always going to be hindered by the lack of dollars that drive into that particular domain."

Herdman said he can't really talk to the U.S. situation "because it's their business."

"But the reality is they've won a lot of gold medals and been winning for a long time, so maybe they feel it's time to ask some questions."

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With files from The Associated Press