Megan Rapinoe missed her attempt in a penalty shootout against Sweden over the weekend. The USWNT was thus doomed at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Melbourne. With the loss, this became the earliest exit ever for the US at a World Cup.
Megan, 38, had announced that she would be retiring from soccer after the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season concludes in October. “I mean, this is like a sick joke. For me personally, this is dark comedy. I missed a penalty,” Megan said after the loss, according to Fox Sports. “This is the balance to the beautiful side of the game. I think it can be cruel and just not our day.”
Megan was seen crying on the field after missing the crucial penalty. With this, she played her last World Cup game for the USA.
Megan reflected back on her better days, when she won Olympic gold at London 2012. She also helped the US bag two World Cup trophies. “I still just feel really grateful and joyful, and I know it’s the end and that’s sad,” she said. “But to know this is really the only time that I’ve been in one of these (situations) this early says so much about how much success I’ve been able to have, and just how much I’ve loved playing for this team and playing for this country. It’s been an honor.”
‘She poisoned the entire team’
The team in Australia and New Zealand stayed mostly silent during the national anthem. This prompted famed media personality Megyn Kelly to lash out at Megan, slamming her for not being “on camera when they’re doing the national anthem.”
“Megan Rapinoe, she’s the leader of all this… She’s not a starter. So that’s why she’s not on camera when they’re doing the national anthem, but she’s behind a lot of this,” Megyn said on her podcast the Megyn Kelly show. “She’s (Rapinoe) poisoned the entire team against the country for which they play,” Kelly added. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not rooting for them. I’m not with them. I hope they lose…It’s shameful. These girls are shameful. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
On earlier occasions, Megan had chosen not to stand for the national anthem before a soccer game. For instance, she knelt on the sideline during ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ before a 9-0 exhibition win against Thailand back in 2016. She apparently did this as a gesture to stand in solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as well as others, who had been protesting social inequalities.
‘Ungrateful, overrated’
There is no dearth of criticism and brutal trolling that Megan is facing at present. “No professional “athlete” can suck this hard. At a certain point of disgrace your pride steps in. The coach is forced to bench. I’m now 100% convinced Megan Rapinoe intentionally sabotaged Team USA. Real fans should be enraged,” one user wrote on X. Many others commented on the thread, with one user saying, “She scares me.” One user commented, “She smiled when she lost. Big pay day,” while another wrote, “She should thank the Lord first and secondly the United States of America for all of the blessings she received in life. Ungrateful, overrated.” “Maybe she just doesn’t want Team America to win?” one user commented.
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