Megan Rapinoe had a golden opportunity to leave an everlasting impact on the U.S. women’s national team during the Round of 16 against Sweden in the Women’s World Cup. It was a chance for her to score a remarkable penalty kick that would have propelled the Americans to the quarterfinals.
With anticipation mounting, Rapinoe confidently stepped up to the marker and unleashed the ball with incredible force. Unfortunately, Sweden managed to come back and defeat the U.S. in this thrilling matchup.
Despite the unfortunate miss and the subsequent elimination of the U.S. team, Rapinoe and her teammates faced an onslaught of criticism. From disillusioned fans to renowned analysts like Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas, and even former President Donald Trump, everyone had something to say about their performance. In a recent interview with The Atlantic, Rapinoe addressed the criticism.
She expressed her frustration, stating that the criticism was unfounded and based on false narratives. According to Rapinoe, the comments made about the team throughout the tournament were nothing but fake and lacked any connection to reality. She believed that they were a mere compilation of buzzwords and hot-button topics that held no validity.
Notably, Rapinoe spoke about the contradicting narratives surrounding the team. In 2019, when they were self-assured and victorious, they were criticized for their arrogance. Yet, this time, when they lacked confidence, they were deemed to have the wrong mentality. Rapinoe found it disingenuous and felt that there was no way for them to win or lose in the eyes of their critics.
Moreover, Rapinoe boldly accused their critics, particularly the right-wing, of wanting women to believe that they cannot fight for their rights while also achieving success. She believed that they wanted to diminish the team’s accomplishments by perpetuating the notion that women cannot strive for greatness and demand what they truly deserve.
Regardless of the criticism and disappointment, Rapinoe remained steadfast in her beliefs. She refused to let the expectations of others dictate her and her teammates’ worth.
In the Round of 16, the U.S. women’s national team suffered their earliest exit in a Women’s World Cup, marking the end of their remarkable reign as two-time consecutive champions.
– Ryan Gaydos, Senior Editor for Fox News Digital
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
