John Riordan: For Mia and Megan 'the beginning of the end of inequality' took a historic push

US soccer fans in this country woke up to news Wednesday morning that the men’s and women’s national teams had struck an agreement that will close the pay gap between them

Welcoming a new dawn: USA's Megan Rapinoe celebrates scoring her side's first goal of the game during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 Final at the Stade de Lyon, Lyon, France. 

At the Sports Business Journal Awards in Times Square on Wednesday night - the "Oscars of Sports" as one of the 1,100 guests described it to me - the room was suddenly energised when one of the biggest stories of the day was referenced.

Equal pay for the country’s international soccer players had been achieved. A first for the world and an outcome long needed.