In the past few years, the United States women’s national team has had a complicated relationship with the national theme. Several team members had previously taken a knee during the national anthem prior to the match kickoff.
However, when the USWNT recently entered the field before the start of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup match against Vietnam, most of the team stood where “Star Spangled Banner,” was playing. Still, the majority of the players remained completely silent.
This was a completely different reaction to the one Vietnam’s national team had, as they loudly sang their own anthem “Tiến Quân Ca,” or “Song of a Marching Army.” All the players were also completely in unison as they placed their hands over their hearts.
In contrast, out of the 11 American players, six of them had either stood with their hands behind their backs or to their sides while the anthem was playing. The five others had their right hands over their hearts during the anthem.
Only three of the eleven players appeared to mouth the anthem’s words, while the remaining were completely silent. Those three were Lindsey Horan, Julie Ertz, and Alyssa Naeher.
The first of the women soccer stars in the U.S. to take a knee while the national anthem was playing was Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe supported former NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest in 2016 against social injustice and police brutality. Rapinoe has also stated before that it is unlikely she is ever going to be singing the national anthem again.
This is going to be her last World Cup as she is planning to retire from the sport at the end of the season.
