Becky Sauerbrunn says 'Those who failed the players, should leave'.

“For me, I think it’s incredibly important that those who failed the players in this situation are held accountable and leave their positions,” Sauerbrunn said of the NWSL. “I think it’s really important that we have transparency and make sure that the NWSL is a safe place to play.”

The Yates report, commissioned by NWSL investors NWSL Soccer Holdings LLC in the wake of the U.S. women’s national team’s lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, found that former NWSL president Steve Malik and his wife, Denise DeMerit, “engaged in a years-long pattern and practice of workplace misconduct that ultimately resulted in the NWSL players being failed.”

Sauerbrunn, who has been with the USWNT since 2008 and is a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, said she was “heartbroken” by the findings of the report.

“It’s really, really hard to see something like this happen in our sport, in the NWSL, which is a league that we all love so much and have worked so hard to build up,” Sauerbrunn said. “For me personally, it was just heartbreaking because I know how much time and energy and effort NWSL players have put into this league to try and make it a success.”

NWSL Players Association president Meghan Klingenberg, who is also a member of the USWNT, echoed Sauerbrunn’s sentiments in a statement released Monday night.

“The NWSL Players Association stands with Becky Sauerbrunn and all NWSL players in demanding accountability for those who failed us,” Klingenberg said. “We must work together to ensure that the NWSL is a safe and professional environment for all who are involved in our game.”

The NWSL has yet to respond to the findings of the Yates report, but Sauerbrunn said she hopes the league will take action to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“I think it’s really important that the NWSL does something about this, and quickly,” Sauerbrunn said. “I think they need to show the players that they are taking this seriously and that they are going to make changes so that this doesn’t happen again."