Tag: Megan Rapinoe

Rapinoe hits out at ‘deep level of misogyny’ in Spanish federation

Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final

Megan Rapinoe has slammed the Spanish soccer federation and its president Luis Rubiales, who is under fire for kissing Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final.

After Spain beat England in the final, Rubiales embraced Hermoso and kissed her during the post-game medal ceremony.

The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez saying on Tuesday that an apology from Rubiales “wasn’t sufficient.”

Rapinoe has joined in on the chorus of critics, connecting the kiss to more widespread issues between the Spanish federation and its women’s national team.

“[The kiss] made me think about how much we are required to endure,” the U.S. national team forward said in an interview with The Atlantic.

“Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year still aren’t on the team. Maybe that was something that galvanized them, but you shouldn’t have to have that.

“There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man (Rubiales) at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”

In September of last year, 15 players on the Spain women’s national team wrote identical letters to the Spanish federation demanding widespread changes within the program, including more investment in staff and travel.

The Spanish federation also said those players demanded the ouster of head coach Jorge Vilda. Not only did the federation refuse to fire Vilda, it demanded that any player who sent the letter apologize before being allowed back into the team.

Of the 15 players who wrote the letter, only three were named to the roster that eventually won the World Cup.

The Spanish federation has said it will hold an emergency Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday to discuss the issue with Rubiales.

“Based on the latest events that took place during the award ceremony of the Women’s World Cup won by the Spanish national team last Sunday in Sydney, the federation wishes to inform that the internal proceedings of the federation regarding integrity issues are open, as well as the rest of the applicable protocols,” a statement read.

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‘I wish we’d done that earlier’: Rapinoe says USWNT changes came too late at World Cup

“Was there a little bit more in the tournament for us? Yes, I think so”

Megan Rapinoe has joined a growing list of people saying the U.S. women’s national team should have made earlier adjustments during this summer’s World Cup.

In an interview with The Atlantic published on Tuesday, Rapinoe — who before the tournament had announced plans to retire at the end of the 2023 NWSL season — acknowledged that the changed approach seen in the team’s round of 16 meeting with Sweden would have helped the team in the group stage.

“It felt a lot more fluid,” said Rapinoe. “I think we set up more to our strengths and what was going to make us hard to beat. I wish we’d done that earlier, because we would’ve had more time with it. But obviously, hindsight is 20/20.”

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned after the team had its worst-ever showing at a World Cup. He drew intense criticism from pundits for an oddly-implemented 4-3-3 formation that prioritized pushing numbers high up the field over midfield connections on both sides of the ball.

Facing the Swedes without a suspended Rose Lavelle, the U.S. switched things up. Defender Emily Sonnett was deployed as a surprise midfield starter in a 4-2-3-1, while the aggressive early runs from midfield were held until the team had progressed further up the field in possession.

The changes worked to some degree: the USWNT saved their best performance for their toughest opponent, only to go out on penalties after finishing troubles undermined their play.

Rapinoe: USWNT could have gone further

The USWNT’s tactical issues in the group stage contributed to being second-best for a substantial chunk of a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, as well as a dispiriting scoreless draw against Portugal that nearly saw the team eliminated in stoppage time.

In a different formation, and with more consistent numbers in the midfield, the U.S. looked like a more formidable foe. A win over the Dutch, in particular, would have secured the top spot in Group E, which in turn would have resulted in a less daunting round of 16 clash against South Africa (a team the USWNT has beaten in every previous meeting without so much as conceding a goal).

Lindsey Horan, whose own role within the two approaches was markedly different, hinted on the RE-CAP Show podcast that the players may have tweaked the team’s planned tactics on their own.

While saying that the tactical changes should have come earlier, Rapinoe was a bit more philosophical in evaluating the World Cup as a whole.

“Was there a little bit more in the tournament for us? Yes, I think so,” said the 38-year-old, echoing the thoughts of many outside the team’s bubble. “But in the end, I think we played as good as we could, and we tried as hard as we could, and sometimes you lose… I don’t look at it as this devastating thing and a verdict on who we are as players or as a team.”

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Soccer fan Donald Trump offers nuanced critique of USWNT World Cup exit

The former president would like you to know that “the USA is going to Hell!!!”

Just like everyone else out here, Donald Trump is looking to explain exactly how the U.S. women’s national team fell short at the World Cup.

With a shootout defeat to Sweden on Sunday, the USWNT fell in the last 16 to seal its worst World Cup ever. The team’s previous worst finish was third place.

Perhaps the former U.S. President felt that Vlatko Andonovski should have gone to a 4-2-3-1 earlier than he did. Maybe he thought Ashley Sanchez should’ve been given a shot. Or maybe Trump concluded, after watching the SheBelieves Cup in 2022 and 2023, that injuries to Catarina Macario and Mallory Swanson were too much to overcome.

What’s that? He had a different take? Hmm, OK.

“The ‘shocking and totally unexpected’ loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to the our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump said on Truth Social. “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.”

Oh.

Trump, of course, has a bit of a history with the USWNT, especially Megan Rapinoe, whose penalty he made sure to compliment.

In 2019, Rapinoe stated that she wouldn’t be going to the “f—–g White House” if the USWNT won the World Cup, to which Trump said (among many other things) “Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!”

Rapinoe and the USWNT would indeed finish the job, winning their second straight World Cup. This time around things didn’t go quite so well, which clearly delighted the 45th President of the United States.

But having concluded that “WOKE EQUALS FAILURE,” Trump may be a bit surprised to learn more about the team that eliminated the USWNT.

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Alex Morgan brushes off retirement talk after USWNT’s World Cup elimination

Alex Morgan has no plans to call it quits right now.

The U.S. Women’s National Team’s disappointing Round of 16 exit from the 2023 World Cup in many ways marked the end of an era.

One of the team’s stars and leaders, Megan Rapinoe, already announced that this World Cup would be her last. Following the loss to Sweden on penalty kicks Sunday morning, Julie Ertz also announced her retirement.

Add in the loss of Carli Lloyd, who retired in 2021 following Team USA’s World Cup win in 2019, and many of the squad’s longtime fixtures won’t be around the next time it competes on the international stage.

Following the loss, all eyes turned to Alex Morgan. The 34-year-old striker has played for the USWNT since 2010 and captained it in its last two World Cup runs. But following a goalless performance in this year’s tournament, some questioned if she would follow in the footsteps of some of her veteran teammates.

She put that speculation to rest in an interview with ESPN following the loss.

“I’m not planning to hang up my boots anytime soon right now, ” Morgan said when asked if this World Cup would be her last. “So, just one day at a time now.”

Though it isn’t an outright commitment to playing in the 2027 World Cup — the host nation for which hasn’t been determined — it doesn’t sound like Morgan has any plans to slow down after the back-to-back defending champions bowed out in heartbreaking fashion.

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Rapinoe: ‘It’s dark comedy that I missed a penalty’

The veteran’s World Cup career ironically ended with a missed penalty

Megan Rapinoe said that missing a penalty kick in a shootout is “dark comedy” after the U.S. women’s national team crashed out of the 2023 World Cup.

After a 0-0 draw against Sweden over 120 minutes, the USWNT fell 5-4 in an agonizing penalty shootout as they were eliminated in the last 16.

Three USWNT players missed penalties in the shootout, with Rapinoe joined by Kelley O’Hara and Sophia Smith in missing the goal entirely.

Rapinoe is typically deadly from the penalty spot, having scored three penalties in the knockout stage alone during the 2019 World Cup.

Speaking to Fox Sports after her last World Cup game with the USWNT, Rapinoe noted the irony of missing a spot kick in the shootout.

“I thought we played really well,” Rapinoe said. “I’m so happy for us that we went out like that, playing the way that we did and having a ton of joy on the ball.

“I mean, this is like a sick joke. For me personally, I’m just like, this is dark comedy I missed a penalty. Alyssa [Naeher] came up huge though, kept us in it, obviously scoring one herself.”

She added: “This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game. I think it can be cruel and just [wasn’t] our day. But I still just feel really grateful and joyful. I know it’s the end and that’s sad, but to know that this is really the only time I’ve been in one of these this early (an interview after an early exit from the tournament) says so much about how much success I’ve been able to have, and just how much I’ve loved playing for this team and playing for this country. It’s been an honor.”

In his post-game press conference, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski paid tribute to Rapinoe while expressing his surprise to see her miss a vital penalty.

“Megan Rapinoe is a legend,” the coach said. “If I had my life on the line right now, and I had to pick who was going to take the penalty, Megan Rapinoe is my choice.”

Watch Rapinoe’s post-game interview

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USWNT player ratings: Defensive spine shines in gut-punch penalty kick defeat

The USWNT finally played like themselves, but soccer can be cruel

Soccer has always been a cruel sport, and today it came calling for the U.S. women’s national team.

After three underwhelming performances in the group stage, the USWNT finally looked like themselves against Sweden, bossing one of the best teams in this World Cup.

Unfortunately, they found goalkeeper Zećira Mušović having one of the games of her life, and when she wasn’t making a big save, the errant finishing that has plagued this team appeared again, and the result was a penalty kick elimination after a scoreless 120 minutes.

It was a heartbreaker for the U.S., who missed a shot in the shootout that would have seen them advance, and then had to watch Sweden’s winning kick require a VAR check to reveal that the ball had crossed the line by a nearly imperceptible margin.

Still, when it comes to ratings, this was by some margin the best performance from the USWNT at this World Cup as a team, and for many players as individuals.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

8 adorable Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird photos of the couple over the years

A look at the couple over the years.

You want to talk about legendary athlete and athlete couples in the world right now?

How about Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe?

Rapinoe, of course, is the USWNT soccer legend who has won multiple World Cups and an Olympic gold medal for the United States. Bird, the former WNBA star, is a four-time champion of that league, a 13-time All-Star and a five-time Olympic gold medalist.

The couple got engaged in 2020, but they met before that in 2016 when they were both at the Summer Olympics. Since then, they’ve been together and celebrated each other’s accomplishments.

Let’s look back at them together over the years.

USWNT player ratings: Lack of ideas as U.S. barely survives Portugal

Lots of not-great, and some quite bad!

The U.S. women’s national team, by a margin of about three inches, survived a feisty Portugal side to get through to the knockout round of the World Cup.

That’s about all the good news there is to discuss. The USWNT were totally unable to solve the Portuguese midfield diamond throughout a troubling 0-0 draw, struggling for possession and also lacking chances to break out in transition.

The stats may show the USWNT holding a 17-6 shot advantage, and this is another game in which a U.S. opponent were held without a shot on goal. However, anyone that watched the match would be able to tell you that the Portuguese troubled the U.S. from start to finish, seeing the game’s best chance end with Ana Capeta hitting the post deep in stoppage time.

It was a dispiriting and disappointing showing in which no player really looked like they’d been given a platform to be their best. If the USWNT is to go on and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups, this has to be by far their worst performance of the tournament.

Here’s a breakdown from a game in which no one looked particularly good.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

Rapinoe: I could’ve helped versus Netherlands — but so could others

The veteran has made one substitute appearance in the USWNT’s first two games

Megan Rapinoe has said she could have helped the U.S. women’s national team in its 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, but added that any of her teammates could have as well.

The USWNT could only draw the Dutch in their second World Cup match, leaving them with work to do against Portugal in their finale to assure a place in the knockout round and a first-place finish in Group E.

One of the major talking points surrounding the game was head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s decision to only use one of his five available substitutions — a halftime swap with Rose Lavelle entering for Savannah DeMelo.

Rapinoe was one of several bench options Andonovski declined to use, and spoke at a press conference Sunday about her thoughts during the second half against the Netherlands.

“I think I could have helped,” Rapinoe said. “But I think Lynn [Williams] could have helped, and I think Trinity [Rodman] was helping and I think [Sophia Smith] was helping, and we had chances. It was right there for us. I don’t think that it was like all the players on the field didn’t do their job. I think that they were giving everything and still creating chances up till the very end and just wasn’t able to get that last goal.”

“[Andonovski] knows every single sub wants to go in the game,” Rapinoe added. “He explained to [the media] that he felt like we had the momentum. Ultimately, that’s his decision. I feel like the players that were off the field felt like players on field were going to score.”

Rapinoe played a starring role at the 2019 World Cup but was expected to be used more sparingly at this World Cup. That has played out in the first two games, with the veteran playing 27 minutes in the opener against Vietnam before not seeing the field against the Netherlands.

As the 38-year-old takes in her final World Cup ahead of her impending retirement, she said she can still contribute plenty to the USWNT cause on and off the field.

“You can still play at an extremely high level. You can still keep a really high standard. You still have a lot to offer, both on the field and off the field,” she said.

“Maybe you’re not going to be a starter playing 90 minutes or playing the bulk of the games. But you know, sometimes the veteran players, that’s not what you need. You need the 20 minutes in two games that wins the team the tournament, or wins the game and gets to the next round.”

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USWNT player ratings: Smith stands out as U.S. eases past Vietnam in World Cup opener

Smith was at the center of most of the USWNT’s best in their win

It may not have been the blowout some expected, but the U.S. women’s national team started the World Cup off with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith — one goal was clinical, the other needed a fairly hefty slice of luck — set the USWNT on their way. After some missed chances, including an Alex Morgan penalty kick that was saved by Vietnam’s Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Lindsey Horan added the third on an assist from Smith.

In the context of Vietnam’s recent results, including only falling to Germany 2-1, it’s a decent result. It’s also not the rout that fans may have thought was coming, though on another day the goals may have been flowing with just a touch more sharpness from the attacking players.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.