Tag: Megan Rapinoe

Rapinoe: Current USWNT ‘by far’ most talented group in program history

The USWNT legend said the group’s legacy will ultimately be defined by trophies

Megan Rapinoe has said that the U.S. women’s national team currently features the most talented group of players in program history.

The USWNT legend was in the stands on Saturday as the U.S. defeated Brazil 1-0 in the Olympic gold medal game, securing the team’s first major title since the 2019 World Cup.

Even with some recent stumbles, the USWNT is easily the most successful women’s program in history. The gold medal was the USWNT’s fifth, to go along with four World Cups. As Opta pointed out after the gold medal game, that total of nine major titles is more than every other country combined.

Even with such a storied history, Rapinoe believes that the current group is easily the most talented the USWNT has ever seen.

“I think this is by far the most talented group of players that we’ve ever had,” Rapinoe said on her podcast “A Touch More.”

The 39-year-old, who retired last year after a storied career that saw her win one gold medal and two World Cups, added that talent alone won’t see the current group go down as the greatest the USWNT has ever seen.

“I think they’re the most talented group, but their legacy will be defined by them and how many championships they win,” Rapinoe added. “That’s how you define your legacy. But this is an amazing first step and they all did it basically under 25, that core group.”

Of the 11 players who started against Brazil, six were age 25 or younger, with another two — Emily Fox and Mallory Swanson — age 26.

That group didn’t include four other under-25 players on the Olympic squad who look set to feature regularly in the coming years: Jenna Nighswonger, Croix Bethune, Hal Hershfelt and Jaedyn Shaw.

Rapinoe was also quick to highlight the contributions of some of the veteran players on the Olympic roster as well.

“Throw in veterans, obviously Lindsey Horan captaining the team to a win, Rose [Lavelle] has been there, [Emily] Sonnett has been there, Tierna [Davidson] even through she’s young, she’s been there a bunch of times.

“Crystal Dunn, also. Can we talk about Crystal Dunn? … She’s such an unsung hero. And obviously as a left back, you’re not always going to get the shine, but does she [ever] deserve it.”

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Ex-USWNT star Rapinoe on Albert: ‘I hope that she’s doing the work’

Albert has yet to address the controversy beyond an initial apology on social media

U.S. women’s national team legend Megan Rapinoe is hopeful Korbin Albert is doing work behind the scenes after controversial social media activity earlier this year.

Rapinoe was one of the earliest and most prominent critics of the USWNT midfielder, who shared and reposted a host of anti-LGBTQ+ content on her TikTok account earlier this year.

Albert also liked a post that poked fun at Rapinoe for tearing her Achilles in her final career game.

After Rapinoe called Albert out for her social media activity, the pressure around the 20-year-old grew and she was eventually forced to apologize.

Albert has gone on to play in every USWNT match since the controversy emerged in the spring, and was named to the Olympic roster that will kick off the competition on Thursday against Zambia.

For her part, Albert has not addressed the controversy since her initial apology. With the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder yet to speak about the matter further, Rapinoe has said she is hopeful the issues are being dealt with out of public view.

“I know that there’s been a player, Korbin, who has expressed some anti-gay views,” Rapinoe told The Advocate. “But I think what is hopefully evergreen about this team, is that we’re always fighting for not just for gay rights, but for all of our right to be who we are and to be our full selves.”

“For Korbin, I hope that she’s doing the work,” she continued. “It’s the sort of process that isn’t public and transparent in a way that allows anyone outside of the environment to really see it. But I hope that it is happening and that she understands that until we are all free, none of us are free, her included.”

After naming Albert to her Olympic roster, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes insisted that the midfielder was indeed working behind the scenes.

“There’s been a lot of work that’s been going on in the background,” Hayes said.

“Korbin has had to learn,” the coach added. “She’s a young person who’s understood fully the implications of her social media activity.”

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Rapinoe and Bird’s production company announces first scripted series

The legendary ex-pro athletes will serve as executive producers on ‘Cleat Cute’

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s production company, A Touch More, has announced it is developing its first scripted TV series.

Bird and Rapinoe will serve as executive producers on an adaptation of the best-selling novel “Cleat Cute” from author Meryl Wilsner.

According to a press release, the novel “follows a young soccer player as she juggles being the new rookie player, her goals of making the national team, and a budding romance with her team captain.”

Bird and Rapinoe added: “We are thrilled to be working with Future Shack [Entertainment] to bring Meryl Wilsner’s wonderful book to life. Having spent most of our lives on teams, we want to celebrate the ways in which relationships, both romantic and platonic, are organically created through sports.

“‘Cleat Cute’ will not shy away from the messiness, occasional frustration, and undeniable beauty that come with loving the game and the players within it.”

“Cleat Cute” will be the first foray into scripted TV for A Touch More, which Bird and Rapinoe founded in 2022.

A Touch More was also part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcast “Pink Card,” a series that followed women in Iran fighting for the right to watch soccer.

The company was founded with the aim of amplifying stories from  underrepresented communities, including LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and women.

Rapinoe retired last year at the end of a decorated career in which she became one of the all-time greats for the U.S. women’s national team. Similarly, Bird retired in 2022 after becoming one of the WNBA’s greatest ever players.

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Rapinoe offers biting response amid Albert social media controversy

The USWNT legend hit out at the 20-year-old midfielder for her anti-LGBTQ+ activity on TikTok

U.S. women’s national team legend Megan Rapinoe has spoken out amid the discovery of controversial social media activity from one of the team’s newest stars, Korbin Albert.

This week, USWNT fans began to notice that Albert’s TikTok account has either shared or reposted a host of anti-LGBTQ+ content.

In addition, Albert liked a post on Instagram from November 2023 that made light of the torn Achilles that Rapinoe suffered in the NWSL championship game — the final match of her career.

Rapinoe, along with several of her USWNT teammates, has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout her career.

As the controversy around Albert began to grow, Rapinoe posted a story on her Instagram account that looked to be directed toward the 20-year-old PSG midfielder.

“For people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs,’ I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone,” she wrote.

“Because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up!

“Yours truly, #15.

“For all my trans homies enduring this horrific treatment day in and day out, I see you and hear you and I am WITH YOU.”

Rapinoe signing the message with “#15” appears to be intentional. After Rapinoe wore the No. 15 for years with the USWNT, Albert has now taken that number as her own.

Longtime USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn reposted Rapinoe’s story along with the caption: “Well said, @mrapinoe.” Other notable names reposting Rapinoe’s story included Sam Mewis, Kristie Mewis and Lynn Williams.

Later on Thursday, Albert released a statement of apology on her own Instagram story.

Albert, who made her USWNT debut in December, has been called into the USWNT’s roster for the SheBelieves Cup, which kicks off next weekend with a match against Japan.

The midfielder scored a tremendous long-range effort in PSG’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against on Häcken on Thursday, showing that at least on the field, the controversy wasn’t affecting her.

When contacted by Pro Soccer Wire for comment, Albert’s representatives said they could only point to her statement on Instagram.

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Rapinoe backs Hayes to take her place as USWNT media spokesperson

“Alex and I are very talented with the media …. that’s sort of a tough act to follow”

Megan Rapinoe has backed incoming U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes to pick up the slack from her and Alex Morgan as the team’s main representative with the media.

Rapinoe took on the mantle as the USWNT’s de facto spokesperson prior to her retirement last year. Along with other stars like Alex Morgan, Rapinoe championed the team’s favored social causes, served as an advocate for the team during its lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, and also acted as a shield for its many critics.

Speaking to Sam Mewis on her podcast on The Women’s Game, Rapinoe said that Hayes could help ease the burden on a new generation of USWNT stars who may not be as keen to be in the media spotlight as their predecessors.

“I think she’s really talented at [dealing with the media],” Rapinoe said of Hayes, who will take over as USWNT head coach in May following the conclusion of Chelsea’s season.

“I don’t think we often think of interactions — whether it’s players or coaches — as an actual talent with the media. I think Emma is very talented. She’s charismatic, she speaks very well. She’s cheeky. She’s going to have a sense of humor in there. It seems like she handles herself really well in England, which is traditionally a very tough media.”

“I think the team has also come off a period that had me and Alex. I think Alex and I are very talented with the media. I really don’t want to toot my own horn here, but that’s sort of a tough act to follow when the media is maybe looking for someone just like that, and that’s not how all players are. And I feel like this might be a time to let the coach take some of the heat for all of this.”

Rapinoe added that she welcomed the increased media scrutiny the USWNT has been dealing with in recent years, saying that has to come with the territory in a growing women’s sports landscape.

“I always say if we are going to say we want the sport to grow, you have to take the smoke,” Rapinoe said. “And I think that Emma’s going to be really good at doing that. And I always say the media is not the enemy. I feel like you can always weaponize media and always use them to your advantage and I think she’s going to be really good at that. And I think it might take a little bit of the pressure off the players, so they can just go do their thing.”

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Megan Rapinoe’s injury in her final career game left fans devastated for the USWNT star

Megan Rapinoe was supposed to have a storybook ending to her career in the NWSL title game.

Sometimes, sports are just cruel.

In what was widely believed to be Megan Rapinoe’s final game in the National Women’s Soccer League, the veteran forward suffered what appeared to an awful lower-body injury in just the second minute of the match. Rapinoe, playing for OL Reign in the NWSL Championship game against Gotham FC, went down without making contact with another player.

A few minutes later, Rapinoe hobbled off the field after exchanging a hug with her U.S. national squad teammate, Ali Krieger

Rapinoe, 38, has had a decorated career in women’s soccer and will go down as one of the best to ever wear the uniform for the U.S. national team. She helped lead the Stars-and-Stripes to gold medals in the 2012 Olympics, and the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. She was also named FIFA’s Best Women’s Player in 2019. And for her club, OL Reign, she’s tallied 51 goals and 26 assists across 115 matches in 10 seasons.

Saturday night was supposed to be a storybook ending for Rapinoe. Instead, her career ended in disappointment with an untimely injury.

Fans and media alike in women’s soccer were devastated for how Rapinoe’s night came to a halt:

‘Pull it together Lindsey!’ – Watch Rapinoe’s USWNT farewell speech

Rapinoe addressed the Soldier Field crowd after earning her 203rd and final USWNT cap

Megan Rapinoe addressed the Soldier Field crowd after her final U.S. women’s national team game on Sunday, telling supporters: “I’m one of you guys now. I’ll be the biggest fan of this team.”

The American soccer legend made her 203rd and final appearance with the USWNT against South Africa, starting and playing 54 minutes before being subbed off to a standing ovation in a 2-0 win.

Rapinoe will retire at the end of the 2023 NWSL season, capping off a hugely impactful career both on and off the field.

Speaking to reporters before the game, Rapinoe said that her on-field accomplishments “pale in comparison” to everything she and her generation of USWNT players have achieved off the field.

Rapinoe referenced some of those off-field achievements in her farewell address, saying: “We have fought so hard on the field, had so much fun, been so successful, doing it underneath all of your guys’ cheers. We have fought so hard off the field to continue to create more space for ourselves to be who we are, but hopefully, in turn, more space for you guys to be who you are.

“It has been such an honor to be able to wear this shirt and to play with all these amazing players and to just live out my childhood dream casually just like in front of the world.”

Later, Rapinoe turned to an emotional Lindsey Horan and joked: “Pull it together Lindsey! She’s not handling it well. It’s OK, love you too.”

Rapinoe’s career still has a few games remaining as the NWSL season nears its conclusion. OL Reign has announced that its October 6 home regular-season finale against the Washington Spirit has been dubbed “Forever Reign: A Celebration of Megan Rapinoe.”

Watch Rapinoe’s farewell speech

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USWNT’s Kilgore on coaching Rapinoe: ‘It’s a monumental thing’

Kilgore on Rapinoe: “Off the field, she’s gonna champion everybody to champion others”

Megan Rapinoe’s final U.S. women’s national team head coach may not have been in charge for all that long, but she still has a “Pinoe” story.

Speaking to reporters after the USWNT icon played her final game for the national team, interim coach Twila Kilgore said that getting to coach Rapinoe and Julie Ertz (whose retirement became official on Thursday night) was an honor.

“We have a heads of department meeting in the evenings,” explained Kilgore following Sunday’s 2-0 win over South Africa. “I kind of shared a little bit and just said, ‘man, like how lucky are we that we get to be the coaches and the staff that’s here for both these players’ last games?’ Out of all the coaches in the world, I get to do that.”

“It’s because of who they are as players, but also as people, and what they’ve done for the soccer community and beyond. It’s a monumental thing. I think we’ll all be telling the next generation of kids and stuff in our families about.”

For Kilgore, the unique moment was combined with a more personal bit of gratitude, with the interim coach saying Rapinoe even got in touch to encourage her once she was handed the keys to such a vaunted program.

“Her first phone call to me when I was got this job, she said ‘Twila, coach us. Coach us, be you, and coach us,’ said Kilgore. “She does that for everybody.”

Kilgore on Rapinoe: ‘She’s gonna champion everybody’

Kilgore, who was on former head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s staff from last year through the World Cup, gave a peek into what life is like when such a huge star like Rapinoe is in your locker room.

“I joked last night in front of the group, you never know exactly what you’re gonna get with Pinoe: what music she’s gonna be playing, what outfit she’s gonna be [wearing],” said Kilgore. “She gets a phone call, it could be like a friend, Sue [Bird, Rapinoe’s fiancée and WNBA legend], or the president of the United States. Like, you just don’t know.

“But you know that consistently on the pitch, you’re gonna get somebody who’s going to be a goalscoring threat. She’s gonna provide amazing service. She’s gonna probably make some sort of tactical adjustment on her own, and she’s gonna encourage the people around her to be her, you know?”

Kilgore’s emphasis was clear: Rapinoe doesn’t want the other USWNT players to be another Megan Rapinoe, but rather to be the most iconic version of themselves.

“Off the field, she’s gonna champion everybody to champion others,” added Kilgore, alluding to Rapinoe’s embrace of social causes, particularly those pertaining to racial justice and equal rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community. “Whether that’s big, big, large-scale movements, or just protecting and helping the person next to her.”

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USWNT bids farewell to Rapinoe with 2-0 win over South Africa

A solid, suffocating win saw a USWNT legend exit the stage one last time

Megan Rapinoe’s farewell came on Sunday, and the U.S. women’s national team made sure to send her off right.

The USWNT thoroughly controlled the full 90 minutes en route to a 2-0 win over South Africa, with Trinity Rodman and Emily Sonnett notching goals in either half.

Rapinoe captained the side in her 203rd and final cap, nearly scoring what would have been a jaw-dropping free kick goal with her final touch in a U.S. shirt.

Despite the spotlight being on Rapinoe, the event of the day in theory was a match. Fans in attendance didn’t get a ton to enjoy in either direction in an imprecise opening spell, but the first truly well-worked move from either team ended up being highlight-worthy: Alex Morgan preserved a ball in behind by winning a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, then looped a cross to Rodman for a thunderous finish.

Fans briefly let out a roar after seeing a classic Rapinoe moment when the winger’s pinpoint cross from the left was tapped home by Morgan in the 33rd minute, but an offside flag — Rapinoe was clearly beyond the last South African defender when played through — spoiled the moment.

Rapinoe still ended up making an impact on the scoreline. A 49th minute corner gave the USWNT legend a chance to repeat one of her favorite tricks, and the OL Reign star went for an olimpico rather than serving the ball in.

South Africa goalkeeper Andile Dlamini managed to slap that bending shot away, but Sonnett was on hand to float the rebound over traffic, making it 2-0.

Rapinoe knew her last moments on the pitch were coming, but nearly followed that up with a goal that would have brought the house down. Standing over a 26-yard free kick, Rapinoe bent what was her final touch in a USWNT shirt over the wall, only to see the ball go just inches too high. Just seconds later, the iconic attacker made her final bow with the national team.

Rodman once again clobbered a shot goalward in the 59th minute, but this longer-range effort cracked off the crossbar. Seconds later, as the sequence continued, Lindsey Horan’s bicycle kick attempt — a possible nod to Rapinoe, who joked pre-game that she would like to score exactly that sort of goal on the day — narrowly missed.

Interim head coach Twila Kilgore made an eagerly-anticipated substitution in the 64th minute, bringing Chelsea forward Mia Fishel in for her USWNT debut up front.

Despite numerous chances to pad the scoreline late on, the USWNT were confounded by some odd bounces, blocked shots, and bad luck, before full time brought an on-field ceremony honoring Rapinoe’s incredible career.

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Watch: Megan Rapinoe leaves field for final time as USWNT player

Rapinoe’s illustrious international career has come to a close

Megan Rapinoe’s incredible U.S. women’s national team career is over.

Playing in her final international game, Rapinoe started against South Africa at Soldier Field on Sunday night in Chicago.

Rapinoe’s last moments with the U.S. came in the 53rd minute, with play stopping so she could receive a rapturous applause while being replaced by Midge Purce.

Moments before coming off, Rapinoe’s corner ended up causing a goal, with OL Reign teammate Emily Sonnett nodding a rebound home after Rapinoe went for goal direct from a 49th minute corner kick. Her final strike of a ball was nearly a spectacular free kick goal, with her 52nd minute bid from long range zipping inches over the crossbar.

Rapinoe collected 203 caps during her USWNT career, winning a gold medal and two World Cups while ushering in a period of American dominance over the women’s game.

But the 38-year-old said in her final press conference that all of her on-field accomplishments “pale in comparison” to everything she and her generation of USWNT players have achieved off the field.

Watch Rapinoe say farewell to USWNT

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