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The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Is Having More Fun Than All of Us Right Now


On Sunday (July 7), the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team defeated the Netherlands to win a record fourth World Cup—and they haven’t stopped celebrating since.

Nor should they. It’s a phenomenal accomplishment, and most of the country is still on a high right alongside the players, including Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Rose Levelle, who scored the second goal to secure the U.S. victory in the finals.

While most of us will not get a chance to party with these women IRL, we can all live vicariously through their social media profiles. Ashlyn Harris has been the absolute MVP in documenting the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team shenanigans—her Instagram Stories are an utter delight. Do yourself a huge favor and take a look at all the action from last night’s yacht party and today’s parade in New York City.

Here are just a few of the highlights:

Instagram/@AshlynHarris24
USWNT celebration parade
Instagram/@AshlynHarris24
USWNT celebration parade
Instagram/@AshlynHarris24





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Meghan Markle Is Getting Backlash After Her Team Asked Fans to Not Take Her Photo


While everyone in America was grilling burgers poolside on July 4th, Meghan Markle had a V.I.P. seat to her good friend Serena Williams’s match at Wimbledon. The duchess appeared in good spirits, laughing and smiling with friends—and sporting a very chic blazer—but of course some drama has stemmed from the outing. A new report from the Daily Telegraph claims that Markle’s staff asked people not to take photos of her at Wimbledon because she was there in “a private capacity.”

Specifically, a woman named Sally Jones, 64, was reportedly asked by a royal protection officer to abstain from snapping pics of Markle. Jones wasn’t here for the request, branding it “another example of silly control freakery.”

“I think this royal protection officer was quite embarrassed,” Jones told the Daily Telegraph, per the Express. “He appeared a bit mystified as to why he was being asked to make such a request.”

Meghan Markle chatting with a young fan at Wimbledon

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A palace source who spoke to the Daily Telegraph defended this call, saying, “It’s not unusual for people accompanying Members of the Royal Family at private, or public, events to ask members of the public not to take photographs. It is to enable Members of the Royal Family to engage with people and events.”

Unsurprisingly, a debate is brewing online about whether or not it’s reasonable for royals to ask fans not to take photos of them in public. Piers Morgan went on a bit of a rant over this on Good Morning Britain, saying, “You’re public people…stop your squealing about privacy. If you want to be private, go back to America. [If] she doesn’t want to be a British public figure in the Royal Family, go back to America.”

The Daily Mail‘s Rebecca English took a similar stance, albeit less antagonistic. “The Royal Family occupy a very privileged position,” she tweeted. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t entitled to some privacy. But not at a global sporting event.”

And here are a few more reactions from fans who think the same thing:

Some people came to Markle’s defense, though, with one fan writing, “She’s entitled to some privacy in public and people should respect that.” Another person added, “I guess when you are Meghan Markle and married into the Royal Family you have no right to privacy.”

Markle’s request for privacy at Wimbledon isn’t that outrageous, in my opinion. If you saw a celebrity eating dinner at a crowded restaurant, it’d be a bit intrusive to barge up to them and demand a photo. The same principle applies here. Markle is incredibly friendly and warm when she’s at formal engagements⁠—we’ve seen that time and time again. I don’t think it’s too much to ask of fans to keep a distance when she’s off the clock⁠—whether that’s at home or in a sports arena.



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The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Just Won the World Cup, and Twitter's Losing It


The dynasty is strong. On Sunday, July 7, the U.S. Women’s National Team took home the FIFA Women’s World Cup—its fourth ever—after a 2-0 victory against the Netherlands in Lyon, France. Not only did the women of the USWNT clench back to back championships, they set a new record for most goals scored in a single world cup. It’s official: the women of the USWNT are legends.

From the very first game, the team showed up, sweeping the rankings as they followed their 2015 World Cup win in Canada. The Netherlands started out the game strong—as the New York Times points out, they were the only team the U.S. went up against during the tournament that were able to keep the USWNT from scoring in the first half of the game.

Things changed in the second half, with Megan Rapinoe—the oldest player to score in a World Cup final at 34 years old—scoring the first goal in the match with a penalty kick. Rose Lavelle sealed the win with a second goal for the team.

The win is resonating with fans around the world—especially on Twitter.

Along with the GOAT shoutouts, fans on Twitter are also calling out the issue of equal pay: In the last World Cup cycle, the men’s tournament winners took home 17.5 times more than the US women in 2015.

A lawsuit surrounding the team’s pay discrepancy is ongoing, but it’s clear these women are champions—and should be paid like it.



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Megan Rapinoe Won’t Visit the White House if the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Wins the World Cup


UPDATE:

On Friday evening (June 29), following the U.S. Women’s soccer team’s victory over France in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez invited U.S. co-captain Megan Rapinoe and her fellow teammates to the House of Representatives for a tour. “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. ??,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

And it looks like the team is down: “Consider it done @AOC,” Rapinoe responded, adding a celebratory emoji.

Original Story

The U.S. Women’s soccer team is currently battling it out in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The team just made it to the quarterfinals, but their success in the tournament wasn’t what made headlines on Wednesday (June 26); instead a social media frenzy exploded around co-captain Megan Rapinoe’s recent comments.

When asked whether she was excited to go to the White House (if the team does indeed take the tournament) by a reporter from the outlet Eight by Eight, she responded, “I’m not going to the fucking White House.” She then added, “We’re not gonna be invited…. I doubt it.”

For context, Rapinoe’s reaction is in keeping with her past political statements. She’s been an outspoken critic of President Trump and was one of the first white players to join Colin Kaepernick and other footballers in taking a knee during the national anthem back in 2016. Rapinoe is also part of her team’s discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer.

Later on Wednesday morning, Trump responded to Rapinoe’s comments in a series of three tweets. “Women’s soccer player, @mPinoe, just stated that she is ‘not going to the F…ing White House if we win.’ Other than the NBA, which now refuses to call owners, owners (please explain that I just got Criminal Justice Reform passed, Black unemployment is at the lowest level…in our Country’s history, and the poverty index is also best number EVER), leagues and teams love coming to the White House. I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet….invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose. Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team. Be proud of the Flag that you wear. The USA is doing GREAT!”

While Rapinoe has yet to speak out about Trump’s tweets, many others have taken to social media about his remarks. Adam Serwer, a staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote, “Trump is now going after Megan Rapinoe because the ‘f**k your feelings’ president flips out when members of groups targeted by his policies criticize him rather than knowing their place. I might add that for all the thoroughly insincere ‘free speech’ rhetoric from his supporters, Trump most frequently deploys his authority as head of state to chill criticism of himself. Like it’s not even close.”

Journalist Jemele Hill also came out in support of Rapinoe. “So as I’ve said previously about @mPinoe: Given this administration’s attitude toward the LGBTQ community (which they’ve enacted into policy), how do people not understand why she is upset,” Hill tweeted.

But some applauded Trump for inviting the team to the White House in the midst of his tweets. “Megan Rapinoe insults the president and the president still invites the US Women’s Soccer team to the White House win or lose after the World Cup. This is a big win for Trump. He makes Rapinoe look small here,” wrote Fox Sports Radio host Clay Travis.

Rapinoe isn’t the first athlete to decline an invitation to visit Trump’s White House. Last year, after the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title, the team opted out of meeting with the president.





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The USWNT World Cup Team is Ready to Win Their Fourth Title


Adds defender Kelley O’Hara, 30, who’s making her third World Cup appearance this summer: “At the end of the day, we’re all playing soccer because we love it and we’re good at it and it’s something that we’re passionate about. But I do think that it’s important to understand that we have a responsibility. We are in a place where we can impact the game and impact society—this team has always done a great job of balancing those two things.”

The balance isn’t always easy. In March 2016, five of the team’s most recognizable players—Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Megan Rapinoe—filed an official complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission alleging that the U.S. Soccer Federation paid women “substantially less” than men in the sport. Fresh off their World Cup win, they found support: Two months later the U.S. Senate came together to unanimously pass a bipartisan resolution supporting the women and asking the Federation to grant the players equal pay. The resolution was nonbinding, but the players got one step closer to victory regardless. In Feb 2019 the EEOC sent a “right to sue” letter to the team, so this March—on International Women’s Day—that’s exactly what they did. The entire team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination.

It’s easy to see why they’re frustrated. The women’s team handily outperforms the men’s: They’re ranked significantly higher, hold more World Cup titles and Olympic medals (four golds), draw bigger TV audiences, and since their 2015 win, have generated more money for U.S. Soccer. (Meanwhile the U.S. men’s team failed to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup.) Still, they’re paid significantly less—some players make just 38 percent of what their male counterparts make, according to the lawsuit. “Right now the structure is set up so that our counterparts on the men’s national team have the opportunity to make so much more money,” says Press. When the men’s team qualified for the 1990 World Cup, each player got a $10,000 bonus; when the women’s team earned the same honor a year later, they reportedly got a T-shirt.

Things haven’t improved much. For the last Women’s World Cup in 2015, FIFA, the international governing body of the sport, offered the winning team $2 million in prize money. The winning men’s team had been paid $35 million—17.5 times more—in the men’s World Cup a year earlier. (The Federation maintains that it hasn’t discriminated against the women’s team, and that the men and women players have fundamentally different jobs, team organizations, and compensation setups.)

Some critics point out the USWNT is among the most well-funded women’s sports programs in the world. But being the highest paid woman at your company who’s still making less than men at your level isn’t equality. “We’re very grateful for what we have, but we’re definitely demanding what we deserve,” says forward Alex Morgan, 29. “My hope is that the next generation will be able to have [total equality]—it will just be a given.” (To help make it a reality, Secret recruited Morgan to launch the brand’s Equal Pay for All campaign, pledging $100,000 to Girls Leading Girls.)

Pissing off the powers that be when they are in some of the most crucial months of their careers is risky for these players—but they aren’t backing down. “It’s part of our job to do this,” says Lloyd. “It’s not something that is comfortable, but in order to get what you deserve, you have to be a little uncomfortable.”



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Abby Wambach on How She's Supporting the U.S. Women's Soccer Team in Their Fight Against Gender Discrimination


On March 8—International Women’s Day, no less—28 members of the world champion United States women’s soccer team filed a gender discrimination suit against U.S. Soccer. “Each of us is extremely proud to wear the United States jersey, and we also take seriously the responsibility that comes with that,” team member Alex Morgan told the Associated Press. “We believe that fighting for gender equality in sports is a part of that responsibility. As players, we deserved to be paid equally for our work, regardless of our gender.”

The U.S. women’s soccer team first began their fight for equal compensation in 2016, when five players filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) asking to be paid as much as the players on the men’s team. But the EEOC has still not issued a decision in their case. Then in 2017, they negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement—which increased their salaries and practice conditions—with U.S. Soccer that will run through 2021. And so the new gender discrimination suit is a further step—one that former soccer player, coach, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach cheers.

Since she retired from the sport in 2015, Wambach has dedicated herself to ending sex discrimination. At Barnard College’s graduation in 2018, Wambach turned her commencement address into a call to action. She told the graduating class, “Like all little girls, I was taught to be grateful. I was taught to keep my head down, stay on the path, and get my job done. I was freaking Little Red Riding Hood. The message is clear: Don’t be curious, don’t make trouble, don’t say too much, or bad things will happen. I stayed on the path out of fear—not of being eaten by a wolf—but of being cut, being benched, losing my paycheck. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: ‘Abby, you were never Little Red Riding Hood, you were always the wolf.’” The speech has been viewed over 180,000 times and inspired her upcoming book, WOLFPACK, a guide for women to unlock their own power.

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Watch Wambach deliver her viral address at Barnard College’s 2018 commencement

As the highest all-time goal scorer for the national team—and the world record holder for international goals for both female and male soccer players with a whopping 184 goals—Wambach is one of the most recognizable face in women’s soccer. But for much of her career, Wambach explains she felt so fortunate to be able to compete in the game she loved that she never fought to be appropriately compensated for shattering those records. It’s a choice she now deeply regrets. Wambach could see just how badly the women’s team had been treated—and decided her decades of silence and servitude to the sport were over.

Wambach now travels the country as a crusader for equal pay across all industries, telling women that feeling “grateful” for their work should never stop them from demanding what they’re entitled to. Here, she opens up to Glamour about the U.S. women’s soccer team’s revolutionary discrimination suit—and how she champions the team from the sidelines.

Glamour: In your viral Barnard speech, you describe this moment when you appeared at the ESPY Awards, side by side with Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant—and it dawned on you that they had so much more financial security going into retirement than you. What was it like to have that realization, then go back to your hotel room?

Abby Wambach: I played professional sports, so I lived a very privileged life where I was traveling the world representing my country. At the time, I thought this was better than most women’s experience, because I was really successful. But then I got back to the hotel and I started to understand what had really gone on here, and it was this anger-provoking moment that made me realize that even though I felt that I was one of the women who got a seat at the table, next to Kobe and Peyton, I was walking into a very different retirement. For me, that was the minute I figured out what I was going to do for the rest of my life: I was going to focus that energy and that rage, which turned into my Barnard speech, and now this book. It’s a sobering moment for women when we’re made very aware of where we stand in the order of things. But I don’t like to just sit into despair, I’m about action—so this is my attempt to help change the realities of women everywhere.



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