The best thing that can be said about the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s divisive and lackluster performance in the 2023 World Cup is that it ended early.
After narrowly making it out of the group stage following a scoreless tie against Portugal in which the most valuable player was the goalpost that deflected a Portuguese kick that would have potentially eliminated the Americans, the anthem-loathing, dreadfully woke women’s team crashed out in the round of 16 against Sweden on Sunday — its earliest exit from the women’s tournament ever.
And the shot that made the difference? It came from the foot of none other than the most dreadfully woke player on a dreadfully woke team, the anime-haired one-woman leftist propaganda machine that is Megan Rapinoe.
Rapinoe missed badly in the five-shot penalty shootout after the U.S. and Swedish sides played to a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time.
I’ve kicked a soccer ball zero times in my life and I could do better than this
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 7, 2023
However, no matter how you feel about her witless ultra-progressive politics, she’ll go down as one of the most athletically gifted players to ever don a U.S. women’s team uniform, and Sunday marked her last game for the national squad.
Thus, it’s a time for looking back — reflection, if you will — on the most superlative moments in an accomplished, if controversial, career.
Tell us, Megan: What was your foremost memory of your time with the national team? The famous assist to Abby Wambach in the 2011 Women’s World Cup that got the U.S. team through its quarterfinal game against Brazil? Helping the red, white and blue take home a gold medal in women’s soccer at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London? Taking home the golden boot as top scorer in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, becoming the oldest woman to do so at age 34?
Nope! According to Rapinoe, her greatest accomplishment for the U.S. team is, um, getting “equal pay.”
“I think this team has always fought for so much more and that’s been the most rewarding part for me… To know that we’ve used our really special talent to do something that’s changed the world forever.” ??❤️@USWNT‘s @mPinoe speaks with @JennyTaft after the game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NUx9Oku4mf
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
Fox Sports host Jenny Taft asked her after the game, “When you reflect on the impact you’ve made on this team, is there a memory that stands out to you right now in this moment?”
After a pause to think about the question, Rapinoe said, “Probably equal pay chance.”
“This team has always fought for so much more, and that’s been the most rewarding part for me,” she said.
Look, I understand that the moment was emotional. But, the thing is that no matter how overwhelmed Rapinoe was after the loss, you get the feeling she would have come to the same answer more quickly if she weren’t moved to tears.
Yes, during her career as the self-appointed lighting rod of the dreadfully, insufferably woke U.S. Women’s National Team, Rapinoe was part of the effort that finally persuaded American soccer officials to offer equal pay to the men’s and women’s national teams.
Despite the fact that women’s soccer is significantly less popular than men’s — note that many Women’s World Cup games for this year’s tournament weren’t sold out just before it began, with international governing body FIFA begging fans in Australia and New Zealand to “do the right thing” and pony up for the ducats — supporters argued it was only fair, especially given the success of the women’s team in international tournaments.
[firefly_poll]
Well, thanks to Rapinoe, not only do the women have equal pay but they also have a performance level that’s exactly on par with the men’s squad: Both teams crashed out in the round of 16 in their respective World Cups in 2022 and 2023. Nice work.
As you might not be surprised to learn, Americans weren’t terribly impressed regarding the memory that sticks out most for Rapinoe regarding her time spent representing America — which had little to do with soccer itself and more to do with the pecuniary benefits of it:
What a tool.
— Trey Felder (@TbirdTr3y_10) August 6, 2023
So ‘the most rewarding part’ of playing soccer for Megan was being a political operative.
— Frankie Stockes – Reporter (@stockes76) August 7, 2023
Psychopath
— Chadwick Moore (@Chadwick_Moore) August 6, 2023
If painting her as a “psychopath” and a “political operative” seems a bit hyperbolic, it’s not entirely far off. Nobody’s expecting Rapinoe to turn into an ardent flag-waver overnight, but one might expect at least a soupçon of patriotism from her.
But, nope. To the end, Rapinoe wants to be recognized as a force for political change, and that political change has little to do with the country she represents. The 2023 Women’s World Cup squad will best be remembered for its apathetic response to the national anthem before games, and that’s also apparently a Rapinoe achievement; former teammate Hope Solo said in a 2021 interview that Rapinoe would “almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way.”
Unfortunately, she succeeded — and women’s soccer is immeasurably worse for it.
Bon voyage, Megan. Maybe in your absence, we can find an American team that represents most Americans’ values, not just your intensely personal, selfish, skewed, jaded view of your homeland.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.