After taking a knee to condemn systemic racism in their home country on the world stage, the U.S. soccer team took a knee on the field, losing 3-0 to Sweden in their Tokyo Olympics opening game.
It’s hard to root for a team that represents the United States on the world stage when you have to wonder if that team is rooting for its own country.
The team’s pre-game political stunts were more energetic and alive than their performance on the field. Their gameplay stunk worse than their identity politics.
Kneeling in protest before an Olympic soccer game and then getting blown out is on the same level as Texas Democrats packing a plane full of beer and flying maskless to Washington, D.C. Then, spreading COVID-19 throughout Congress and the White House.
Why did they choose to kneel?
“It’s an opportunity for us to continue to use our voices and use our platforms to talk about the things that affect all of us intimately in different ways,” said team star Megan Rapinoe. “We have people from Team USA, from all over the country, from all backgrounds, and people literally from all over the world for every other team so I obviously encourage everyone to use that platform to the best of their ability to do the most good that they possibly can in the world, especially as all eyes are on Tokyo these next couple weeks.”
While they are doing good off the field, in their own eyes, on the field it was another story.
Rapinoe had 0 goals in the game.
The loss ends the USWNT’s undefeated streak at 44 games, the second-longest in team history. The run trails only a 51-match unbeaten streak from Dec. 2004 to Sept. 2007, but a social statement was made, which seems more important to the U.S. womens soccer team than winning games in Tokyo. It’s the USA’s first game without a goal since July 27, 2017, vs. Australia in Seattle, Wash.
The loss was the USA’s worst-ever defeat in an Olympic match and largest loss since falling 4-0 to Brazil in the semifinal of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but social justice has been served.