I’m quite ashamed of myself, having jumped for joy on Sunday as the Swedish womens’ soccer team sent our girls home early in penalty kicks. It is the very first (and I hope last) time I have cheered for an opponent of an athlete representing our nation. If the attitude of our womens’ national team over the past 8 years is truly representative of our country, then our country is in trouble.
Compare the two photos above. They were taken at the USWNT’s first World Cup match against Vietnam 10 days ago. Who are the grumpy girls, not willing to celebrate the flag they represent by singing our National Anthem, nor even crack a smile during its playing ? And who are the girls dressed in red who have very little to celebrate at home in their oppressive, communist nation ?
How does this get fixed ? First, hire an American coach who treasures the truly blessed nation in which he/she lives. Secondly, make it clear that the soccer field, on an international TV stage, is not the place for social activism. If you cannot at least smile and mouth the words, boot their butts off the team. American soccer authorities have for too long allowed the leadership of a few activist womens’ stars to bully younger players into behavior that shames the nation. People around the world see this !
Sometime, google a young lady named Jaelene Hinkle, whose budding soccer career was upended in 2019 for not conforming to the team leadership’s social activism. That is not the American way. WHAT THE HECK !