Megan Rapinoe, one of the stars of the United States Women’s Soccer Team who was heavily favored to win their third championship in a row, was ridiculed after she laughed following her missing a crucial penalty shot as the team was eliminated from competition by 16th ranked Sweden.
After missing her shot she was seen smiling and laughing to herself after missing the crucial shot as it sailed high over the crossbar, but after the game she cried on the sideline with her teammates.
“I don’t see what’s funny about this?” a fan said on Twitter. “The laughing shows how much this team took this as a joke. So much for being a role model for the rest of the team.”
“Megan Rapinoe laughing after she missed a game winning pk… never happier to see a player retire. Never want to see her on my tv again. What a way to end your career,” another fan said.
“’I’m generally a Megan Rapinoe fan, but laughing after a missed penalty is not a good look,” another said.
Rapinoe spoke after the game.
“I thought we played really well, I am so happy for us that we went out playing the way that we did.
“This is dark comedy, I missed a penalty. This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game,” she said.
“I feel really grateful and joyful and I know this is the end and that is sad. This is the only time I have been in one of these (losing on penalties at a World Cup) – it has been an honor,” she said.
“It is tough, it sucks. There was so much more in it for us,” the player said before addressing her smiling and laughing.
“It’s a sick, sick joke. I’ve never hit it over, when I miss they are saved,” she said.
She then went on to arguably severely overvalue her importance.
“I think this team has always fought for so much more and that’s been the most rewarding part for me – to know that we’ve used our really special talent to do something that’s changed the world forever,” she said.
The team caused controversy at the start of the games by not singing the National Anthem.
It came before their match against Vietnam, in which the United States team was victorious after the Vietnamese team loudly sang theirs.
The majority of the team just stared straight as the National Anthem played in New Zealand’s Eden Park arena and only 5 of the 11 who stood for the anthem placed their hands over their hearts,” video showed.
And only three of the players, Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan, actually sang the words.
The United States team defeated Vietnam 3 – 0 but drew the ire of many people online.
“Americans are being trained to hate their country. These angry women are representing a country they despise at the World Cup. Our schools are failing…,” one Twitter user said.
“These spoiled a$$ athletes need to be reminded they don’t play for the name on the back of the jersey. They play for the name on the front of it. And if they hate our country so much, go play somewhere else. You won’t be missed,” another said.
“If these players don’t love the country they are representing, they should not be on the team. As an ex athlete, I always loved who I represented. It is an insult to every American to behave in such a disrespectful manner,” another said.
“Just another reason not to watch women’s soccer. Besides the fact that it’s boring, they can’t beat a high school team ..they expect the same amount of money as the men yet don’t bring in the same revenue, have equal talent or deliver the same quality football,” another Twitter user said.
Megan Rapinoe, a known liberal and anti-Trumper, made waves last week when she was interviewed by Time Magazine and said that women’s sports was being “weaponized” by people who stand against transgender women competing against biological women. She said it was “total bulls—,” and asked someone to “show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening.
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