I Megan Rapinoe, most known for striking the famous winning pose at the 2019 World Cup in France, will now play a different position for the U.S. national team as it attempts to advance to the 2023 tournament.
At age 36, the crafty winger is undoubtedly sluggish. Rapinoe, meanwhile, is as opinionated as ever off the field.
I feel as though I'm really loving and appreciating being back here, appreciating this moment, appreciating where I've been and how far I've come, and simply all the people that are with me and have been on this trip forever, "She spoke. "I'm not sure, but I feel quite present right now.
One of the veterans competing in the next CONCACAF W Championship, which gets underway Monday in Monterrey, Mexico, is Rapinoe. The competition selects the four direct slots for the area in the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand next summer, as well as a spot in the 2024 Olympics.
Since taking home the bronze medal in the Tokyo Games, the team has welcomed a number of new members, including rising star Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, Alana Cook, and Sophia Smith.
"Megan's importance to this group makes her a problem. Obviously, we are drawing in a younger group with this. There are many youthful athletes. As a result, the group may benefit much from her experience overcoming obstacles and overcoming difficult times, as well as from her winning mentality, expertise, and understanding "Vlatko Andonovski, the U.S. coach, remarked
Since her first call-up in 2006, Rapinoe has accumulated 62 goals and 72 assists in 189 games for the national team. She had two goals in the triumph over Australia for the bronze medal in Tokyo last summer and scored on a penalty shot when the United States defeated the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final.
She had, however, been unafraid to utilize her position and voice along the way to draw attention to social justice problems. She is especially enthusiastic about LGBTQ issues because she is an out gay woman. She was crucial to the squad's achievement in achieving salary parity with the men's national team, though.
She has demonstrated her words with deeds: In 2016, she attracted criticism for taking a knee before two matches for the national team in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who did so to call attention to racial inequality.
She was one of the athletes who joined an amicus curiae brief against an Idaho statute that prohibited transgender athletes from competing in interscholastic sports.
While in France for the 2019 World Cup, she traded insults on social media with former President Trump. In response, Trump tweeted: "Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team." She declared she wouldn't attend to the White House even if invited.
She was one among the most well-known athletes to criticize the recent Supreme Court decision pulling back abortion rights after it overturned Roe v. Wade.
Rapinoe will be among 17 different individuals, including gymnast Simone Biles and actor Denzel Washington, who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, this week.
Rapinoe will take a small break from the squad even though she is currently in Mexico to go to Washington, D.C., for the event on Thursday.
"I really view this as a validation of everything I've stood for; not a validation of me, but a validation of LGBTQI-plus rights. It provides support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the anti-white supremacist movement.
"I simply see this as a confirmation of everything I've stood for; it's not a confirmation of me, but it is a confirmation of LGBTQI-plus rights. It's recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the opposition to the existing white racist system of power, she claimed. "It's a confirmation of everything that myself and so many others work so hard for, including women's rights, fair pay, abortion rights, trans rights, and everything else."
Rapinoe told reporters shortly after learning of the honor that she hoped people would use it as a guide for advocacy in their own lives.
"For whatever reason, I feel at ease being in the spotlight. I feel like I can kind of thrive in it. So if I can assist others in doing that, stepping into their power, and realizing that you don't have to be me to make a difference, that would be great. Whatever it may be, you may change anything in your family, neighborhood, school, or place of employment.
I hope I've been able to show both adults and children that speaking up and standing up for what's right are never the wrong things to do.
You must be logged in to post a comment.