U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe did not hold back when talking about the U.S. men’s hockey national team visiting the White House and Donald Trump.

Rapinoe referred to the players as “clowns” for visiting Trump, adding that this decision has tarnished their massive moment. She called the decision a “classic ripping defeat from the jaws of victory.”

Rapinoe spoke about this on the latest episode of her wife’s and WNBA legend Sue Bird’s podcast. Rapinoe is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup champion for the United States.

“The United States men’s hockey team, in their utter moment of glory, childhood dreams come true, once in a lifetime accomplishment, sensational, ruined it for themselves,” Rapinoe said. “Because they allowed themselves to be totally co-opted by a clown. And now you’re a clown. You look like a clown.”

Rapinoe circled back to the “joke” made by the president in the locker room about the U.S Women’s hockey team. Trump said that he has to invite the women’s team or else he will be “impeached,” in a phone call with the men’s team. “I don’t understand the funny part of the joke,” Rapinoe said.

“And, I’m just like … why don’t you respect you more than to have that moment be taken by someone for no reason at all, take a huge swing and a jab at women who did the exact same thing you did?” Rapinoe added.

Rapinoe famously said she “wasn’t going to the f—ing White House,” if they won the World Cup back in 2019. The women’s hockey team followed in her footsteps by declining the invitation to the Oval Office.

United States women’s soccer legend Alex Morgan officially announced her retirement Thursday, ending a senior career that spanned nearly 16 years. In that time, Morgan led the U.S. to two World Cup victories and an Olympic gold medal, among many other achievements.

“I grew up on this team, it was so much more than soccer,” Morgan said in a statement Thursday. “It was the friendships and the unwavering respect and support among each other, the relentless push for global investment in women’s sports, and the pivotal moments of success both on and off the field.”

In the midst of the United States’ dynastic run in women’s soccer, Morgan joined the national team in 2008 and was the youngest player on the team at the 2011 World Cup. Joining around the same time as Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn, she became an integral part in keeping the program at the highest levels of the sport into the 2010s.

Coming out of the University of California in 2010, Morgan went on to have a successful club career as well, playing for 10 teams in brief stints while also participating in international competition. She has spent her last three seasons with the San Diego Wave, scoring 22 goals in 45 appearances.

Though she participated at the club level throughout her career, Morgan’s most well-known moments all occurred while representing the United States. In 15 seasons, she made 224 appearances and scored 123 goals, earning the title of co-captain in 2018 and held the title with Rapinoe and Lloyd until 2020.

“I am so incredibly honored to have borrowed the crest for more than 15 years,” Morgan said. “I learned so much about myself in that time and so much of that is a credit to my teammates and our fans. I feel immense pride in where this team is headed, and I will forever be a fan of the USWNT. My desire for success may have always driven me, but what I got in return was more than I could have ever asked and hoped for.”

In a sport that is still growing in the United States, Morgan has been an industry leader, a profoundly talented individual who has promoted women’s soccer to aspiring players and fans alike. Soccer in the United States has exploded in popularity since the women’s program’s rise in the early 1990s, and Morgan did her part in propagating that success in a new generation.

Athlete Ally, a sports advocacy group, coordinated to send letters to the NCAA advocating against a ban for transgender college athletes. Hundreds of former and current athletes, including Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, signed the letters.

The letters were sent to the NCAA through corporations, academics and athletes, calling for the league to cease considerations to ban transgender athletes and instead focus on welcoming them.

“We implore you, the NCAA’s highest governing body and members of an organization focused on supporting the wellbeing of not just athletes but sport itself, to focus on the long-documented needs of NCAA athletes of all genders,” Athlete Ally’s letter stated. “We implore you to focus efforts on developing policies driven by research, education, collaboration, and policy to promote a healthy and safe environment for all athletes, NOT discriminatory attempts to sideline an entire group of athletes from the sports they love.”

The NCAA last took measures to address transgender athletes in 2022, when the organization issued a rule requiring that transgender women receive at least one year of testosterone suppression treatment before competing. The debate has raged on since, however, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) took a drastic step earlier this month, banning transgender athletes outright.

“We know there are a lot of different opinions out there,” NAIA president Jim Carr told CBS Sports. “For us, we believed our first responsibility was to create fairness and competition in the NAIA … We also think it aligns with the reasons Title IX was created. You’re allowed to have separate but equal opportunities for women to compete.”

The NAIA’s decision has pressured the NCAA to return to the issue, with some demanding that the organization follow suit. Athlete Ally, along with hundreds of signatory athletes, has made its stance clear as well.

“To deny trans athletes the freedom to be their authentic selves and participate in the sport they love goes against the principles of Olympism: that sport is a human right and that sport is for all,” the letter went on to state.

In her final World Cup appearance before retirement, USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe‘s missed penalty kick summarized their painful loss to Sweden 5-4. The United States women’s national team exited in the round of 16 for the first time in its history in Melbourne, Australia.

But Rapinoe wasn’t the only one to miss their penalty kick, as she was one of three U.S. players to miss their penalties in a shootout after the game was scoreless through regular and extra time.

Asked what she was thinking when she stepped up to take her penalty, Rapinoe said: “I’m gonna score. Back of the net. Always.”

“A sick joke,” Rapinoe said. “That’s why I had that smile on my face. Like, ‘You got to be f—ing kidding me. I’m going to miss the penalty?’ I honestly can’t remember the last time I missed a penalty. Not in a game for a very long time.”

“But that’s the way it goes. I’ve definitely thought about that before – it’s always a possibility when you step up there. But I thought I was going to make it. I thought everyone was going to make it.”

Rapinoe correctly remembered that her last missed penalty in general, regardless of country or club, was in 2018, when goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made a save against her in the NWSL.

Prior to the World Cup starting in early July, Rapinoe announced the Australia and New Zealand tournament would be her last, planning to retire at the end of the 2023 NWSL season making this year’s World Cup her final one.

“I feel so lucky and so grateful to play as long as I have and been on as many successful teams as I have, and be a part of a very special generation that has done so much on and off the field,” Rapinoe said. “It would be hard to feel disappointed in any type of way.”

In 2006, she made her USWNT debut and was part of the World Cup-winning squads in 2015 and 2019.

“Obviously there’s the immediate disappointment of being out of the tournament, but I’m ok. I’m ready in a lot of ways to be done and I feel at peace with that.”

Rapinoe was moved to tears when asked to reflect on her final World Cup and her career.

“I’ve loved every bit of my career,” she said. “I’ll miss it to death, but it also feels like the right time and that’s ok.”

“It’s some dark humor, me missing the penalty at the end of this game,” she added, laughing.

Rapinoe will be known as one of the most impactful figures in the history of soccer in the U.S. and in the global women’s game as an icon. On the turf, she was reputable for scoring in creative ways and had a handful of clutch performances. Her personality defined her game and was a vocal supporter of many social issues including LGBTQ rights, racial inequality, voter rights, and gender and pay equality.

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer team has reached an agreement in its class-action equal-pay lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

“We are pleased to announce that, contingent on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, we will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer,” both parties said in a joint statement Tuesday.

U.S. Soccer has agreed to pay $22 million in back pay to the players, which will be distributed in a way that was proposed by players and approved by courts. The federation will also put $2 million into a fund for USWNT players’ post-careers, with each player eligible for up to $50,000.

The federation has also promised to provide an equal rate of pay between the genders in all friendly matches and tournaments—including the World Cup.

“Getting to this day has not been easy,” the parties said in the statement.

The litigation stems from a federal equal pay complaint filed by five members of the women’s national team in 2016 who said the women’s team was paid thousands of dollars less than the men at nearly every level. 28 players then sued U.S. Soccer in March 2019.

The lawsuit was born months after the men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018 and just before the women’s team went on to win its second consecutive tournament in 2019.

In May 2020, a federal judge dismissed the women’s claims—as well as other key parts of the suit including differences in the contract structures to which they had agreed in collective bargaining. Other aspects of the suit vis a vis working conditions were settled out of court in December.

Several players filed an appeal in July 2021, saying the judge hadn’t looked at rates of pay and the fact that women had to win more often than men to receive bonuses.

The settlement is contingent on the new collective bargaining agreement’s ratification by the USWNT Players Association.

“After the parties finalize the settlement agreement, they plan to advise the district court of the settlement, and then seek a limited remand from this Court under Federal Rule of the Appellate Procedure 12.1 so that the district court can consider the settlement,” the parties said in a joint motion filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday.

The agreement falls short of the $66 million-plus that the players had sought in back pay, but it still amounts to a significant victory.

“We feel like this is a huge win—obviously contingent upon the ratification of the CBA—but it will have equal pay on everything moving forward,” Megan Rapinoe, captain of the Seattle-based OL Reign as well as the women’s national team, said. “It’s honestly kind of surreal. I feel like I need to take a step back. We’ve all been in the trenches of it for so long. I think I honestly don’t even understand how monumental this is.”

Megan Rapinoe is an American professional soccer player and activist. She is the current captain of the OL Reign professional team and co-captain of the United States national team, which she has played for since 2005. She’s competed in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup (second place), the 2012 London Summer Olympics (gold), the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold), the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold) and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (bronze). Rapinoe is well-known for her staunch social and political views. The athlete is included in Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Megan Rapinoe was born on July 5, 1985 (Megan Rapinoe’s age: 40), in Redding, California. Her parents, Jim and Denise, raised five children. Rapinoe has an older sister, two older brothers, and a fraternal twin sister, Rachael Rapinoe.

Growing up, Rapinoe idolized her older brother Brian. At age 15, however, Brian was sent to juvenile detention and spent the following years in and out of prison. Recently, Brian has made a concerted effort to get off drugs and turn his life around.

Rapinoe attended Foothill High School, where she competed on the track and basketball teams. She played soccer for Elk Grove Pride Club Team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League from 2002 to 2005. Rapinoe was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American team as a junior and a senior. In 2002, she was a member of the U-16 Women’s National Team. In 2004, she was named to the McDonald’s All-American Girls High School Soccer West Team. Rapinoe also played for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) throughout high school. The athlete played on the U-19 Women’s National Team from 2003 to 2004, competing in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championships in Thailand, where the United States finished third.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: COLLEGE CAREER

In 2005, both Rapinoe and her sister Rachael attended the University of Portland, Oregon on full soccer scholarships. In her freshman year, she led the Pilots to an undefeated season and the NCAA Division I Championship. She received several accolades that season, including NSCAA First Team All-American, Soccer America First Team Freshman All-America, and West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, among others.

Rapinoe began training with the U.S. national team in 2006. She played in her first game on July 23, 2006, in a friendly match against Ireland. She scored her first two goals in October in a friendly match against Taiwan.

In her sophomore year in 2006, Rapinoe was among the nation’s leading scorers when she suffered her first ACL injury during a match against Washington State University.

In her junior year (2007), Rapinoe suffered a second ACL injury during the second game of the season. Once again, she was forced to sit out the rest of the season.

Rapinoe returned for her senior season in 2008, scoring five goals and contributing 13 assists. Despite a year of eligibility remaining due to her many injuries, she entered the 2009 Women’s Professional Draft. She was selected second overall by the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PROFESSIONAL CAREER

In her first year playing for the Red Stars, she started 17 of 18 games, scored 3 goals, and recorded 3 assists. She was named to the league’s All-Star Team and played in the All-Star match against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå IK. Also in 2009, Rapinoe returned to the women’s national team and started six of seven games.

In December of 2010, Rapinoe signed with the Philadelphia Independence.

While she was in Germany, she was traded to MagicJack, where she made eight regular-season appearances and helped them reach the final, which they lost to the Philadelphia Independence. MagicJack dissolved in 2011, leaving Rapinoe a free agent.

Also in 2011, Rapinoe was named to the United States national team roster for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Rapinoe scored in the team’s second group-stage match against Colombia, when she famously celebrated by grabbing an on-field microphone and singing Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the U.S.A.” In the quarterfinal match against Brazil, Rapinoe assisted Abby Wambach for the latest goal ever scored in a World Cup match. Rapinoe later helped the team in the penalty shootout, resulting in a victory for the United States. The athlete helped the United States in the championship game against Japan by assisting Alex Morgan for the first goal of the match, although they were ultimately defeated.

Rapinoe returned to the world stage at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. She scored three goals during the course of the tournament and contributed four assists. Two of the goals occurred during the semi-final match against Canada. One of the goals was scored directly from her corner kick, making Rapinoe the first and only player (male or female) to score an Olimpico in the Olympic Games. She later scored a second Olimpico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The United States defeated Japan in the championship round to secure the gold.

After brief stints with the Australian W-League team Sydney FC and the Seattle Sounders, Rapinoe signed a six-month contract with the French team Olympique Lyonnais in January of 2013.  The team ultimately reached the finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, losing to VfL Wolfsburg.

In January 2014, Rapinoe left Lyon and joined Seattle Reign FC, where she played alongside her national teammate Hope Solo. Rapinoe became the team’s top scorer and turned around their overall league record. She helped the team advance to the National Women’s Soccer League finals, where they played FC Kansas City. Rapinoe scored the only goal of the game for the Seattle Reign, and they ultimately lost 2-1. Rapinoe continues to play for Seattle Reign FC in the present day.

In 2015, Rapinoe participated in her second FIFA Women’s World Cup, this time in Canada. Rapinoe scored twice in the team’s first group stage match against Australia. The United States ultimately won the tournament after defeating Japan in a rematch of the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

Rapinoe rejoined the United States roster for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She contributed one goal in the infamous 13-0 win over Thailand during the group stage of the tournament. During the knockout stage, Rapinoe scored the United States’ two goals in their victory over Spain. Rapinoe scored another two goals in the quarterfinal match against France, earning them a spot in the semifinals. While forced to sit out the semifinals due to injury, Rapinoe returned in full force for the final match, scoring one of the United States’ two goals of the game and ensuring their second consecutive World Cup win. Rapinoe was awarded the Golden Boot for having scored the most goals in the tournament, as well as the Golden Ball award for best player.

In the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Rapinoe scored twice in the 4-3 win against Australia in the bronze-medal match.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS

In April of 2021, Rapinoe and her teammates Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn spoke during a media availability about the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and how COVID-19 had affected their preparation. The United States women’s national team had won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, setting the stakes high for the Olympics.

While for many athletes the delay of the Olympic Games due to COVID was difficult, Rapinoe had a different opinion.

“For us, this was a nice little silver lining, obviously, of COVID and the pandemic, just to have a year to rest,” she said. “Some players played a lot, went overseas, some players like myself took more time for themselves, time that we never really get to get our bodies right and just to have that break.”

Reflecting on the benefits of the delay of the games, Rapinoe revealed that, “I think of all the teams, we probably have the most benefit just because we would have been so tired, particularly after all the wildness of [the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup].”

Watch the full interview below.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE AND ACTIVISM

Rapinoe dated Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh for four years, beginning in 2009 and ending in 2013. She announced her engagement to Sub Pop recording artist Sera Cahoone in 2015. In January 2017, Rapinoe revealed that the wedding plans were on hold. In July 2017, Rapinoe and WNBA player Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm confirmed their relationship. The couple announced their engagement in October 2020.

In September 2016, Rapinoe made headlines by kneeling during the national anthem in what she described as a nod to Colin Kaepernick‘s protests. Rapinoe stated that, as a member of the LGBTQ community, she has experienced firsthand what it means to have the American flag not protect all of one’s liberties.

In 2016, Rapinoe and four other women from the United States women’s national soccer team filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing the United States Soccer Federation of wage discrimination. A judge ultimately ruled against the female players. Rapinoe was one of the 27 US women’s soccer team players in 2019 to file a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation, accusing it of gender discrimination – specifically, unequal pay. A judge dismissed the wage-discrimination claims, but the trial remains ongoing on the claims of discriminatory work conditions.

Rapinoe has been involved with various LGBTQ rights organizations, namely the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSE) and Athlete Ally.

In 2017, Rapinoe and teammate Morgan were the first two women players to sign up for Juan Mata‘s Common Goal campaign, in which players donate one percent of their individual wages to soccer-related charities.

Rapinoe publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. She also hosted a panel during the 2020 Democratic National Convention alongside frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2020, Rapinoe published her autobiography, One Life.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

In April 2021, Rapinoe spoke extensively at the Olympic Media Summit about her views on recent events in the sports world and the responsibilities of athletes regarding social justice. Speaking about the MLB’s decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s restrictive new voting laws, Rapinoe emphasized the power of athletics to influence the political landscape.

“Athletes are in a very unique position in this country that is obsessed with sports… that looks to us for a lot of role-modeling, not just for kids but for adults, as well as sort of puts athletes on this pedestal all the time,” Rapinoe explained.

“So many athletes have sort of taken that responsibility on themselves, knowing the influence that we can have,” she went on. “I think [it is] really inspiring, and I think it’s made a huge difference in the country, to be honest. It changes hearts and minds.”

Rapinoe, who herself is a member of the LGBTQ community and a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights and awareness, noted that intersectionality among athletes is one of the reasons they wield special power in the public sphere.

“Athletes are from every cross-section of life, at every single intersectionality. I think we have a unique power in our voice, and a unique perspective, knowing that we can represent just about anyone in the country.”

Catch the full interview below.

FACT SHEET

Full Name

Megan Anna Rapinoe

Date of Birth

July 5, 1985

Birthplace

Redding, California

Height

5’6″

Education

Foothill High School; University of Portland

Relationship Status

Engaged to Sue Bird

Family

Jim Rapinoe (father), Denise Rapinoe (mother), Rachael Rapinoe (twin sister), Brian Rapinoe (brother)

Twitter Handle

@mPinoe

Notable Accolades

Runners Up in 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Gold Medal in 2012 Summer Olympics in London

Champions in 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Champions in 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Bronze Medal in 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics

On Monday, more than 500 female athletes signed a friend-of-the-court brief opposing a Mississippi law that would ban abortions of pregnancies that are 15 weeks or longer. The athletes displayed solidarity in numbers while urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the law.

Of those that signed, 276 are college athletes, 73 are professional athletes and 26 have competed in the Olympics — among these athletes were Olympian and two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe and her fiancee, WNBA star Sue Bird. 

In 1973, the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case ruled that women had the right to end their pregnancies with abortions, but now, 48 years later, opponents are attempting to overturn the historic case. The brief, that was submitted to the court on Monday, highlights that “the physical tolls of forced pregnancy and childbirth would undermine athletes’ ability to actualize their full human potential.”

Rapinoe, who is highly vocal and active in social issues, commented by saying, “As women athletes and people in sports, we must have the power to make important decisions about our own bodies and exert control over our reproductive lives.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) offered identical contract proposals for both the United States Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA). This new proposal would align the women’s and men’s senior national teams under one collective bargaining agreement.

This update comes after many years of different generations of USWNT players fighting the soccer federation over gender pay equity. Most recently, in 2019, twenty-eight players of the U.S. women’s World Cup-winning team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the USSF.

Players such as Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe have been leading the charge for equality. They have been the most publicly vocal, advocating on several different platforms for the cause. Both players had important roles in winning the 2015 and 2019 FIFA World Cups for the USWNT. Although the lawsuit was filed months before the World Cup in 2019, the victory only strengthened their position and fueled the debate. “I think to be on this team is to understand these issues,” Rapinoe told The New York Times. “And I think we’ve always — dating back to forever — been a team that stood up for itself and fought hard for what it felt it deserved and tried to leave the game in a better place.”

Recently, it was Morgan making the statements on behalf of her teammates. She spoke out with optimism on Wednesday after the USSF’s proposal. “We still need to chat about the statement given by U.S. Soccer. But any commitment to equal pay publically is good,” Morgan said. “However, we need to look line by line at what they’re providing.”

The USSF statement is a significant event in the lawsuit’s timeline. Morgan, along with the others from the USWNT, believes this is a good sign.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will not repeat as the gold medal winner after taking first place in the FIFA World Cup, falling to Canada by a score of 1-0 at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Obviously, you never want to lose. You never want to lose in a world championship, you never want to lose to Canada, obviously, and you never want to lose playing the way we did,” said team captain  Megan Rapinoe.

WATCH: Megan Rapinoe’s Interview With uSports Here!

Canada will face Sweden, which scored in the 46th minute to defeat Australia 1-0, in the final.

An inability to complete the easy passes and a lack of charisma seemed evident from the squad, who looked out of the match despite the deciding goal coming on a penalty kick.

Rapinoe seemed devastated by the loss. “Every player in the locker room has 100 things that we would all want to do better and that’s the most frustrating thing for all of us,” she said. “It’s sad because these things only come around every so often. It’s a tough one to swallow.”

If the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team hopes to make a splash with another gold medal, they will need to overcome a shocking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sweden in their opening game. The loss snaps a 44-game win streak for the team.

Sweden has a history of getting the better of the U.S. team. In the 2016 Rio Games, Sweden bested them in the quarterfinals, topping the United States in penalties after regular and extra time found the squads knotted at one goal apiece.

Sweden dominated from start to finish, outshooting the U.S. 10 to 3 in the first half and carrying a 1-0 lead into the second frame. The United States only recorded one shot on the cage while the Swedish squad posted six shots on goal in the first 45 minutes of the game.

Just nine minutes into the second frame of action Sweden doubled its lead.

While some lucky bounces seemed to go Sweden’s way, the U.S. had none of them. Multiple shots rang off the post, and the U.S. seemed unable to recover from these misses.

A finish off of a cross from the swing put Sweden up 3-0, sealing the victory.

The loss marks the first time the U.S. has lost under head coach Vlatko Andonovski and is the team’s first since 2019.

The U.S. will face New Zealand on July 24 and Australia on July 27 to conclude round-robin group play. While the loss does not eliminate the U.S. from reaching the knockout stage, it certainly places a heavy emphasis on the next two games, which now feel like must-win contests.

Stay tuned for more updates on Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the USWNT.

Most athletes have pre-game routines or rituals in order to “get into the zone.” So how do the United States Women’s Soccer Team prepare for each game?

“I would say that I’m the DJ now of the team,” Crystal Dunn said. “So for me, I’m just trying to get everybody right for the game and to just connect to the players through music. I think that’s something we really enjoy, you know that time in the locker room together to have a bit of a laugh but also to kind of refocus and go out to the field and get the job done.”

“I’m usually very anxious on game days,” said Becky Sauerbrunn. “So, for me, a really important ritual is nap time or it’s also just listening to some tunes on the bus ride and just doing some visualization. So I’m replaying plays in my head before I actually have to do them. That seems to calm me down a little smidge.”

“I don’t really have any weird rituals,” said Megan Rapinoe. “I literally do the same exact thing every single time. Nothing about it is interesting.”

The United States have been placed in Group D for the Tokyo Olympic Games. They will face Sweden, Australia and New Zealand before presumably advancing to the quarter finals.

The Tokyo Olympics Games are going to be a very different experience than any other Olympic Games for athletes gearing up for this summer. The United States Women’s Soccer Team is used to having an incredible amount of fans and support when they take the field. However, that won’t be the case this year, as Americans are not permitted to travel to Tokyo. The team will not be playing in front of a crowd cheering them on. In fact, as perennial favorites, the fans who are allowed to attend the games may be envious of the Americans’ past success and boo them.

“Of course we want to have our friends and family there to feel that support, but we feel that support no matter where we are,” said Becky Sauerbrunn. “Like, we are a traveling circus. We are always away from our families and partners. We’re kind of used to that feeling. Of course it’s incredibly sad that we won’t have that for us in Tokyo… But it is all business for us. We will miss them; we will also feel their support from back in the states. And the most important thing is that everyone stays safe throughout this entire Olympics.”

Of course, Sauerbrunn is correct. The most important thing is that everyone is safe. That being said, it will surely be difficult for the United States Women’s Soccer Team to get down to business as usual during such unprecedented times.

“There’s going to be a lot of different challenges,” Megan Rapinoe said. “All of the different safety measures and protocols that will undoubtedly be in place will just be sort of another thing that we have to think about and another thing that our amazing support staff has to organize around. It will probably affect them more than it will affect us to be honest. They do such an amazing job at making sure that the only thing that we have to do is focus on playing.”

The United States will face Sweden, Australia and New Zealand in the group stage of the Olympic Games.

After winning the World Cup in 2019, the United States Women’s Soccer Team were heavily favored as they geared up for the 2020 Olympic Games. After defeating England 2-1 in a very close semi-finals match, the Americans were tasked with facing off against an impressive Netherlands squad on July 7, 2019.

The United States responded with a very convincing 2-0 victory to win the World Cup. After a scoreless first half, Megan Rapinoe broke the tie in the 61st minute. Rose Lavelle scored eight minutes later to clinch the championship for the Americans. The United States has not lost since, keeping a 38-game unbeaten streak alive.

Obviously, the Olympics have been postponed until the summer of 2021. While most would assume that the players would see the time in quarantine during the pandemic as an unhealthy distraction, Megan Rapinoe, Crystal Dunn and Becky Sauerbrunn say that this time has actually been extremely helpful. And now they hope to become the first team in history to win the Olympic Games immediately after winning a World Cup.

“It would be an incredible achievement,” said Dunn. “It would be historical to be the first team to obviously do it… but I think this team is more than capable of being able to do that just given the fact that we had this break to regroup, reset and refocus. I know after 2016, all of us are hungry to get back out there and really show what this team is all about and hopefully bring home a gold medal,” Dunn added.

“For us, this was a nice little silver lining of Covid and the pandemic,” said Rapinoe. “Just to have a year to rest. Some players played a lot, went over seas. Some players, like myself, took more time for themselves, time that we never really get to get our bodies right and just to have that break. I think of all the teams, we probably benefit the most just because we would have been so tired, particularly after all the wildness after 2019.”

In a pre-Olympics friendly match against Sweden, the United States were minutes away from suffering their first loss in over two years. Fortunately, Rapinoe nailed a penalty shot with three minutes left in regulation to finish the game in a 1-1 draw. Perhaps the time off wasn’t as helpful as the Americans think it was. That meeting with Sweden on April 10 snapped the United States’ 16-game winning streak, two short from a program record.

“Honestly, I think we just want to make history,” said Sauerbrunn. “We hold very high standards and have high goals for ourselves. And one of those things is to do it back-to-back.”

Perhaps the draw against Sweden will properly motive the United States Women’s Soccer Team just in time for the Olympic Games.

The United States Women’s National Team discussed the devastating loss to Sweden in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games that sent them packing early. After winning the gold in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the women’s team came up short, finishing in fifth place in 2016.

“It was terrible, obviously,” captain Megan Rapinoe said on that final loss in 2016. “Like Becky said, we have very high standards for the team, which is championship or total failure. So, we felt like total failures. We didn’t complete the task. We didn’t play particularly well. It was kind of a particularly gutting loss in a lot of ways,” Rapinoe said.

“It definitely left, I wouldn’t say a bad taste in people’s mouth; I think it left a fire under people to never let that happen again,” Rapinoe added.

The women’s team is looking to regain a gold medal in 2021 in Tokyo. The United States are probably considered the favorites, but they aren’t taking anything for granted this time around.

“We certainly have that in the back of our mind,” Rapinoe said. “I think everybody who was there in Rio does not want that to be their last Olympic experience or their only Olympic experience or the one that’s freshest.”

The 2021 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 21 to August 6. The draw has yet to be determined, but it is only a matter of time before we find out who the Americans will be playing in the group stage.

The NWSL has announced that it will open an investigation under its anti-discrimination policy. The incident comes from Chicago Red Stars defender Sarah Gorden, who said that she and her boyfriend were racially profiled by a Houston security guard.

The incident occurred on April 9, following the Red Stars’ draw with the Houston Dash. Gordon explained that a security officer said her boyfriend “would be arrested if he came close” to talking to her following the match. Gordon pointed out that there were other families of white individuals that were close to one another.

“At first, I didn’t realize this was a racial issue until I saw white Houston Dash players surrounding the stadium talking closely to their family, and we were the only ones targeted,” Gorden said.

The NSWL announced that an investigation has been launched about the incident. “The league will have no additional comments regarding the current investigation before its completion and has asked the respective clubs to refrain from commenting further as well,” the statement read.

The Dash released two statements about the incident. The first statement talked about how the staff was focused on coronavirus safety, and the team apologized. “We apologize to her and the club for anything that may have created an impression to the contrary,” the club’s first statement said.

The Dash then released a second statement on Monday. In the team’s second statement, they apologized for “missing the mark” in the previous statement.

Gordon has received support from fellow players, coaches, and stars like Megan Rapinoe.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has responded to Megan Rapinoe’s criticism of his remarks about the gender wage gap.

On Thursday, Green spoke to reporters and clarified his stance on the gender wage gap. Green reaffirmed his stance in supporting what Rapinoe is doing and is hoping that he can help out.

“At the end of the day, what Megan wants and what I want is the same thing,” Green said. “And if she believes that doing something a certain way gets her to the end goal, I’m all for that… And if I believe doing something a certain way gets to the end goal, I’m all for that. So if we can both do something to move the needle to get to the end goal, great,” Green added.

The issue stems from a series of tweets that Golden State’s forward put out on March 27. In the series of tweets, Green seemed to blame the women for “complaining” and not taking action over disparities in pay and investment in women’s sports.

On a Wednesday zoom call ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Rapinoe responded to the Warriors’ forward. “You obviously showed your whole a-s in not even understanding what we all talk about all the time – WNBA players and us on the national team… You don’t think we asked for more money? I mean, what are we screaming about? Nonstop!” Rapinoe told reporters.

Green took the opportunity on Thursday to clarify and say that his message was reconstructed. “A lot of what I said in the tweet – you can’t really make out my full position from my tweets,” he said. “Which was intentional because I don’t want you to make out my full position from a tweet.” The forward clarified that he instead wants to bring attention to the issues with his tweets. “I want to have these conversations to help get over here to the side of good, to the side that we’re all trying to get to, to the side that we want to see these women get,” Green said.

The former All-Star heard Rapinoe’s criticism but was not offended by what she said. “We all don’t have to think the same thing or take the same path to get to a result – that’s just not realistic,” Green told reporters. “We all don’t have to take that path, so if her path that she’s going to take is different to get to the result or the path that I want to help take is different to get to the result, as long as we’re both working towards the same result, I have no issue with that.”

Megan Rapinoe is continuing the fight for female equality and representation in sports.

The U.S. Women’s National Team star spoke before Congress on Wednesday about the disparities which still exist between men’s and women’s sports, specifically with salary and working conditions. Rapinoe spoke to members of the Congressional House Oversight Committee as a part of Equal Pay Day. Rapinoe argued that the true potential of women’s sports is not being realized due to a lack of investment in facilities, as well as in the players themselves. Rapinoe followed this video call with a meeting later in the day with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, along with other members of the national team.

Rapinoe is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, winning in 2015 and 2019, and a gold medalist at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, all while playing for the USWNT. However, despite the team’s numerous achievements on the field, they are still paid less than members of the men’s team.

Rapinoe’s appearance before Congress also comes a few days after photos and videos were made public of the alarming inequality between the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. The video showed a warehouse sized room of various weight training equipment for men’s teams, while women’s teams were provided with only a single rack of dumbbells. The NCAA has since made improvements to the women’s facilities, and have stated that they will be making a review of other issues pertaining to the resources allocated to the women’s tournament.

Rapinoe pointed out that if gender discrimination through wages can occur for athletes on the highest stage, then it can happen to all women. She hopes that her testimony will help bolster the passing of legislation introduced earlier this month by Representatives Doris Matsui and Rosa DeLauro, which will dissolve the wage gap between the men’s and women’s national teams.

The 2020 Summer Olympics have already been pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there is still doubt among some athletes that the games will take place in 2021.

In speaking with CNN, US Women’s National Team co-captain Megan Rapinoe said that she is not entirely sure that the Olympics will happen given the current state of the world. “Frankly, I think the Olympics are in doubt next year,” Rapinoe said. “The more I think about it logistically, just bringing everybody together like that with the absence of drug therapies or anything like that just seems difficult.”

Rapinoe previously played for the U.S. team during both the 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Game, where the U.S. won gold in 2012 and failed to make it out of the group stage in 2016. She has also played on three World Cup teams for the United States, coming in second in 2011, and winning it all in both 2015 and 2019. 

Rapinoe has also been very vocal in regards to the wage disparity between the U.S. men’s soccer team, and the women’s team, despite how much more success the women have had versus the men since the turn of the century. “To signal to not only the boys that they are just innately better, but to the girls that they’re innately lesser was just, I mean, it was stupid,” she said. 

As it pertains to the Olympics in 2021, the now 34-year old Rapinoe has hinted that next year’s games will most likely be the final time she, and long time girlfriend Sue Bird will play in the Olympics for Team USA. “If it happens that, you know, we can’t play sports for or a number of years or whatever it may be, you know, this situation will be what it is,” Rapinoe said. “And I think we’ll be at peace with that. But I think we’re definitely both hoping to be able to play in the Olympics.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

The United States Women’s National Team will be going on an American victory tour to celebrate the winning of their back-to-back World Cups. They will hit both the East and West coasts, as well as the Midwest.

GET VICTORY TOUR TICKETS HERE!

Their first match will be hosted at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California on Saturday, August 3. The US Women’s Team will face the Republic of Ireland on their first match of their victory tour. Tickets for the match range from $44-$380 for the 10:00 p.m. EST kickoff time.

Their second match will be on the other coast, where they will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to face the Portugal National Team. Tickets in Philadelphia are ranging from $58-$300 for the match on August 29 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The final match of their three-match tour will be held in the Midwest in the Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. The kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. EST, where the U.S. Team will face the Portuguese National Team again five days later on September 3. Tickets for the match are the most expensive, ranging from $217-$350 for the final game of their victory tour.

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

The games will certainly be more laid-back, with the Women’s National Team mostly focused on celebrating their win and honoring their fans across the United States.

The United States Women’s National Team won the 2019 World Cup earlier this month, while head coach Jill Ellis became the first Women’s World Cup manager to ever win back-to-back World Cups.

“The level around the world is going exponentially every year,” Ellis said, according to CNN. “Four years on, this was incredibly difficult because the opponent is better. The teams that we had to come through are some of the best teams in the world. In terms of the path and the level, this was pretty challenging.”

The US beat the Netherlands back on July 7, when Megan Rapinoe broke the deadlock with a penalty in the 61st minute, followed by Rose Lavelle’s dagger in the 69th minute to help raise the US to their back-to-back World titles.

The US Women’s National Team defended their 2015 World Cup title after winning it again on Sunday, beating the Netherlands 2-0 in France. This US team is the second team in both men’s and women’s international world cups that successfully won two World Cups back-to-back, joining the men’s Italian team accomplishing this near-impossible task in the 1930s.

After making history, what does the future hold for older stars Carli Lloyd, 36, and Megan Rapinoe, 34? Lloyd has hinted at retirement, while Rapinoe doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

“I don’t feel like I’m that old,” Rapinoe said after the final, according to ESPN. “I’m made for this.”

She certainly didn’t show any sign of slowing down during the final on Sunday. Rapinoe became the first player in the women’s World Cup to start in three straight finals. She gave the US the winning goal and earned the Golden Boot for the most goals in the tournament. Rose Lavelle scored the reassurance goal in the 69th minute to secure the Women’s World Cup for the US. Alex Morgan took the starting role up front for the majority of the tournament, forcing Lloyd to sit on the bench, but she still contributed to the team scoring three goals over the 2019 tournament. Lloyd will be turning 37 this July, and has hinted at retirement herself.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019: IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

“It’s been a really tough couple of years,” Lloyd said, according to ESPN. “It’s not based on my ability. And for whatever reasons, coaches make the decision. I tried to put up a good case. So I’m going to go home, I’m going to kind of let the emotions die down a little bit, speak to my husband and we’ll go from there.”

The 2020 Olympics are coming as well, with Lloyd possibly playing for another year before retiring to try to further build her impressive trophy cabinet. For now, though, the team can celebrate accomplishing two World Cups in eight years, something they can surely be proud about.

“The goal was winning. It’s been a really tough couple of years for me – I’ve been open and honest about it,” Lloyd said after the final, according to Sporting News. “First and foremost, I’m really proud of this team and proud to be on this roster of 23 players to win another World Cup.”