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Six USWNT stars were at the centre of controversy, as they stayed silent during the national anthem before their FIFA Women's World Cup Round of 16 showdown against Sweden on Sunday (August 6).
According to the Daily Mail, the likes of Naomi Girma and Crystal Dunn were among six players who decided not to sing the national anthem. This is not the first time during the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand that most US players have opted against singing the national anthem; they did the same during the group stage, too.
Ahead of the USWNT's final group game against Portugal, which ended in a goalless draw, most players didn't put their hands on their hearts as the national anthem was played. American journalist Megyn Kelly slammed Megan Rapinoe, claiming that the femini Ballon d'Or winner played a key role in the act.
Kelly said on her Megyn Kelly show (as per Daily Mail):
"Megan Rapinoe, she's the leader of all this. ... She's not a starter. So that's why she's not on camera when they're doing the national anthem, but she's behind a lot of this.
"She's poisoned the entire team against the country for which they play. I don't know about you, but I'm not rooting for them. I'm not with them. I hope they lose. … It's shameful. These girls are shameful. They ought to be ashamed of themselves."
Rapinoe has long been vocal about LGBTQ+ rights and said in 2019 that she would not sing the national athem. The 38-year-old is playing in her final FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023.
Manager admits USWNT are lucky to be still competing in FIFA Women's World Cup
Vlatko Andonovski's team came into the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as one of the favourites to win. However, their performances have been far from what was expected, as the USA won only one of their three group games.
During the last group game against Portugal, the defending champions were close to getting eliminated, as A Selecao Da Quinas struck the woodwork in injury time. Speaking about his team's campaign, Andonovski said ahead of the Sweden showdown (via GOAL):
"The fact we are in, we are lucky, but we are moving on. Now we will do everything possible so that same situation doesn't happen again. We are doing everything we can to provide success and meet the expectations for everyone."
The USWNT came into the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup looking to win a historic third-straight title. They are also four-time winners of the competition. While a three-peat is on their wishlist, they're yet to show their best form.
