Honest Reflections on the Women's World Cup
The World Cup Final…Spain put on a clinic. England fought until the end. The USA did not deserve to be there.
The Women’s World Cup final was amazing. It was an incredible display of hard work, skill, talent, grit, fierceness and grace. I have never seen such a high level of play from any World Cup final, including any US performance from the past. Honestly, the final redeemed the World Cup for me because I was so disheartened by the US…in fact I refused to watch them.
That’s right. I am a former Division 1 soccer player, and I refused to watch the US women in the World Cup.
With the wrap up of the Women’s World Cup this past weekend, and Spain’s first ever victory, I can’t help but think the tournament ended as it was meant to…with the earliest exit ever in history for US Women.
What is normally an event that I look forward to with anticipation every 4 years, this year I decided, along with many other Americans, to boycott watching our nation's “team”. I love the game of soccer. I love the irreplaceable memories, and virtues that I learned playing the game at a very high level. But watching a team of women, who frankly weren’t there to play soccer, was not only disheartening but disappointing. The US women's soccer team is supposed to represent America, represent women like me who love the game, and seek to get to the highest level. And yet, I couldn't wish to be more unlike most of them. They are anti-American, anti-woman, and pro-woke agenda…and frankly I am the opposite.
What I can’t stand more than a mediocre performance, was one that seemed heartless and spiritless. Perhaps, this is because many of the players have openly and publicly critiqued and opposed the nation they are representing. All but three refused to even sing the National Anthem in their opening match, with the eyes of the world watching. I'm sorry, but if you don’t believe in the team you represent then you are not going to play with pride and heart. You are not going to play for the little girls back home watching you. Instead, your disillusionment and selfishness will result in an embarrassing display.
Not only were these players anti-American, but many are openly anti-women. USWNT “stars” Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan have both publicly endorsed biological men, identifying as transgender, playing women’s sports. Honestly, it baffles me. These women stand on the shoulders of giants like Michelle Akers and Mia Hamm before them. And those women stand on the shoulders of women who fought for Title IX. Collectively, they fought for equal opportunity and then put the US on the map as the premier women’s soccer country of the world; well until this World Cup. And yet, these women have the audacity to say it is ok to throw that all away to a man, a disillusioned man, who thinks it is ok to compete against women. Let me remind you that in 2017 the USWNT lost to a team of 15 year old boys 5-2 in a friendly game. Both Rapinoe and Morgan were on that team and yet the dots didn’t seem to connect.
You can tell these women played distracted. It would be one thing if every player on the team deserved to be on that field based on hard work and talent…but they did not. Megan Rapinoe is past her prime, and her inability to keep up with the pace of the game was apparent in the minutes she did put in, and the opportunities to play, surprisingly to me, she was repeatedly given. Watching only a few minutes was indicative of this to anyone who has a basic understanding of the game. Instead, the National Team chose to take her on the team, for what I can only deduce as for political and publicity reasons. It backfired. This player, along with her teammate’s woke agendas, had a lot of American soccer fans boycotting the national team. I heard this repeatedly from other people who also refused to watch and were saddened at how they failed to represent our country.
WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS?
Justice. While it saddens me to admit this, the USWNT got what they deserved with their early exit from the tournament. While Megan Rapinoe laughed after missing her Penalty Kick and attributed it to some sort of “sick joke”, I hope a lot of us see through her facade and lack of ownership for her poor performance. The failure was justified. While she didn't seem to wake up, I do hope the rest of the team learns their lesson, stops pointing fingers, and takes responsibility. There is bright hope in the future of the team, and I hope that the woman who created a mockery of this team's culture upon retiring will leave room for more truth and light.
Speaking of light, it does shine in the darkness. The darkness of this team has been exposed to the world. And so we must pray. We must pray that the next generation desires something different not only for skill level, but for culture. We must pray that they no longer look at their own selfish agendas, and instead put the team first. We must pray that they have an encounter with Christ. There are Christians on the team, and we must pray that they no longer remain silent in the face of Anti-Christian attitudes and have the courage to stand up for truth- even if that means, like past players, they are chastised or let go. We have to make ripples. We have to stand for truth.
There is still a bright future for women’s soccer. If the US doesn’t want to change their tune, there are plenty of teams and women who are ready to fight for it. Bravo to them. Spain, who has won the most recent U-17, U-20, and now full Women’s World cup titles made a statement. They played hard, and from a soccer enthusiast- they played pretty. The level of skill, the pace of the game, and the precision of Spain was unmatched, while England, a worthy and hard knocking opponent fought until the end. These ladies wanted it, and the youth of today should look to them to see the values and virtues that can bring you victory. Well done ladies. We celebrate you. Way to represent female athlete’s well.