US soccer team caught up in anthem controversy

As the US women's national soccer team made its earliest exit ever from the FIFA World Cup, many Americans actually were rooting for that result.

That is because numerous members of the team — which was ranked No. 1 in the world and has won four World Cups, including the last two — refused to sing the national anthem or place their hands on their hearts before games. Some Americans also considered this year's team arrogant and entitled.

Like many news events in America, this one was naturally politicized.

President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump both weighed in, with widely different takes.

"@USWNT, you've made your country proud," Biden tweeted. "Congratulations on an incredible run. This team is something special and I'm looking forward to seeing how you continue to inspire Americans with your grit and determination – on and off the field."

Biden's tweet got 8,000 responses, but many were questioning whether the team had a good run, because the US was favored to win the tournament, and whether the team made Americans proud because of their response to the anthem.

Trump, on his Truth Social website, posted a harsher assessment: "The 'shocking and totally unexpected' loss by the U.S. Women's Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden.

"Many of our players were openly hostile to America – No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close," he continued. "WOKE EQUALS FAILURE." Nice shot Megan."

He was referring to veteran star player Megan Rapinoe, 38, who missed a penalty kick by a wide margin in her last game for the national team. Rapinoe has been a lightning rod for many on the right. She is gay and supports the participation of trans athletes in women's sports. Rapinoe also is known for being a leader in the fight to secure the same pay for women on the national team as the men's team receives.

In 2016, Rapinoe garnered widespread attention for kneeling during the national anthem at an international soccer match, in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began sitting on the bench that year during the national anthem as a player for the San Francisco 49ers, to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

After the 2016 match, Rapinoe stated: "It was a little nod to Kaepernick and everything that he's standing for right now. … Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties. It was something small that I could do and something that I plan to keep doing in the future and hopefully spark some meaningful conversation around it."

In 2019, Rapinoe said she considered herself a "walking protest against the Trump administration" and would not be "going to the f------ White House" if her team won the World Cup that year, which it did.

In 2022, Biden awarded Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Alexi Lalas, who formerly played on the 1994 US men's soccer team and has been a soccer commentator for 15 years, first with ESPN and now Fox, stirred controversy with this tweet: "Don't kill the messenger. This #USWNT is polarizing. Politics, causes, stances, & behavior have made this team unlikeable to a portion of America. This team has built its brand and has derived its power from being the best/winning. If that goes away, they risk becoming irrelevant."

Megyn Kelly, who coincidentally moderated the first GOP presidential debate in 2015 in which she famously opened with a question to Trump about his treatment of women, said: "They couldn't be bothered to actually place their hand on their heart as the national anthem played, as they stood out there representing you and me and the country and our military and people who have given their lives for the country that they represent. It was too much of an effort to place their hand over their heart, or God forbid, sing."

Twitter poster "Jimmy" wrote: "Watching the radical right-wing extremists celebrate the women's soccer team loss with 'Go Woke' and a fake outrage about the National Anthem shows again how truly unpatriotic they are."

"Sarty" tweeted: "You don't have to sing the national anthem to prove anything. It's not written into the constitution. Your faux patriotism and knee-jerk outrage are just silly and some of the comments were downright hateful."

Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O'Hara missed penalty kicks before Lina Hurtig scored to clinch the shootout 5-4 as Sweden knocked the US out of the competition after a 0-0 draw in regulation and extra time Sunday in Melbourne, Australia.

"I mean, this is like a sick joke. For me personally, this is like dark comedy that I missed a penalty," Rapinoe said tearfully. "This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game. I think it can be cruel."

US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher unsuccessfully argued that she had saved Hurtig's attempt, but it was ruled over the goal line by a millimeter by VAR (video assistant referee). Abba's Dancing Queen rang out in the stadium as the Swedes celebrated, and the US players sobbed.

Agencies contributed to this story.