“Under Pressure” Re-Centers the Identity of the U.S. Women’s World Cup Team
Last year, in collaboration with the global players’ association, FIFA implemented the Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), in an effort to shield players, teams, coaches, and officials from online abuse during international tournaments. According to FIFA, the service “worked” during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, reporting and hiding more than 400,000 abusive comments. But it wasn’t until last week that the full extent of the abuse became known. According to the SMPS’ tournament analysis:
- 1 in 5 players at the Women’s World Cup received targeted discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messages
- Homophobic, sexual and sexist abuse accounted for almost 50% of detected verified abusive messages
- Players at the Women’s World Cup were 29% more likely to be targeted with online abuse than players at the Men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The numbers are staggering, but especially so for the US Women’s National Team. According to SMPS, the USWNT were subjected to the most online abuse of any team in the tournament… more than twice as much as any other team in the field. The report notes spikes in abuse coinciding with American matches against Portugal and Sweden. And, though the SMPS report doesn’t name her explicitly, it’s likely that Megan Rapinoe is the US player mentioned as one of the most targeted individuals during the tournament.
A day after the report was released, Netflix dropped Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team, a limited docuseries on the team’s pursuit of a fifth World Cup Championship. Though docuseries was developed long before the World Cup and, by extension the SMPS report, the timing of it feels serendipitous. It feels like an answer to a question that no one knew to ask.
Under Pressure re-centers the identity of the USWNT. It asks the audience to put aside whatever it is that makes you believe that these women are, to quote one FOX Sports analyst, “polarizing,” and see them for who they truly are. Mothers. Daughters. Wives. Girlfriends. Footballers. Competitors. Americans. Under Pressure tells the story of this team, through the eyes of its past and present stars, and, in the process, reaffirms their humanity.
The docuseries follows the USWNT from its formation to pre-tournament friendlies to the World Cup. It does so from four different perspectives: Alex Morgan, the experienced veteran, working to balance her role as a team captain with her responsibilities as a mother; Lynn Williams, the then-three time NWSL champion still striving for that elusive World Cup cap; Kristie Mewis, the veteran Gotham FC midfielder, looking to finally be on the right side of the bubble; and, Alyssa Thompson, the teenage rookie, experiencing every step for the very first time. Other USWNT players make appearances — Lindsey Horan, Rapinoe, Sofia Huerta, Emily Fox, Savannah DeMelo — but much of the film centers around those four, to positive effect. Focusing on too many players could’ve made the series unwieldly. Instead, the narrative manages to be both expansive and tightly constrained.
For me, it’s Williams and Mewis — both “bubble players” who could or could not make the final roster — that make Under Pressure worth watching. Despite making their first appearance at the World Cup in 2023, both are veteran professional players who bring a lot of perspective to their time on the USWNT.
Williams is a fighter: she’d been left off the USWNT roster for the World Cup once before — in 2019, a moment she called “devastating” — and comes into camp fighting for her spot. She brings a compelling mix of empathy and candor to Under Pressure that instantly makes the audience trust her as a narrator. For example, when Mallory Swanson goes down with an injury, Williams is truly heartbroken for her teammate while admitting, “on the other hand, you recognize that, as a forward, there is now a spot that is opened up and needs to be filled.”
Mewis comes to the team having watched, in 2019, as her younger sister, Sam, accomplish the goal they shared: playing for the USWNT in a World Cup. But a knee injury that Sam Mewis had been playing on since 2017 finally forced her out the game in 2022… leaving her sister with a lot of survivor’s guilt about her time with the national team. Getting to see the sisters’ relationship — which hasn’t always been as strong as it is now — and watching Kristie Mewis grapple with her guilt, was one of the most compelling aspects of Under Pressure.
“I would literally do anything for her to have her career back. I’d give up mine if I could,” the elder Mewis admits.
Queer fans will delight in the window Under Pressure offers into Mewis’ relationship with Australian national team star, Sam Kerr. Mewis brings the same sense of awe that she has about being part of the national team to her relationship with Kerr. It’s like she really can’t believe that Kerr loves her (to which, I wonder, “has Kristie Mewis not seen herself?”). But Kerr truly does love Mewis: so much so that she keeps the news of her national team selection a secret until Mewis knows her fate. They are absolutely adorable together and I loved getting this glimpse into their love story.
(Sidenote: In Under Pressure, Mewis admits that she doesn’t foresee a future where she and Kerr will continue to have a long distance relationship. Yesterday, The Athletic reported that Mewis is on her way to join Kerr in London. Giving up a slot on a championship winning squad to move to one of the worst teams in the Women’s Super League? That’s love.)
Unlike other docuseries of this sort (i.e., The Last Dance), Under Pressure doesn’t look for drama. It actually seems to studiously avoid it. In someone else’s hands, I imagine a series that spends more time on the Swanson or Becky Sauerbrunn injuries — seizing on the drama of going from being the USWNT’s leading scorer or the USWNT’s captain to being forced from the roster — but Under Pressure doesn’t dwell on it. There’s no footage of other players — Casey Krueger, Tierna Davidson, Adrianna Franch, or Taylor Kornieck — who participated in training camps but ended up on the wrong side of the bubble. We don’t get to see any of those bubble players have tear-filled Facetime calls with head coach Vlatko Andonovski. Admittedly, I didn’t know how to feel about those omissions at first. Sports are a rollercoaster and the highs come with some painful lows; showcasing those felt necessary. But we all know how this story ends — with the USWNT being ousted from the World Cup earlier than it ever has — and, ultimately, that heartbreak felt like the one worth focusing on.
The absence of drama in Under Pressure also means that no one should come to the series hoping to get answers for what went wrong. If anything, Williams and Mewis’ commentary — Williams on the lack of substitutions and Mewis on the last minute request that she take a penalty vs. Sweden — only underscores the level of confusion that existed within the ranks. But there’s no spicy commentary from players in Under Pressure and no deep interrogation on the choices that were made. It’s frustrating, but I suppose that the only true closure for that kind of loss comes in 2027.
A special guest and an important message. Thanks @KosovareAsllani 🧡 Watch the full episode on YT or listen wherever you get your podcasts. pic.twitter.com/k4HJImmzT1
— Tobin Heath (@TobinHeath) August 7, 2023
Despite the intense match that ended the USWNT’s run, Sweden attacking midfielder Kosovare Asllani was nothing but effusive with praise for the team afterwards, sending a clear message to the haters: “don’t talk shit about the U.S. team women.” She knew, as does the rest of the women’s soccer community, that the USWNT are pioneers… that their efforts, both on the pitch and off, are raising the game for everyone.
The USWNT fight for equal pay inspired teams from around the world to do the same. The pushback, by American players, to the abusive environments within their club teams steeled the spine of other nations, as their players stood up to abusive environments created by their federations. The team’s greatness has forced other federations to step up and invest in the women’s game. Losing a World Cup cannot undo that legacy.
But it is that legacy that those who subjected the team to so much online vitriol, loathe. They can’t have the world believing that women are equal, so they attack. Somehow, those disingenuous attacks have become the narrative about this USWNT. Under Pressure feels like the start of the pushback. It begins the work of re-establishing this team as more than just pawns in someone else’s narrative. It is a retelling and a reclaiming of this team’s identity… and to that, I can only say: LFG.
Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team is now streaming on Netflix.
Seattle Storm Send Megan Rapinoe Into Retirement With a Jersey to Match Sue Bird’s
Feature image photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Last night, the Seattle Storm honored Megan Rapinoe — the Seattle Reign FC midfielder, USWNT superstar, and partner of Storm legend Sue Bird — with a jersey to match her wifey’s. The power couple have been a fixture at WNBA games this season, especially in their home city, and Rapinoe seemed genuinely surprised and moved by the tribute and jersey presentation. The crown went absolutely wild for her as Rapinoe put on the jersey and posed like a clown. If you’re a longtime women’s basketball fan, you’ll know what a big deal this is: The Storm gave Rapinoe a #15 jersey, which is both her USWNT number, and the number of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, whose Storm #15 is hanging retired in the rafters.
Rapinoe announced that this year’s World Cup would be her last, before the tournament even started. In her retirement press conference, she said, “I want to thank my family for being by my side all these years. Thanks to all my teammates and coaches all the way back to my first days in Redding, on to college at the University of Portland and of course thanks to U.S. Soccer, the Seattle Reign and especially Sue, for everything.” And she fell right into Sue Bird’s arms after the the USWNT was eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16.
Legendary 👑@mPinoe, thank you for everything you have done for Seattle and women’s sports 🫶 pic.twitter.com/cYvzr0BWTm
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 19, 2023
Bird and Rapinoe will be icons and celebrities in the women’s sports world, and especially in Seattle, for the rest of their lives. For now, I hope they both take a nice, long, hugely deserved nap.
“The Only” Finally Gives USWNT Black Gay Superstar Briana Scurry a Hero’s Story
Feature image by David Madison/Getty Images
There’s no image more seared into my childhood memory than the one of Brandi Chastain on her knees on the pitch after the USWNT won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her jersey, which she ripped off after scoring the winning goal in the shootout against China, is in one hand. Her other hand mirrors it, both arms raised in victory and a scream of pure and victorious ecstasy on her face. But something huge happened before that, the thing that set Chastain up for that shot. First of all, keeper Briana Scurry — who was also the standout goalie in the 1996 Olympics, when Team USA won the gold in Atlanta — shut out China. Regulation ended in a scoreless draw. What followed was four made penalty kicks in a row, the US and China just trading goals. Then, in the third round, Liu Ying’s kick was saved by Scurry, setting up Chastain to kick the winning goal. She did, of course, and the rest is history. History that would not have been possible without Briana Scurry — even though the names you probably know by heart are Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Brandi Chastain.
Why?
Well, that’s an easy one: Because Briana Scurry is a gay Black woman.
Paramount+’s new documentary — The Only, as in the only Black player and openly gay player on every team she blessed with her talents in her formative years — attempts to fill in the lines of that stark reality, and, in doing so, finally give Briana Scurry the credit she’s due for pushing women’s sports to the next level around the world. The documentary draws heavily from Scurry’s biography, which she co-authored with Wayne Coffey. And while Scurry says she didn’t notice a lot of racism growing up in Minneapolis, and tried not to pay too much attention to it even in her professional career, her USWNT teammates do not shy away from naming the oppression and persecution she’s faced. (They have that luxury because they’re white.) Julie Foudy is especially irate when she says that Scurry is the best shot-stopper she’s ever seen, and of course racism and homophobia are the reasons she never landed the kind of endorsements — or pulled in the kind of paychecks — her teammates did.
Photo by David Madison/Getty Images
The Only also aims the conversation outside of sports. In 2010, Scurry took a knee to the head that ended her career and left her with a traumatic brain injury that also nearly ended her life. Doctors told her she was “temporarily totally disabled,” which not only caused her to spiral into a deep depression, but also forced her into major debt as she sought treatment. She shut out friends, family, and former teammates. She even sold her gold medals to pay her medical expenses. Scurry doesn’t shy away from any aspect of her story; she even addresses the accusations China made that she cheated in the 1999 World Cup (“It’s a decent question,” she says, “but the referee was right there”) and the hit Hope Solo took on her when she replaced Solo in the 2007 World Cup (“I felt very upset and very angry”).
I didn’t expect The Only to give as much time to her disability as it did; it was a welcome surprise. We hardly ever get documentaries about disabled athletes, especially athletes who exist at the intersection of so many different oppressed identities. And the documentaries we do get are usually either inspiration or tragedy porn. The Only treats Scurry’s traumatic brain injury with the gravitas it deserves, without ever sensationalizing it or leaning into ableist storytelling tropes. It also celebrates her triumphs outside of goalkeeping, after the injury, without minimizing the enormous amount of effort, emotional tenacity, luck, and money that went into her healing journey. It treats her like a human with a very human injury, not like a cog in a sports machine that stopped functioning properly and had to be replaced. As someone reforming my own identity at 43, in the face of an unexpected cognitive disability, I can’t even express how much Scurry’s candid vulnerability meant to me.
Today, Scurry is happily married to Chryssa Zizos, CEO of Live Wire. She’s in the National Soccer Hall of Fame (the first Black woman and goalkeeper to be inducted). And she’s the First Assistant Coach of the Washington Spirit. Her story is one of triumph after triumph, despite all odds. But as I was watching, I was also struck by how often we continue to have these conversations. If Brittney Griner wasn’t Black and gay, would she be home from Russia already? If DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas weren’t Black and gay, would they have the same kind of endorsements as Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris? If A.D. Durr wasn’t Black and gay would they have been forced out of New York and shuffled to Atlanta, written off as a casualty of Long Covid? It seems pretty obvious to even a casual observer that the answer to these questions is: Yes. Of course things would be easier and more lucrative for these professional athletes if they weren’t constantly facing down homophobia and racism.
Scurry’s legacy, however, ensures that these women not the only gay Black players on their teams and in their leagues and in their sports. She changed everything, and her name deserves as much reverence as Chastain, Foudy, and Hamm.
https://youtu.be/ORyGETfV5ws
Christen Press Draped Around Tobin Heath in the Snow
Soccer fans have long been interested in the close friendship of USWNT superstars Tobin Heath and Christen Press. They seem to be what, in the past, has been referred to as “gal pals” or “Harold…” — and what is now more commonly known as “Friendship has no boundaries! Win or lose friends are still friends.” They have never spoken on the record about their friendship, one that includes traveling all over the world to watch each other play, very nearly smashing their lips together in celebration on multiple occasions on-field, and co-owning a gay-looking clothing business with the world’s most famous and unapologetic lesbian, Megan Rapinoe. However, today, on her birthday, Christen uploaded a picture of herself sipping some champagne in the snow, and then second picture of herself draped around her buddy Tobin, also in the snow.
Snow is, of course, commonly accepted as the most romantic weather condition, but that is neither here nor there. This pose might be referred to as a “canoodle” or a “cherished embrace.” Again, neither here nor there. We just hope these two are having a really nice vacation together!
Happy birthday, Christen! And happy early birthday to my dear friend Ashanti!
Soccer Stars Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr Are Lesbianing Together — Thank You, Stacey!
Feature image via Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images and Sam Kerr’s Instagram
Friends, I will be the first to admit that despite a fondness for Gritty memes, I know very little about sports. What I do know a lot about is girls kissing each other, and that’s what we’re here to talk about!
While eagle-eyed sports fans have theorized that Team USA’s Kristie Mewis and Team Australia’s Sam Kerr were dating — or at least flirting heavily on the internet — very little information was publicly available until BASICALLY RIGHT NOW. In a very detailed thread, a Twitter user named Ayla took the time to break down every flame react and or emoji that could have possibly transpired in public between Mewis and Kerr.
Most of it consists of light roasting, which I always appreciate.
Isn’t it nice when two gals from different teams are such close friends? I for one applaud any and all examples of sportsmanship.
On Thursday of last week, their national teams faced off against each other in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, and Team USA emerged victorious. After the game, photographers snapped Mewis and Kerr gently consoling each other on the field, like gal pals so often do:
Sorry last one, but I'm thinking fans from both sides may appreciate these shots of Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr: pic.twitter.com/KJomCGNluo
— Meredith Cash (@mercash22) August 5, 2021
And that is where Stacey comes in!!! Stacey believes in the power of friendship and I think that’s great. However, my darling Stacey sorta missed the boat on this one, which is how we ended up here.
They’re lesbians Stacey
— Nope (@prefervoldemort) August 5, 2021
For what it’s worth, Kerr and Mewis came out officially via Instagram a couple of days later, captioning a kissing photo with a red heart in an absolutely maddening missed opportunity to simply caption the photo, “They’re lesbians, Stacey.”
Is “They’re lesbians Stacey” the new “no its becky” or have I been on the internet too long?
And then as though this could not get any more meta:
So am I what the big deal!!
— Stacey Cabe (@Cabe1Stacey) August 5, 2021
For the record, here is our hero Stacey bravely holding wild animals.
From Coyote puppies to Gators…I love my job!! pic.twitter.com/8epNCcyVrL
— Stacey Cabe (@Cabe1Stacey) August 9, 2021
Long story short, these soccer players are gay, Stacey is gay, it’s nice to be nice to your friends and I think I understand sports now.
Meet The 42 Gay Women and Non-Binary Soccer Players of the Tokyo Summer Olympics
Everyone knows gays cannot get enough soccer/football, and with the 2020 Tokyo Games kicking off its soccer/football matches today, we thought it’d be a perfect time to round up the Olympics women’s soccer gay players and non-binary players. As Outsports has documented brilliantly, there are at least 162 openly gay athletes in Tokyo this year, an Olympic recored! And, according to our research, 42 of those athletes are women and non-binary soccer players, which we have helpfully listed for you below with adorable/swoony photos!
Just a quick editorial note: While most of Autostraddle’s writers are based in the U.S., we realize we have loads of readers around the world. So for this year’s Olympics, we are trying hard to hit the international gay highlights. Obviously U.S. media skews heavily (almost 100%) U.S.-centric, so if we’ve missed anyone that should be on this list, or anything comes up you think we should cover, hit me (@theheatherhogan) or Natalie (@natthedem) up on Twitter, or drop a note in the A+ Priority Contact box (in the right sidebar on the Autostraddle home page) and we’ll try our best to make sure we mention it. The players below are listed alphabetically by last name.
Feature image Elsa/Getty Images / Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Andressa Alves (Brazil)
Bárbara Barbosa (Brazil)
Yenny Acuña Berrios (Chile)
Keisha Buchanan (Canada)
Marta da Silva (Brazil)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJn_hv4l29K/
Rachel Daly (Great Britain)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqnHTOBMUZ/
Tierna Davidson (USA)
Anouk Dekker (Netherlands)
Christiane Endler (Chile)
Abby Erceg (New Zealand)
Magda Eriksson (Sweden)
Sisca Folkertsma (Netherlands)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQhAqbag49-/
Adrianna Franch (USA)
Emily Gielnik (Australia)
Lina Hurtig (Sweden)
Letícia Izidoro (Brazil)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQr0vNUrcbI/
Sam Kerr (Australia)
Fran Kirby (Great Britain)
Stephanie Labbé (Canada)
Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden)
Chloe Logarzo (Australia)
Erin McLeod (Canada)
Teagan Micah (Australia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_d1esUB_KA/
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)
Kelley O’Hara (USA)
Fernanda Pinilla (Chile)
Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Aline Reis (Brazil)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQBXrJWpdmd/
Jill Scott (Great Britain)
Caroline Seger (Sweden)
Kailen Sheridan (Canada)
Sherida Spitse (Netherlands)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO4n_8TJ7Nu/
Demi Stokes (Great Britain)
Carly Telford (Great Britain)
Daniëlle van de Donk (Netherlands)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ8uZv8skLC/
Shanice Van De Sanden (Netherlands)
Stefanie Van Der Gragt (Netherlands)
Merel Van Dongen (Netherlands)
Hannah Wilkinson (New Zealand)
Tameka Yallop (Australia)
Formiga (Brazil)
Quinn (Canada)
If we missed any Olympics Women’s Soccer gay or non-binary players, let us know!
“LFG” Takes You Behind the USWNT Gender Discrimination Lawsuit to Stark Places Behind the Lights
This review contains light spoilers for the documentary LFG.
Last night, the US Women’s National Team kicked off their send-off series: back-to-back matches with Mexico before the team — now boasting a roster of 22 players — heads to Tokyo for the Olympic games. It was resounding 4-0 victory for Team USA: a brace for Christen Press, a sisterly connection from Kristie to Sammy Mewis and a triumphant return to the pitch for Tobin Heath. And despite the rain that pelted Rentschler Field for the entirety of the match, over 21,000 fans came out to cheer on the team.
And while it’s hard to imagine the US Men’s National Team in a similar situation — after all, the team hasn’t qualified for the Olympic field since 2008 and often trails the USWNT when it comes to crowd size — one thing seems certain: if there were men on the pitch last night instead of women, they’d be getting paid more. It’s that discrepancy that’s at the center of a new documentary from CNN Films called LFG, an abbreviated version of the USWNT’s rally cry, “Let’s fuckin’ go!”
The documentary follows the progress of the USWNT’s 2019 gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, filed just months before the start of the Women’s World Cup (on International Women’s Day, no less). The suit alleges that, in failing to provide equal pay for the men’s and women’s national team, the federation violated portions of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. In LFG the team’s lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, lays out the how the Federation’s discriminatory practices manifest:
“Merely for showing up and playing a game, the men get more per game than the women. For each game they win, the men get a higher bonus than the women would get for winning that game. For qualifying for the World Cup, the men make more money than the women make. For advancing in the World Cup and for winning the World Cup, the men make more money than the women would make. So at every single point in time, there is a difference.”
LFG is not unbiased. Co-directors Sean and Andrea Nix Fine’s sympathies are clearly with the USWNT. Though a placard early in the film says that overtures were made to get USSF to join the conversation, the federation told the Washington Post that the invitation came too late and that they didn’t trust the filmmakers to fairly represent their position.
Instead, on the day of the documentary’s HBO Max release, the Federation released a statement, via Twitter, that said that the film contains “a concerning level of dishonesty about U.S. Soccer and the USWNT’s compensation.” The federation claims that they want an equitable solution to the problem — the fact that they had a “Equal Play = Equal Pay” banner taken down just last night makes me doubt their sincerity.
The strength of LFG — and, honestly, the reason that USSF is worried about its reach — lies in the way it crystallizes the emotional toll the federation’s discrimination and the lawsuit has wrought. There’s no time for the team to celebrate their 2019 World Cup win… they have to use the moment to, essentially, defend their equality to the world. For USWNT forward, Jess McDonald, the fight for equality is about creating a better life for her son. Her insufficient salary means that McDonald relies on another job as a coach (in addition to her job with her club team) along with help from her chosen family in North Carolina just to make ends meet. It also means that, with every call-up to the national team — an accomplishment that ought to bring nothing but joy — she’s forced to leave her son behind because she can’t afford a travelling nanny to join them on the road. While she hopes that Jeremiah will one day take her absence as a valuable lesson about the importance of chasing your dreams, the heartbreak that she feels as she leaves is palpable.
LFG takes the audience from the hubbub around the initial filing to the 2019 World Cup to mediation to a ruling from a federal court judge in May 2020… and it is an emotional rollercoaster. The highs feel astronomical: reliving the 13-0 thumping of Thailand in the World Cup or recalling the moment when Megan Rapinoe said, “I’m not going to the fucking White House.” But it’s the insight into the moments that we didn’t see — the harder, more challenging moments — that are the most compelling. You get to witness Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelly O’Hara’s frustration at the Federation’s complete disinterest in engaging in mediation. You see McDonald, Sauerbrunn, O’Hara and Rapinoe’s anger when the details of USSF’s legal strategy were revealed.
“U.S. Soccer’s main legal strategy was that the women don’t deserve to be paid fairly because we have less responsibility on us as a player for the U.S. National Team because we’re biologically inferior,” Rapinoe explains.
The Federation apologized and the revelations set off a wave of resignations, including the USSF’s legal team and its president. It also, seemingly, deepened the players’ dedication the cause — which only makes the reaction to the federal court’s decision in May 2020 even more heartbreaking. The details of the conversation are withheld to protect confidentiality, so LFG wrests its portrayal on the facial reactions of the players. That these scenes are filmed by the players in isolation at the start of the pandemic quarantine makes it that much more arresting.
“Yes, it’s a setback, and, yes, it’s a disappointment,” Mewis admits. “But we did this for a reason, and it’s going to take a lot more than this to stop us in our tracks.”
LFG is a documentary about soccer and this soccer team, in particular, but it’s not just about them. It’s not even just about future US Women’s National Teams. It’s about all of us. It’s about every person whose work has been undervalued, no matter how excellent it is. It’s about fighting for what you are owed and fighting for what you deserve.
“Ultimately, it’s not like us against them,” Rapinoe clarifies in the documentary. “If they win, no one wins. If we win, everyone wins.”
So let’s fucking go.
https://youtu.be/sM0j03d9fdI
LFG is now streaming on HBO Max.
Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger are so Married, Love Is Officially Not a Lie
Soccer legends Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger closed out their year of magical everything over the weekend with the most fairytale gay wedding I have ever seen or heard of in my entire life. They announced their engagement in March (which was their official coming out, really) in People magazine; won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July; went on an unapologetic celebration tour like the world has never seen a group of women do over the summer; and brought it home with a holiday wedding.
Look, I love when gay people get married, almost no matter what, but this wedding, after this year, and after Harris and Krieger were forced to spend almost a decade in the closet with each other because women’s soccer and sponsorships for athletes have only recently become slightly queer-friendly, is just pure joy to me. Their wedding cake was a rainbow! Ashlyn’s tux was a sleeveless, sparkly, be-shortted custom Thom Browne creation worn with such socks! I’ve never seen so many women wedding attendees in suits! Megan Rapinoe was Ashylyn’s best person and looked better in her classic tux than James Bond ever dreamed of looking!
People, of course, has the first look photos from the wedding — but also, so does Instagram (plus the rehearsal).
Now, if you really want to get emotional, watch their wedding video.
You Love Soccer Now, Here’s How to Follow Your 2019 USWNT Faves Home
There’s really nothing left to say about the US women’s soccer team, in large part, because they said it all for themselves — with their lawsuit, their interviews, their social media, their performance, and, yes, even their post-victory partying. There’s plenty of speculation about what’s next in their fight for equal pay and what the 2023 roster will look like, but what’s actually next for these 23 best friends — after visiting AOC — is heading back to their NWSL clubs to finish out their seasons. The best way you can keep supporting them and their excellence is to buy their jerseys, go watch them play live, watch their games on ESPN(!!!), and follow them on social media so they can keep those sponcon dollars coming.
Megan Rapinoe, FW, #15
NWSL Club: Reign FC
Twitter: @mPinoe
Instagram: @mrapinoe
Ali Krieger, RB, #11
NWSL Club: Orlando Pride
Twitter: @alikrieger
Instagram: @alikrieger
Ashlyn Harris, GK, #18
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bztzx27nu0Z/
NWSL Club: Orlando Pride
Twitter: @Ashlyn_Harris
Instagram: @ashlynharris24
Christen Press, FW, #23
NWSL Club: Utah Royals
Twitter: @ChristenPress
Instagram: @christenpress
Rose Lavelle, MF, #16
NWSL Club: Washington Spirit
Twitter: @roselavelle
Instagram: @lavellerose
Alex Morgan, FW, #13
NWSL Club: Orlando Pride
Twitter: @alexmorgan13
Instagram: @alexmorgan13F
Crystal Dunn, DF, #19
NWSL Club: North Carolina Courage
Twitter: @crysdunn_19
Instagram: @cdunn19
Tobin Heath, FW, #17
NWSL Club: Portland Thorns
Twitter: @TobinHeath
Instagram @tobinheath
Lindsey Horan, MF, #9
NWSL Club: Portland Thorns
Twitter: @lindseyhoran
Instagram: @lindseyhoran10
Julie Ertz, MF, #8
NWSL Club: Chicago Red Stars
Twitter: @julieertz
Instagram: @julieertz
Becky Sauerbrunn, DF, #4
NWSL Club: Utah Royals
Twitter: @beckysauerbrunn
Instagram: @reeba04
Kelley O’Hara, DF, #5
NWSL Club: Utah Royals
Twitter: @kelleymohara
Instagram: @kelleyohara
Alyssa Naeher, GK, #1
NWSL Club: Chicago Red Stars
Twitter: @alyssanaeher
Instagram: @alyssanaeher
Abby Dahlkemper, DF, #7
NWSL Club: North Carolina Courage
Twitter: @AbbyDahlkemper
Instagram: @abbydahlkemper
Sam Mewis, MF, #3
NWSL Club: North Carolina Courage
Twitter: @sammymewy
Instagram: @sammymewyy
Tierna Davidson, DF, #12
NWSL Club: Chicago Red Stars
Twitter: @tierna_davidsonW
Instagram: @tierna_davidson
Carli Lloyd, FW, #10
NWSL Club: Sky Blue FC
Twitter: @CarliLloyd
Instagram: @carlilloyd
Mallory Pugh, FW, #2
NWSL Club: Washington Spirit
Twitter: @MalPugh
Instagram: @malpugh
Adrianna Franch, GK, #21
NWSL Club: Portland Thorns
Twitter: @adizzle23
Instagram: @afranch23
Allie Long, MF, #20
NWSL Club: Reign FC
Twitter: @ALLIE_LONG
Instagram: @allie_long_
Jessica McDonald, FW, #22
NWSL Club: North Carolina Courage
Twitter: @J_Mac1422
Instagram: @jmac1422
Emily Sonnett, DF, #14
NWSL Club: Portland Thorns
Twitter: @emilysonnett
Instagram: @emilysonnett
Morgan Brian, MF, #6
NWSL Club: Chicago Red Stars
Twitter: @moeebrian
Instagram: @moebrian
The USWNT Said “Gay Rights!” Megan Rapinoe, Lesbianism Secure Incredible World Cup Victory
The USWNT pulled off an incredible feat this past weekend, not only capping one of the hardest final legs to victory ever, but making the president of their own country (who was rooting against them???) eat it on Twitter. That it was led by veterans and out lesbians Megan Rapinoe, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger, celebrated with players running to kiss their girlfriends in the stands, and backed by millions of women of all orientations begging for the team to step on their necks is a gift that only the power of Christine Baranski screaming gay rights can give.
If it was all too much to handle, Rapinoe did warn us. “Go gays. You can’t win a championship without gays on your team,” she said in an interview days before the final. “It’s never been done before. Ever. That’s science right there.”
The “never” in that quote is an important inclusion there, especially considering the USWNT’s three previous World Cup championship wins. Because save for Abby Wambach’s wonderful array of undercuts and unabashed alignment with the LGBTQ community, the USWNT in its previous iterations has mostly been a sea of ambiguity. Sure, those of us who knew, knew, but until now it’s never been such a free-for-all of gay chaos™.
For women’s soccer, that’s saying something. I can say that because I played! Which means none of you can be mad at me!
https://twitter.com/meandthegwb/status/1147968714375143425?s=21
Joining the ranks of out USWNT members yesterday was Kelley O’Hara, who was one of those players running to kiss their girlfriend in the stands. With that, my friend and I did some light accounting and calculated queer woman making up about 30% of the USWNT roster. Being watched in a final with more viewers than the 2018 men’s final.
It would be tempting to say that the numbers don’t matter, but putting myself as a kid watching my idols win the 1999 World Cup in the shoes of kids watching their idols win the 2019 World Cup, whew does it matter! May Carol Aird be waiting for you all with a martini in hand.
And for the rest of the USWNT team who confusingly choose not run to the stands to kiss a hot woman in celebration, well, like Alyssa Naeher standing in front of a penalty kick, we can dare to dream.
The 25 Gayest 2019 Women’s World Cup Tweets, Ranked by Thirst
This year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup has been the gayest sporting event ever, as you see reflected here in this small selection of gay tweets compiled by Heather and ranked by thirst by Rachel.
25.
build a megan rapinoe statue and put in the lawn at the white house
— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) June 28, 2019
24.
I still chant it as "WE-R-GAY" but, yes.
— Jess Martin (@OpenEyedSneeze) July 2, 2019
23.
https://twitter.com/theheatherhogan/status/1144691987678998530
22.
https://twitter.com/MeredithLClark/status/1143896289400242176
21.
If god hates gays so much then explain the USWNT
— kelsey (@drunkhaught) July 2, 2019
20.
https://twitter.com/rgay/status/1144708990070222848
19.
Straight ppl finding out Megan Rapinoe rules during pride month almost feels hurtful…
You can be obsessed w/ her in July, allies.
— Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) June 30, 2019
18.
https://twitter.com/KTHeaney/status/1144713249490972672
17.
Purple-haired lesbian goddess flattens France like a crêpe: https://t.co/NDm22MDZ2q pic.twitter.com/UDbbP85bz4
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) June 28, 2019
16.
Men are just intimidated by Megan Rapinoe because she’s better than them at soccer and making women orgasm.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) July 2, 2019
15.
Me introducing my wife to the USWNT: lesbian, lesbian, lesbian, lesbian, straight, straight… #FIFAWWC
— Dorothy Snarker (@dorothysnarker) June 28, 2019
14.
It may not be the White House, but we’d be happy to welcome @mPinoe & the entire #USWMNT for a tour of the House of Representatives anytime they’d like. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/ccgqE8vCds
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 28, 2019
13.
https://twitter.com/spacedanvcrs/status/1146189235290103808
12.
bitches are only watching the fifa women’s world cup bc they have a crush on megan rapinoe.
its me. im bitches
— cal 🏳️⚧️ (@gothhippycowboy) June 28, 2019
11.
Happy World #pride today and every day!!
I love you, @Ashlyn_Harris and I am infinitely so proud to be yours.❤️🏳️🌈👭💅🏽 #DareToShine @ Lyon, France https://t.co/EkrYUp0SAt— Ali Krieger (@alikrieger) June 30, 2019
10.
9.
— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) June 28, 2019
8.
https://twitter.com/ivadixit/status/1146137998435766273
7.
Top me Alyssa. https://t.co/E16nGfKtWd
— Laura Zak (@la_wa) July 2, 2019
6.
same energy pic.twitter.com/d5jWTDkUWt
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) July 2, 2019
5.
Tobin Heath let me brush your hair
— Katie Nolan (@katienolan) June 28, 2019
4.
I’m over here wishing I was the ball
— Giulia: Undercover ⚡️🖤 (@giuliaduplat) July 2, 2019
3.
I mean I wouldn’t mind being mounted by Tobin like that but that’s not what’s important here
— 🇧🇸🏳️🌈 (@ShanLaShawn) July 2, 2019
2.
https://twitter.com/lgbtqfc/status/1146134679902400512
1.
READY TO RUN THROUGH A BRICK WALL! GO USA!! 🇺🇸 @DrinkBODYARMOR @mPinoe https://t.co/C67C4zv6cL
— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) July 2, 2019
Sue Bird’s Essay About Megan Rapinoe Will Punch Your Heart in the Face in the Very Best Way
In two hours (from the time I hit publish on this post) the United States Women’s National Team will take on England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a tournament that’s always the absolute biggest deal in soccer, but has taken on even more significance this year as Donald Trump decided to go after Megan Rapinoe — whose vocal intersectional activism has always put her at odds with his oppression and tyranny — after a video of her saying, “I’m not going to the fucking White House” went viral last week. She responded to the media frenzy with not one, but two goals in last week’s victory over France, and struck such a pose after the first one that the entire world went berserk and Deadspin proclaimed “Purple-haired lesbian goddess flattens France like a crêpe!”
a mood #USWNT pic.twitter.com/S5rlI2CPRm
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) June 28, 2019
This morning Rapinoe’s partner, women’s basketball legend Sue Bird, penned a little essay in The Players’ Tribune called “So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend” and it is, without question, THE GREATEST THING I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE. Bird opens thus: “I remember telling my editor here [after I broke my nose last season] something like, ‘It would take the President of the United States going on a hate-filled Twitter spree trolling my girlfriend while she was putting American soccer, women’s sports, equal pay, gay pride and TRUE LOVE on her back, all at once, scoring two majestic goals to lead Team USA to a thrilling victory over France and a place in the World Cup SEMIFINALS, for me to ever even think about writing again.'”
The essay follows the format of Bird’s old WNBA posts at the Players Tribune and is, ostensibly, about the World Cup semi-finals — but actually is THE GREATEST LESBIAN LOVE LETTER EVER WRITTEN (apologies to Emily Dickson, Mary Oliver, Anne Lister, and Vita Sackville-West). Part of it is about how surreal it was to become a personal target of Trump and his MAGA trolls, but most of it is just about how Megan Rapinoe is the baddest ass motherfucking athlete, partner, and human being in the world and how Sue Bird could not be more in love with her.
Like this:
But then Megan, man….. I’ll tell you what. You just cannot shake that girl. She’s going to do her thing, at her own damn speed, to her own damn rhythm, and she’s going to apologize to exactly NO ONE for it. So when all the Trump business started to go down last week, I mean — the fact that Megan just seemed completely unfazed? It’s strange to say, but that was probably the only normal thing about it. It’s not an act with her. It’s not a deflection. To me it’s more just like: Megan is at the boss level in the video game of knowing herself. She’s always been confident….. but that doesn’t mean she’s always been immune. She’s as sensitive as anyone — maybe more!! She’s just figured out how to harness that sensitivity.
And this:
And then eventually I came to realize the obvious: that Megan Goggles are a lot more than some cute running joke between us, about fashion choices or whatever — and that they’re actually this kind of skeleton key to Megan herself. Or, put another way: When I put on my Megan Goggles?? What I’m really doing, I think, is learning to understand her better — and, if this even makes any sense: I think at the same time, I’m learning how to understand myself better as well. I swear, it was like the most amazing thing happened [in the match against France]: It was like the entire country, all at once, for this one fleeting and improbable but also somehow very very very very possible moment….. PUT ON MEGAN GOGGLES.
Look, just go read it. You’ll never be the same.
Megan Rapinoe Scores Twice, Carries the USWNT to the Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals
If you felt the ground shake around 1:30 EST this afternoon, it’s because the queer internet went berserk as Megan Rapinoe scored a second goal on a second penalty kick to give the USWNT a 2-1 lead in a surprisingly tough game against Spain in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The goal made Rapinoe only the second player in history to score two penalties in a World Cup match, and they were the only goals the team scored all day. (It was a busy day for her all around; she got a yellow card for, accidentally, I think, slapping another player in the face.)
https://twitter.com/CBSSportsHQ/status/1143212105086230536
The USWNT is under serious pressure at the World Cup this year after their shocking exit at the hands of Sweden in the 2016 Olympics in Rio and the way they’ve taken their fight for equal pay very public, suing and then entering into mediation with the U.S. Soccer Federation. You’d think Megan Rapinoe would be feeling that pressure more than anyone, with the size of the target on her back — but she’s shown up to play with pink and purple hair, continued to refuse to sing the National Anthem (she says she doesn’t think she’ll ever sing it again), and even penned an essay in The Players’ Tribune talking about “You can’t get rid of your girl that easily.”
Rapinoe’s first penalty kick — the result of a foul caused by Tobin Heath’s ankle-breaking footwork — put the U.S. on the board in the seventh minute, but Spain answered almost immediately after a dramatically misplayed ball by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Rapinoe’s second penalty kick, and the only other goal of the game, didn’t come until 70 minutes later.
It appeared Alex Morgan would take the second penalty kick, but during VAR review, Morgan told Rapinoe she wanted her to take it. After the game, Rapinoe said, “That’s World Cup level grit. There’s no way to replicate it. You there’s no way to express it or teach it. Out on the field, in the second half, a few of looked around and said, ‘We’ve got to take it up a level.’ And we did.”
The USWNT now advances to the quarterfinals to play France, in Paris, on Friday.
The #PlayeroftheMatch presented by @Visa for #ESPUSA is @mPinoe! pic.twitter.com/unXEMBi8Tz
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) June 24, 2019
@mPinoe you are a PRO! Let’s go @USWNT .
— Mia Hamm (@MiaHamm) June 24, 2019
MEGAN RAPINOE NOW AND FOREVER MY QUEEN
— Katie Nolan (@katienolan) June 24, 2019
HAPPY #PRIDE FROM MEGAN RAPINOE!
— Katie Barnes (@katie_barnes3) June 24, 2019
Soccer Legends Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris Are EnGAYged!
Feature image via Ali Krieger’s Instagram
Breaking news: Love continues to not be a lie! Today it was proven by soccer legends Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris who announced their engagement in People magazine, and let me tell you what, I cried. I sure did. Krieger and Harris have quietly been together so long and have shared so much of themselves with their fans as they’ve helped lead the USWNT to global dominance and popularize women’s professional sports around the country this last decade. But it turns out they’ve still got more to give, including the sweetest, soppiest quotes in their engagement article.
“We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common,” Harris, told People. “We always sat next to each other on the bus and on flights, and we kind of just talked about our dreams and our hopes and what we wanted to do one day when we grew up. Because at the time, we were kids.”
Okay, but how did they fall in love? Krieger says, “Since being with Ash, I really feel like I’ve blossomed into the woman that I want to be, and she’s helped me become the woman I am.” Harris says, “It was her big, beautiful brown eyes… She has these unbelievable tiger eyes. I just felt like every time she was talking, I wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying.”
Harris proposed on a picnic on the beach last fall, after their last Orlando Pride game of the season. There was a sunset and a surprise ring and some crying.
YOU GUYS.
It’s easy to joke that every woman who plays professional soccer and basketball is gay, and certainly there are plenty of us populating those sports these days, but the world — and especially the sports world, which remains rife with homophobia — was a very different place when it became apparent Krieger and Harris were together-together. Because it’s just been known for so long, it’s weird to realize that this is the first time they’ve actually announced that they’re a couple. It fills a heart right up to see them publicly, proudly share their engagement in a mainstream magazine for famous people. And to see U.S. Soccer being so chill and happy about it!
So happy for you both! Congrats, @Ashlyn_Harris @alikrieger! ❤️
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) March 13, 2019
Congratulations, you two superstars! Long live love!
Sunday Funday Is Honoring the USWNT Honoring Audre Lorde, Sally Ride and Abby Wambach at the SheBelieves Cup
Happy Sunday femmes, themmes, butches, and all in between. How you doing? I hope you’re hanging in there. Global warming really made herself known in Texas this week. One day it was 80º and the next day it was 37º! Very normal late February weather! I love it! I also woke up on Saturday to discover that I’d had a full blown brawl with something in my sleep, resulting in a sprained wrist! I love Mercury in retrograde!!!
On a more genuine note, I got to chair a panel where three of my colleagues presented their research. I love them all so much. They’re all queer and people of color and y’all, one day we’re gonna take over the world with empathy and healing and free health insurance and housing for everyone. I have a dream today.
+ At yesterday’s SheBelieves Cup, the USWNT chose names of “powerful, influential, iconic and inspirational women” to wear on the backs of their jerseys. Among them, obviously, were some kickass queer women, including Sally Ride (Tierna Davidson), Elena Delle Donne (Emily Fox), Abby Wambach (Alex Morgan), Robin Roberts (Alyssa Naehe), and Audre Lorde (Megan Rapinoe). Also lots of other kickass women, like Beyoncé and Serena Williams. Read more about whom each player chose and why at the link above! The answers are really moving, for example this is why Alex Morgan chose Abby Wambach for her jersey:
…when I think of my teammates, there’s no one who has helped guide me or give me advice and confidence more than Abby. I’ve never had that sort of partnership with someone like I had with Abby. She made me believe in myself at times when I didn’t. She instilled this confidence in me. She was always there for me, and as teammates sometimes fighting for the same position, you can sometimes be selfish, but she was completely opposite of that. She wanted to have success, but she also outwardly told me that she wanted me to have more success than she ever had. She wanted me to break whatever records she set. Having someone that really fought and believed in me and told me about her belief in me was pretty incredible. I’ve never come across someone like that.
Scoring a goal while wearing an Audre Lorde jersey? Awesome.
The USWNT settled for a tie against England, but OH MY GOD what a goal this was from @mPinoe 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/UVi1NNjrOb
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 3, 2019
The USWNT tied England 2-2. Their next game is against Brazil in March 5th.
+ Barbara Ellen writes a review of The Future is Feminist for the Guardian.
This is one of the key strengths of The Future Is Feminist – a full commitment to diversity, not just in terms of races and generations, but also topics, styles and approaches, resulting in a varied, energising read. At the same time, all the pieces seem connected in spirit – signifying a thread between the generations that may, at times, have become frayed, but is ultimately unbreakable. Considering the bold title, it should be noted that this collection makes precisely zilch attempt to prove that the future is destined to be any more feminist than the past or present. However, it does showcase the feminist voice as a continuum – surviving and thriving in the most unexpected and challenging of circumstances. Maybe that’s even better.
+ Dior and YSL are infusing feminism in their design.
+ This Jeffrey Marsh interview will make you feel loved.
+ Forbes wants you to meet the co-directors of ClexaCon, Ashley Arnold and Danielle Jablonski.
Image via clexacon.com
+ Hugh Ryan’s new book explores queer life in Brooklyn in the twentieth century.
+ Have you heard? Instagram is full of lesbian animals. Enjoy!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtzB2n2Ftfi/
+ After last week’s general conference re-affirmed a commitment to homophobia in the United Methodist Church, Methodist-affiliated colleges and churches throughout the country, such as Birmingham-Southern College, have made a point to be openly and explicitly affirming of queer folks.
+ Edie Windsor‘s memoir, A Wild And Precious Life will soon be published.
+ A new plaque has gone up in front of the church where Anne Lister married Ann Walker, now calling her a “lesbian and diarist.” A plaque put up in July mentioned Lister’s “gender non-conformity” but not her sexuality.
https://twitter.com/OHooleyandTidow/status/1099778751674634240
+ Listen, is Nigella Lawson gay? Unfortunately not. Is she the only woman who is serving up one of the most erotic cooking experiences you’ll ever get on prime time TV???? Ten thousand times yes. Now go watch five hours of her cooking and get your daily dose of Mommi energy.
+ If you’re in Austin for SXSW, here’s where to find all the queer shit. (Have fun for me, I will be in class 🙃)
+ Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, the first ever trans cultural district in the US was co-founded by #XLBossLady Aria Sa’id and two other black trans women.
+ Here are 11 Black LGBTQ+ documentaries to help you celebrate #BHM365. To quote Whitney Houston, “We need a longer month!”
+ AND OUR TECH DIRECTOR CEE GOT A PUPPY!!!!! Look at that tiny adorable puppy butt!!!
Farewell friends, I hope you have a really great week filled with baby animals and laughter and deep breathing and good sleep and lots of water. I hope you feel loved and seen and taken care of. I love you so much and I’ll see you next week!
3 Queer Soccer Experts Weigh in on This Weekend’s NWSL Championship
For the second year in a row, the two best teams in women’s professional soccer — the Portland Thorns and the Carolina Courage — will meet for the NWSL championship (Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 EST/1:30 PST on Lifetime). For the Courage, a win would cap a season filled with history breaking moments with one more: no team that’s won the NWSL Shield has ever gone on to win the league championship. For the Portland Thorns, a victory — in front of their hometown fans, no less — would make them the second back-to-back title winners and the only three time champion in league history.
To offer soccer fans a preview of Saturday’s championship, I reached out to three members of the NWSL Media — three queer women who can breakdown the intricacies of the beautiful game far better than I can. We talked about what you can expect when Portland and Carolina take the pitch, looked back on the highs and lows of the NWSL season and looked ahead to World Cup Qualifying for the US Women’s National Team. If you love soccer, these are the women whose work you should be following and I’m excited to welcome their voices to Autostraddle.
THE EXPERTS
• Chelsea Bush (@ChelseyWrites): Writer at Equalizer Soccer
• Kim McCauley (@lgbtqfc): Soccer Editor at SB Nation; Co-Host of Women’s Soccer Podcast, Furtcast
• Stephanie Yang (@thrace): Co-Manager of Stars and Stripes, FC; contributor, The Athletic Soccer; Co-Host of Women’s Soccer Podcasts, “2 Drunk Fans” and Furtcast
Portland’s Tobin Heath and Carolina’s Abby Erceg battle for possession during a regular season meeting between the Thorns and Courage.
Autostraddle: What do you think are the keys to the match for Portland and Carolina? Who do you expect to see strong performances from?
McCauley: If Tuesday’s semifinal is any indication, Portland defenders Emily Menges and Emily Sonnett will need to be at their best. North Carolina’s Jess McDonald showed off her speed just five minutes into the semi, torching Chicago’s Julie Ertz for the opening goal. Neither Menges or Sonnett is as fast as McDonald or her strike partner Lynn Williams, so their positioning will have to be perfect. On the other side, North Carolina needs a big performance from Denise O’Sullivan in midfield in the absence of their MVP candidate, McCall Zerboni.
Bush: Winning second balls and high pressure. Both teams will punish you if allowed any freedom on the ball, so the midfields in particular will need to harry their opponents to force quick decisions and increase the possibility of turnovers. North Carolina is also the best in the league at moving the ball down the pitch in only two or three passes.
The obvious players to watch on Portland are Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan, who have been unplayable at their best and have come up big in key moments time and again, including in their semifinal when they went down a goal. I’d also like to point out Caitlin Foord, whose work isn’t reflected on the stat sheet but does well to harass defenders and pull them out of shape with her movement in the box.
For North Carolina, keep an eye on Sam Mewis, whose ability to cut out an entire backline with a single vertical pass is unparalleled in this league. Also watch Abby Erceg, whom I think was the best defender out there this year. Her positioning is rarely wrong, and her ability to read the game two passes ahead helps her to cut out attacks before they start to threaten the keeper.
The Experts Chat
Autostraddle: Due to the impact of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, the Courage and the Chicago Red Stars had to play their semifinal game on Tuesday in Portland. They have just three days to recover and prepare to face the Thorns. How do you think that impacts North Carolina?
Yang: It’s not the worst recovery time in the world; three days is about what you’d get in the group stage of a tournament, but I do think it could be a difference maker if the game is close. When it comes down to little percentages, who has an extra five minutes in their legs can make all the difference, and North Carolina is already down McCall Zerboni. The latest injury report also has Kristen Hamilton questionable with a left quad strain, so that may affect their ability to make offensive subs.
McCauley: I think it will make a difference, just because of how up-and-down the Courage-Red Stars game was. North Carolina might be fine if they can score early and slow down the tempo, but if they’re having to do a lot of running the entire game, it’ll probably catch up with them late in the second half.
Bush: Over 90 minutes, I don’t see it being a major difference maker. The Courage are the most athletic and fittest team in this league, and after so many mid-week games this season, teams are used to playing on three days’ rest. That said, if the game goes to extra time (which I feel is likely), then the Thorns have an edge.
Crystal Dunn was proud to wear the Pride Jersey as a member of the USWNT. Her Courage teammate, however, wasn’t.
Autostraddle: At least from my vantage point at home, the loudest cries from the Portland crowd during Tuesday’s semifinal didn’t come when Jess McDonald and Sam Mewis scored their goals but, instead, came every single time Jaelene Hinkle touched the ball. The boos just cascaded down from the stands and it seemed to really impact the Carolina left back’s game: Hinkle would touch the ball, the boos would start and she’d rush to get rid of it (a lot of times to the Courage’s detriment). It wasn’t the first time this happened, of course — the Courage played in Portland soon after Hinkle admitted on The 700 Club that she declined a call up to the National Team because she didn’t want to wear the Pride month jersey and the boos reigned down on her then — but the boos will be louder and stakes will be much higher on Saturday.
As a journalist covering this sport and also a member of the LGBT community, how have you navigated covering this controversy? How would you grade the Courage’s response to the situation, especially as in terms of creating a supportive environment for LGBT players and fans? And can we all agree that US Soccer — who didn’t call Hinkle up for a year, then called her up again, thus alienating LGBT fans, only to cut her in the end — completely screwed the pooch?
Bush: I’ll be honest and say that at first I avoided covering the Hinkle story. As I have family members who share her views on sexuality, it hit a bit too close to home for me to feel comfortable diving too deeply into it. However, when we heard she was going to be called up by the USWNT after her interview, I felt like I couldn’t stay silent any longer and covered the repercussions of her call-up for The Equalizer. While I believe strongly in journalistic objectivity, it became clear to me that at its core, this is a personal issue. It’s not just soccer — in fact, it has very little to do with soccer. Jaelene Hinkle represents millions of people, and as someone who is fortunate enough to have a platform, however small, I felt obligated to speak up for the millions she doesn’t represent.
The Courage have been as vocal as any sports team about their support for the LGBT community. They participated in a Pride week, culminating in their Pride night game, complete with merchandise. Courage players also participate in the Playing for Pride Initiative, which the franchise promotes. If they had any response to Hinkle’s interview, it was conducted internally, which I think is the right move.
We can definitely agree that US Soccer handled it terribly. To call her up the moment Pride month was over revealed their so-called support of the LGBT community (the selling of the rainbow jerseys) as nothing more than a cash grab. And then to cut her two days in, after courting all that controversy? Pointless.
Yang: In covering Hinkle, I’ve really tried to put it in the plainest, starkest terms why queer NWSL and USWNT fans felt so hurt and alienated. I mean I really tried to draw a very straight line from action A to result B, and still a lot of people didn’t get it, which was kind of disheartening.
I think the Courage’s response has not been great. I can appreciate, from a PR perspective, they’re in a bit of a bind but for [Head Coach] Paul Riley, Courage Forward Jess McDonald and team owner Steve Malik to refer to Hinkle’s actions as just her personal issue that doesn’t harm anyone is really, really hurtful. I think they would have been better advised to go the no comment route, if they weren’t going to publicly acknowledge the harm that was done to queer fans.
I talked to queer Courage fans for DirtySouthSoccer.com and the ones I spoke to said basically they can draw the line between supporting their team and individually supporting one player on that team. They said it made a difference to them that other players on the Courage have made very public statements — like Sam Mewis working with Athlete Ally and the Playing for Pride Initiative — about supporting the LGBT community, although not as a way to directly refute Hinkle’s actions. One fan told me she had to let the good outweigh the bad.
I don’t want to discount anyone’s feelings in this though; if for some people there’s just no reconciling this for them, or no weighing out of good and bad, I think taking into account the context of the long history of harm done to the queer community and how many of us can’t afford the benefit of a doubt if we want to protect ourselves or just survive day to day, that is completely fair.
US Soccer did not handle this optimally either. They cannot continue to call her in or put her on provisional rosters and at the same time market specifically to LGBT fans. Call her in if you want, but you absolutely cannot then at the same time expect fans to accept things like Pride jerseys or rainbow scarves in good faith.
McCauley: I haven’t decided how I feel about any of this, honesty. I’m not going to lie, I don’t have a strong take. I think US Soccer and the Courage’s actions in the aftermath suggest that they are afraid of a religious discrimination lawsuit, so they’re trying their best to make sure they don’t expose themselves to one. Doing that, creating a good atmosphere for LGBT fans, and being transparent all at the same time is basically impossible. It’s a really messy situation and I don’t envy any of the people who are trying to navigate it. But I do think that if you’re a fan who paid for a ticket, you can boo whoever you damn well please.
Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch celebrates a stop in last Saturday’s semifinal win over archrivals, the Seattle Reign.
Autostraddle: Looking back on this NWSL season, what have been the standout moments for you? What’s been the biggest surprise for you? Biggest disappointment?
McCauley: The back-to-back rivalry games between the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign stand out to me. I think that the intensity of both the play on the field and the crowd both hit a level that NWSL hadn’t seen before, and I hope it carries over into the final and next season. The biggest surprise for me has been the biggest disappointment too: just how bad the Washington Spirit were. There was a lot of buzz around the team with Andi Sullivan, Rose Lavelle and Rebecca Quinn joining up and creating the most exciting young team in the league. Instead, they were the most boring team in the league’s history, setting a record for the longest time between goals. Ultimately, now-former head coach Jim Gabarra has to take the blame for that, and hopefully the Spirit can turn things around with a good hire this off-season.
Yang: Some of the goalkeeping in this league has been outstanding between Lydia Williams and Adrianna Franch, just a joy to watch even if it is extremely stressful. Possibly the biggest standout moment for me personally was Sky Blue FC finally winning a game, in their very last game of the season, in front of a home crowd. It honestly did seem like a touch of bad luck that they went winless for so long; there were a couple of games that really seemed like they would be winners that ended up as losses or heartbreaking ties. I thought Orlando was a bit of a disappointment, as was Alex Morgan’s production for them, although she needed way more support out of Orlando’s midfield if she was going to put up playoff-caliber numbers for them. I was also disappointed in Andi Sullivan’s rookie season; I don’t think she ever really returned to her old form after recovering from her ACL tear in 2017, combined with her not matching the speed of play or elevating her decision making at the pro level. The Spirit as a whole were pretty underwhelming after they got bitten by a combination of injuries and maybe some lackluster coaching.
Bush: One standout moment for me is Sky Blue’s first win in their last game of the season. They celebrated like they’d just won the entire league. Never mind the dismal season, off the field issues, and a shaky club future, for one moment they were on top of the world. Absolutely no one wished to see a team go winless for an entire season, and for once we were given the made-for-TV movie ending, with the goal scored by none other than one of the most big-game players around, Carli Lloyd.
I’m leaving this season with two big disappointments. One, in a general sense, is how much this year highlighted the extremes of the league and the least parity — the NWSL’s traditional calling card — it’s ever seen. On one end, you have one of the best teams professional women’s soccer has ever seen with only one loss on the season: the North Carolina Courage. While the middle of the table was certainly a battleground where playoff spots changed weekly, at the bottom you have Washington and Sky Blue, two of the worst teams we’ve ever seen in American women’s soccer. As fun as it was to watch North Carolina run rampant, it was equally grueling to watch Sky Blue and the Spirit struggle and to see it physically wear their players down week after week.
My other disappointment is the Orlando Pride. This is a team who finished next to last in their inaugural season and roared back to make the playoffs in their second. To see them wind up in seventh place with arguably the best roster (on paper) that they’ve ever had is baffling. What’s worse than where they ended is how they got there. For about the last six weeks of the season, their body language and play on the pitch looked like a team that had already given up. As soon as they conceded a goal, their shoulders would drop, and you knew a second goal against was coming.
USWNT Legend Carli Lloyd and her teammates have had to deal with “unsafe, unsanitary [and] unprofessional conditions” this season.
This summer, exposés from Equalizer Soccer, Once a Metro and Deadspin detailed some of the horrific conditions Sky Blue players were having to endure including living in substandard housing, training in woefully insufficient facilities and being forced to travel in ways your high school’s JV team might find inadequate. To borrow from the aforementioned Deadspin article, “the team plays and works in unsafe, unsanitary, unprofessional conditions — and club owners, league officials and the U.S. Soccer Federation are overlooking or excusing what has become an inexcusable situation.”
Aside from just hearing your thoughts on the situation in New Jersey, I’m curious on how optimistic you are about things changing there? What do you think need to happen — Sky Blue’s supporter group, Cloud 9, has called for the resignation of general manager, Tony Novo — to bring real change to the franchise? What role do you think players ought to play?
McCauley: I won’t be optimistic about things changing at Sky Blue FC until things change at NWSL HQ. Obviously the club’s ownership and Tony Novo should be self-directed to provide adequate accommodations for players, but the bigger problem is that no one in the league office is holding them to higher standards. NWSL hasn’t had a commissioner for over a year, and it shows. As for what role the players ought to play, that’s entirely up for them. I admire players who are willing to speak up and demand better treatment, but it’s unfair to criticize the ones that stay quiet for fear of getting blackballed. There are more pro-quality women’s footballers in America than there are available NWSL jobs, I would be scared to rock the boat too.
Yang: As long as Tony Novo remains with the club, I’m not very optimistic. My perception is there’s not enough pressure from the league and the ownership group either. Novo answered questions from the media after Sky Blue’s last game and after listening to the audio from that session, Novo admitted there need to be improvements to things like facilities, but at the same time dismissed a lot of the complaints as exaggerated and coming from former players or people who had been dismissed from the organization.
I mean you look at their response to the lack of showers at the training field, which was to bring in an RV that had one shower. Novo said in that after-game scrum that since the articles came out the team had managed reimbursements for players. Why did it take so long to reimburse people for expenses, which I presume includes things like gas for transit to and from practice and relocation? Novo said the league sends out a player manual that tells players what they can do and then said, “Maybe we need to do a better job of walking them through the manual so that they know what they can do,” which sounds an awful lot to me like him passing the buck to the players for not asking to be reimbursed correctly. Things like that just don’t make me optimistic about the state of Sky Blue, but I obviously hope that they continue to operate next season and that the players are treated like professionals and feel safe and healthy in their work environment.
Bush: Frankly, I’m not very optimistic at all that things are going to change all that much in New Jersey. This situation didn’t occur overnight. It happened because of repeated neglect over the years, and as long as that same leadership is in place, I believe the only changes will be cosmetic – just enough so they can point to an RV and say, “Look, I’m doing something about it.” If real change is going to happen, it has to start at the very top.
The players are in a precarious position. While I believe they need to use their platforms to speak up (and I was very glad to see Lloyd do so at the end of the season), roster spots in this league get harder to come by every year. If they push too hard, they could push themselves right out of a job if the club folds.
Emily Sonnett stretches out on defense for the Portland Thorns in the semifinals.
Autostraddle: We’re still about 250 days away from the start of the 2019 Women’s World Cup but we’re right around the corner from the start of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship which kicks off on October 4 in Cary, NC. The USWNT will start their quest to repeat as World Cup champions there, in a group that also features Mexico, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.
Based on what you seen, in friendlies and in the NWSL, are you feeling optimistic about the chances for US Women’s National Team going into World Cup qualifying? Is there anything you’re worried about?
McCauley: I’m very confident about the USWNT finishing in a top-three position in qualifying, but less confident about them looking convincing. Jill Ellis said that experimentation mode was over a year ago, but she still seems to be tinkering, unable to find the right lineup. She’s unlikely to ever find one that looks great with the way she’s setting up the players, but that’s a problem with a scope beyond a Q&A, I think. I’m not concerned at all about qualifying or the player pool, but I’m very concerned about the way this team is trying to play. Right now, we’re praying for a Morgan Brian Situation from 2015, where Ellis accidentally stumbles into the right idea.
Yang: World Cup qualifying should not be a problem. I’m not saying there won’t be effort, and Mexico and Canada can always spring a surprise or two on you. But Concacaf gets three slots for the World Cup, and if the United States can’t win one of those three slots, then we have big, big problems given the level of women’s soccer development in the rest of our region.
I’m only really worried about injuries, and a little bit about the defense now that we know Tierna Davidson is out for a couple of months with an ankle fracture from playing for Stanford. Abby Dahklemper and Becky Sauerbrunn are still a first-choice center back pairing, but without Davidson it reduces our positional depth a little bit, which could mean pulling Ertz back from midfield, unless Jill Ellis wants to bring Emily Sonnett in from right back. Now I feel a creeping horror we’re going to see Crystal Dunn, center back. I’m kidding with that. Mostly.
Bush: To be quite honest, I’m not worried about qualifying for the World Cup. While 2010 proved that anything can happen, the US is a better team now. Not to mention, the US and Canada are simply on an entirely separate tier than the rest of the teams, with Mexico the closest threat. In the pair of friendlies earlier this year, the US defeated Mexico by a combined score of 10-3. This is not going to be a US Men’s Team scenario.
What am I worried about are weaknesses that will be exposed during qualifying that better teams can exploit during the World Cup. The US has struggled to keep clean sheets even against inferior teams. When you can blowout a 20th-ranked squad, that’s not a big deal, but when it comes down to the narrow margins we see against the likes of England, Germany and Australia? That’s a concern.
The NWSL championship airs this Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 EST/1:30 PST on Lifetime.
Legendary WNBA Superstar Sue Bird Is Gay and Also Dating Megan Rapinoe
Did you feel it this morning? The disturbance in the universe created by all the queer souls trying to escape their bodies at the news that WNBA superstar Sue Bird is dating USWNT superstar Megan Rapinoe? The disturbance was brought forth by ESPN’s wide-ranging, candid interview and profile with Bird, who has remained pretty quiet about her personal life throughout her career. It was both surprising and exhilarating to hear her simply say, “I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend.”
In the article, Bird opens up about dating Rapinoe; the two got together last fall, which is probably part of the reason the world didn’t entirely fall apart after the election, because there was still invisible LGBT magic holding it together at the seams.
Sue and Megan (and UConn superstar Maya Moore, cut off on the side of the frame) watching UConn win their 100th consecutive game in February.
Legendary women’s basketball writer Mechelle Voepel opens her profile with what Sue Bird is wearing the same way all profiles of famous women establish what they look like, but it’s glorious, and it’s for us. “She wears a ‘Femme Forever’ T-shirt, jeans and white Chucks. Dressed up or dressed down — even in her practice togs — her look is effortless.”
Voepel does a really nice job explaining Bird’s reticence to come out not as a shame issue, but more of a personal decision from a naturally private person (though Bird and the writer do touch on the very real issues of homophobia, sexism, and racism in professional sports).
“It’s happening when it’s happening because that’s what feels right,” Bird says. “So even though I understand there are people who think I should have done it sooner, it wasn’t right for me at the time. I have to be true to that. It’s my journey.”
Bird’s journey started at UConn when she realized she was gay, but she didn’t talked about it then, not even with her bestie and teammate Diana Taurasi, who just came out when she married retired WNBA player Penny Taylor in May. Bird and Taurasi only finally discussed their sexuality in the mid-2000s when they were playing together in Russia.
Bird said she was tempted to come out during the 2016 Olympics, but “chickened out.” She almost added it as #25 on a publicity questionnaire that asked her to write 25 things most people didn’t know about her. Then she heard it from the mouths of babes, one babe in fact: Elena Delle Donne, her Olympic teammate and Chicago Sky first-round-pick who also casually came out in a 2016 just ahead of the Olympics. She saw how easily Delle Donne, 26, chatted about her fiancée, Amanda Clifton, and was comforted by how ordinary it was.
Sue and Megan at a charity event for New York City Schools in December.
Of course Rapinoe is adorable throughout the interview, talking about how Sue Bird is her rock. And Bird speaks very plainly about how she enjoys her girlfriend’s passion.
The rest of the article is great, showing many facets of Bird’s life (I especially love her relationship with her best friend from childhood). According to teammate Lauren Jackson, Bird is always right and impossible to argue with.
I remember seeing Sue and Megan on TV in the crowd at a sporting event somewhere and thinking, “Holy smokes what if they’re together,” quickly followed with “Noooo, no way. It would be too much. They’re too beautiful and muscle-y and I am not sure we’re ready as a people yet.” But ready or not, this is real news in the real world. Two poster-worthy sports babes who have probably graced the bedrooms of a few readers and writers at Autostraddle, living and loving and shooting gay hoops together.
Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle Melton Are Gay Christian Married!
What a weekend for gay weddings, eh? First came the news that Diana Taurasi married former teammate Penny Taylor. And now comes the news that former USWNT superstar Abby Wambach married Glennon Doyle Melton. Wambach is now a Christian Mommy Blogger’s Wife, if you will, and you will because that’s what Glennon Doyle Melton called her on Instagram as a way to announce their marriage. She even bought her a hoodie for the declaration.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUHZbO7lcrb/
After which: wedding photos.
People magazine helpfully describes their wedding attire as “a red velvet suit jacket” and a “silver bejeweled dress.”
Wambach and Melton made headlines in November when the two shared the news that they were dating. The announcement came a few months after Melton, a celebrity writer in the Christian community, announced her divorce from her husband and also a few months after Wambach announced her divorce from former teammate Sarah Huffman, which she detailed in her memoir, Forward, along with candid stories about her struggle with substance abuse and subsequent DUI arrest.
In February Melton and Wambach announced their engagement. And now they’re married!
If social media is any indication, Melton has received an outpouring of support from the Christian community, which is honestly a little surprising, but very welcome. “Christian Mommy Blogger’s Wife” is not a thing I ever expected to read in my entire life when I was growing up gay and closeted in a Southern Baptist Church. It’s a welcome shift on this dark timeline.
Mazel tov, you two crazy kids!
Abby Wambach Is Getting Married Again as Hope Springs Eternal Even on the Darkest Timeline
A couple of months ago, bestselling writer Glennon Doyle Melton declared that she and soccer legend Abby Wambach were in love, and now they would like you to know they’re getting married! “Abby and I have decided to hold hands forever. Love Wins,” is how Glennon Doyle Melton made the announcement on Facebook. “Happy. #iseethemoonnow,” is how Abby Wambach made the announcement on Instagram. This will be the second marriage for both women, who seem to have made peace with the fact that their respective fan bases exist on entirely different social media platforms.
It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Wambach. She played her last professional soccer game at the end of December 2015, released her memoir, Forward — which detailed her struggle with addiction and announced her divorce from longtime partner and USWNT teammate Sarah Huffman — in September 2016, went public with Melton in November 2016, and is now on her way to the altar. (That U-Haul cliche exists for a reason, I’m sorry.)
Nearly every website and magazine on the earth referred to Glennon Doyle Melton as a “Christian mommy blogger” when she and Wambach came out as a couple last fall, which made me pop my eyebrow, but I’ve had the chance to read some of her work in the last few months and it turns out she has been an outspoken advocate for equality in the Christian community for a long, long time, something that put her at odds with the LGBT-scapegoating political power grabbing that has dominated so much of the white evangelical conversation these last few … decades. Glennon Doyle Melton hasn’t shied away from talking about her relationship with Abby Wambach in the context of her faith. She made one explanation to her 645,000 Facebook followers when she came out (in which she said she knows Jesus loves her because Abby is a good cook) and hasn’t apologized or equivocated since then.
The world is a scary place right now, but these two women found love and hope in the darkness and we wish them all the luck and happiness in the world.
Kelly O’Hara Remembers That Time The USWNT Scuffled With a Herd of Literal Bulls in the Jungle
It’s been a pretty exciting Olympics for the USWNT so far. They beat New Zealand last Thursday and France on Saturday. Tomorrow, they play Colombia in the final game of the preliminaries. What are they doing on their days off, you wonder. Well, I’ll tell you what they’re not doing and it’s wandering aimlessly into the jungle.
For the past month the USWNT’s Youtube channel has been running a series called “WNT Animated,” where a story from each player on the 2016 Olympic roster gets turned into an animated short. There’s no real theme to any of them, and almost none of them are directly soccer related, but why not! Ritz Crackers presents! Megan Rapinoe has one about her and her twin sister being elementary royalty called, “When Waychy and I Ruled the Playground,” Morgan Brian has one about her teammates trying to prank her with a lizard – something she’s terrified of – called, “The Lizard Tale,” and Lindsey Horan gets international with one called, “L’Escalator.” Again I ask you: why not?
In one titled, “What Not to Do in Brazil,” midfielder turned defender Kelley O’Hara tells a cautionary tale about a traumatic experience she and her teammates had when they traveled to Brazil with the U-17 National Team. It’s a story that she’s apparently never told anyone until now, but thank god she did. It starts when O’Hara, along with Tobin Heath, Alyssa Naeher, Meghan “Best Hair in the Game” Klingenberg, and Casey Nogueira have some free time and decide to go for a hike up mountain on an unmarked trail deep into the jungle.
If knowing that a herd of bulls could have wiped out almost a third of the 2016 U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic starting line-up isn’t enough to keep you out of the jungle this Olympics, I don’t know what is. Thank you, Kelley O’Hara, for this important bit of advice, and for your hustle.