Within an hour of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling on reproductive freedom, Tampa-based USL which governs the second divisions in the US both on the men’s and women’s side as well as one of the third and fourth level men’s divisions came through with a strong statement that left no ambiguity.

Meanwhile, Major League Soccer (MLS) who is the first division on the men’s side in the US and has clubs in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale has said nothing on the court decision. Yet this weekend. the league signed Welsh global superstar Gareth Bale who spent the last nine seasons with Real Madrid, winning five UEFA Champions Leagues. Bale was the world’s first €100 million valued player. So MLS had time to sign one of the most visible figures in the sport but not make a statement on fundamental human rights that the league that governs the lower divisions made within an hour?

Hopefully, MLS will make a statement soon, though it must be noted some of the most prominent backers of MLS financially, have historically been financial backers of right-wing causes.

If MLS does not make a strong statement on this matter, soccer fans, (who tend strongly lean left politically at least in the US) might becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the league, particularly given USL, who has clubs all over the country (and is actually more dependent on “red state” fans than MLS, though one could argue many are from blue parts of red states) came out of the box quickly and strongly after the court ruling.