The U.S. Women’s National Team concluded an uninspiring performance at the FIFA World Cup early Sunday morning, succumbing to long-time rivals Sweden on penalty kicks in the round of 16. It was an ignoble end for the two-time defending champions which, despite not playing well leading up to the tournament, entered as one of the favorites to lift the trophy.
Their uncharacteristically early exit was accompanied by another surprising sound: cheers from their fellow Americans at the team’s failure on the world stage. Some on the right — including former President Donald Trump — wasted no time celebrating the defeat of these world-class athletes representing the United States.
No team — not even the wildly successful USWNT — is universally immune to criticism, and there was plenty to dislike about this squad’s performance in Australia and New Zealand. But these attacks are instead meant to belittle the team’s advocacy and to intimidate others who would use their platforms to support equality, opportunity, tolerance and inclusion.
The USWNT entered this year’s World Cup as the overwhelming favorites, a surprising place considering the months of uneven play that preceded the tournament. The generation which won the 2015 and 2019 cups had given way to younger talent, but the team struggled to forge aging superstars and fresh-faced newcomers into a cohesive identity under head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
After opening play with a relatively easy 3-0 defeat of Vietnam, the USWNT looked overwhelmed in the first half against the Netherlands before securing a 1-1 draw. A nervy 0-0 game against Portugal followed, in which the U.S. was fortunate to survive, before Sunday morning’s 0-0 game vs Sweden, which the U.S. lost 5-4 on penalties.
It was USWNT’s earliest defeat in a World Cup, and post-game interviews with team captain Lindsey Horan and a tearful Julie Etrz showed the emotional toll of the loss. Like all athletes who reach the pinnacle of their sport, these women had given everything to be a part of this team, to play in tournaments such as this and to represent their country on the world’s largest stage.
Such sacrifice and dedication were lost on the critics, many of whom smugly celebrated the early U.S. exit. On social media, people who likely have never watched these women at work or viewed a second of Sunday’s match — it started at 5 a.m. eastern — were full of thoughts about how the players should and should not represent this nation, what causes they should and should not support, and, predictably, how they should look, speak, dress, act and behave.
Some took issue with the players not singing the national anthem before games, despite the fact that the men’s team routinely does the same. The section of U.S. code outlining etiquette for the anthem, like that for the care and display of the U.S. flag, are not enforceable by criminal penalty.
Trump histrionically and falsely said on his social media platform that, “Many of our players were openly hostile to America – No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA”
That’s some impressive patriotism from an admitted draft-dodger. Never mind that this team espoused these same views about fair pay and equal representation while winning two World Cups. Woke equals failure, indeed.
Midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who announced before the tournament that she would retire at its conclusion, was again a lightning rod for criticism from Trump et al. She said at the 2019 World Cup that she would decline an invite to the White House if the team won the trophy, sparking her row with Trump.
Ultimately, Sunday’s loss was disappointing, but also illuminating in that it shows the work needed to return to the sport’s summit. Those who chose to kick the team at its lowest moment also revealed themselves as false patriots, whose support for athletes representing this country only extends to those who don’t rock the boat.
