Story at a glance
- Former U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo accused Megan Rapinoe of bullying teammates into kneeling before games.
- Members of the USWNT, including Rapinoe, periodically kneeled before matches, signaling solidarity with others fighting inequality.
- “I think the rhetoric surrounding this team has been both divisive and inclusive,” Solo added.
Former U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) goalkeeper Hope Solo accused Megan Rapinoe of bullying teammates into participating in pre-game political activism.
“I think the rhetoric surrounding this team has been both divisive and inclusive. I guess it’s kind of where we are in politics in this day and age,” Solo told Goal.com.
“I think the kneeling thing can be very divisive,” Solo continued. “I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way.”
READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA
SIMONE BILES REVEALS FAMILY TRAGEDY AFTER MEDAL-WINNING RETURN TO OLYMPICS
SOME AMERICANS ADMIT THEY’RE HAPPY ‘WOKE’ US WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM WAS DEFEATED
SIMONE BILES REVEALS DANGERS OF THE ‘TWISTIES’ DESTROYING HER OLYMPICS
SIMONE BILES REVEALS REASONS FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM OLYMPICS COMPETITION
Members of the USWNT, including Rapinoe, periodically kneeled before matches, signaling solidarity with others fighting inequality. The team joined Great Britain, Chile, Sweden and New Zealand by taking a pre-match knee prior to their first Olympic contests.
However, Solo reportedly left the USWNT around a month before Rapinoe first took a knee in solidarity with former National Football League quarter back Colin Kaepernick.
Rapinoe has also vocally backed equal pay in women’s sports and met with President Biden on Equal Pay Day in March to discuss the matter.
“Despite all of the wins, I am still paid less than men who do the same job that I do. For each trophy — of which there are many — for each win, each tie and for each time that we play, it’s less,” she said on stage after the meeting.
The U.S. WNT took home the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, in a 4-3 victory over Australia.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Former President Trump slammed the USWNT after their bronze medal performance, arguing the highly touted soccer team could have taken home the coveted gold had their focus been on the game instead of politics.
“If our soccer team, headed by a radical group of Leftist Maniacs, wasn’t woke, they would have won the Gold Medal instead of the Bronze,” Trump said in a statement.
OLYMPIC GYMNASTS FIGHT SEXUALIZATION WITH UNITARDS
OLYMPICS BROADCASTER APOLOGIZES FOR ‘INEXCUSABLE’ IMAGES OF MANY COUNTRIES
OLYMPICS SUDDENLY REVERSES BAN ON SHOWING ATHLETES IN RACIAL PROTESTS
IRISH GYMNAST TESTS OLYMPICS’ ‘ANTI-SEX’ BEDS
TOKYO’S COVID-19 CASES REACH SIX-MONTH HIGH, ONE DAY FROM OLYMPICS
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
