Megan Rapinoe says goodbye to the US team with a friendly and a message for the Spanish soccer players

taketonews

Megan Rapinoe ended this Sunday at the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago (USA) a glorious 16-year career with the United States national teamsaying goodbye to ‘Team USA’ in a friendly win 2-0 against South Africa after winning two World Cups and the London 2012 Olympic gold.

The Californian forward started and spent 53 minutes on the field in her last international match and will continue playing for at least one more month before retiring permanently from soccer at the end of the NWSL season, the American professional women’s soccer league, in the who plays in the OL Reign.

One of the most respected voices worldwide for her fight for gender equality and social rights, Rapinoe left her country’s national team after 203 games, 63 goals and 73 assists.

He was able to improve that mark on the afternoon in Chicago, because, seconds before coach Twila Kilgore replaced him, he launched a direct free kick from 20 meters that ended up high by a few centimeters, even giving the sensation of entering from some sectors of the stands. from Soldier Field.

When the referee’s assistant showed her number 15 for the substitution, the 25,622 spectators present at Soldier Field stood up and honored her with a heartfelt ovation.

Charisma and leadership

Rapinoe debuted with the United States in 2006, when she was 21 years old, and with her charisma, leadership and social commitment, she took not only soccer but women’s sports to another level.

The notes of ‘Simply The Best’ by Tina Turner accompanied Rapinoe in the celebrations after the duel, held in the center of the field with the rest of her teammates.

More than a footballer

The Californian soccer player used her sport as a platform to raise awareness about human rights. Her work was awarded in 2022 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian distinction in the United States.

Together with teammates like Alex Morgan, she fought for years until achieving, in 2022, a historic collective agreement that guarantees equal conditions between the American women’s and men’s teams.

“I leave football in a better place than where I found it,” Rapinoe said in an emotional farewell press conference organized on Saturday in Chicago.

And he leaves the North American team with an extraordinary record. He won gold at the 2012 London Games, his first major global success, and won two consecutive World Cups in 2015 and 2019.

He was also part of the expedition that traveled to Australia and New Zealand last summer to compete in the last World Cup of his career.

Full support for Spanish players

In her statements she reiterated her support for the Spanish players “in their fight” and considered that for the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) “there is no victory”, when referring to the scandal caused by the non-consensual kiss of the then federal president Luis Rubiales to Jenni Hermoso in the last World Cup.

“It is obviously very sad, and frustrating. The players should be doing a very long celebration tour (of the World Cup victory), instead they have to find a strategy, perhaps have many meetings among themselves, and they cannot celebrate their excellence, but defend it “Rapinoe said in the mixed zone organized at the Soldier Field stadium after the friendly match.

“It is incredibly deserved that they are world champions, their performance was fantastic, especially knowing everything they were experiencing,” added the forward.

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In the Soldier Field tunnel, in front of a large number of media, Rapinoe considered that the RFEF should change course and support a sports project that demonstrated enormous potential.

“As I said many times, there is no victory for them, there is no victory being in the position they are in. You have a unique opportunity to support a team that won its first World Cup. It seems that it is going to be a long project. I will support ( to the Spanish players) in their fight,” he stated.



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