In the 2012 Olympics semifinal round, Palo Cedro native Megan Rapinoe took a corner kick with the United States trailing Canada 1-0. It bent like a rainbow, arcing in front of the goal and then slashing back in, clearing the post by a whisper.

We have no idea what Erin McLeod, the Canadian keeper on that play, might have said to Team U.S.A.'s star midfielder afterward. The shot remains the first and only of its kind in Olympic history. America's team went on to win that game, and then the gold medal against Japan.

But we're pretty certain McLeod did not respond in the way top executives of U.S. Soccer Federation would have. As you may have read, Rapinoe and four other stars of the Women's National Team filed a federal complaint this week over being paid a fraction of what the members of the less successful men's national team make. If she had, the conversation might have gone like this:

"Megan, I'm disappointed in you. Why would you sneak that ball in there like that? You know, I've always been a great supporter of midfielders. Some of my best friends are midfielders. There are plenty of opportunities for you to shoot directly toward the goal from the center of the field, while I'm prepared to block. You should stick to those."

We're not kidding. That's not far off the actual response to the discrimination case, which was submitted to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The federation's leadership is disappointed. It has done so much to promote women's soccer. It wants to just stick with the normal collective bargaining process. And so on.

The women are refusing to be patted on the head.

We're justifiably proud of Rapinoe's athletic achievements. She went from the North State to the top of the world.

But her passion for the game is just part of her passion for life, and for causes she believes in. And on this one, she and her teammates are seizing a moment when their leverage is strong and the winds of change are blowing at their backs.

With the Rio Olympics coming up and a national debate raging over equal pay for women, the U.S. Federation needs these women's talents badly and can expect their efforts to be broadly supported.

Aside from the weak arguments about process, critics of the move will say the women are paid less because their efforts earn less for the federation.

That argument is shaky and getting shakier. Although federation officials dispute this, Rapinoe and her fellow players say their team's 2015 revenues exceeded projections by some $16 million. And the organization, counting on another golden Olympic Games, is already budgeting millions in revenue from an expected victory tour after Rio.

The pay disparity for a team that has won three World Cups compared to the men's zero is pretty shocking.

If one year the women won all 20 of their "friendly" matches and the men lost every one of theirs, guess who'd earn more? That's right: the men.

None of this even factors the enormous contribution the women's team has made to the sport in America. Their success has brought out legions of fans who never watched soccer before, and has grown youth and development programs. The men who run the federation can pat themselves on the back for supporting the women's team, but they should remember that the women's team is busy building the future of their sport in this country.

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