Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer said he regrets his choice of words in a British newspaper interview about gender equity in soccer and stressed that he's a big supporter of the women's game.
De Boer faced backlash before Wednesday's Campeones Cup game for his comments in a wide-ranging interview published by The Guardian, in which he said it was "ridiculous" that female players expect to receive the same World Cup pay as the men.
The Atlanta coach issued a statement before the game on Wednesday saying he didn't want to be a distraction to his team, then was asked about it after Atlanta's 3-2 victory over Mexican powerhouse Club America -- the most significant victory of De Boer's first year as coach of the reigning MLS Cup champions.