US women’s soccer team hosts its own Olympics opening ceremony

Members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team held their own private Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony Friday when they were unable to attend the official event due to preparations for an upcoming match.
The soccer team’s official Twitter account tweeted a video Friday showing defender Abby Dahlkemper and forward Megan Rapinoe wearing their official Team USA ceremony uniforms, and walking into a room at their hotel waving as if they were walking into the stadium.
The team members played music in the background as they waved to imaginary fans, saying together, “The United States of America.”
Rapinoe then started gesturing as if she was waving the American flag, saying that she was pretending to be her fiancée, Sue Bird, the basketball star who was selected along with baseball player Eddy Alvarez to be the flag bearers for Team USA.
“If you can’t go to the #OpeningCeremony, you bring the #OpeningCeremony to you,” the women’s soccer team tweeted along with the video.
If you can’t go to the #OpeningCeremony, you bring the #OpeningCeremony to you
@AbbyDahlkemper
@mPinoe (as @S10Bird) pic.twitter.com/rZxNIohrGz— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 23, 2021
The team is set to play New Zealand Saturday in its second match of the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S. women’s soccer team lost in its first match against Sweden on Wednesday, a shocking 3-0 defeat for the No. 1 ranked team and the reigning World Cup champions.
Other U.S. athletes were able to walk in person in Friday’s opening ceremony, wearing masks as part of a set of strict COVID-19 rules.
While the Olympics have implemented several health restrictions in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus at the international event, people from multiple countries, including several U.S. athletes have already tested positive for the virus.
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