The U.S. women’s national soccer team is in the news but not because of their play on the field during the 2023 FIFA World Cup. Nope. It was their lack of enthusiasm during the national anthem. I watched it. At first, I didn’t think it was much out of the ordinary. Before a huge game, a huge tournament, athletes might be in a different headspace especially just minutes before the match starts. They might be thinking about strategy, nerves are high. So if a player doesn’t have their hand over their heart or they don’t sing the lyrics, it’s understandable. Here’s a replay of the anthem before the women played against Vietnam.
But then I went back and watched the anthem from previous World Cups (see videos below) and it becomes very clear. Half of the 2023 women’s team is ticked off about something. Most likely it’s Trump, or Republicans, or gay rights, or a baby’s right to live, or any number of things from the list of things liberals hate. For some being defined by the word pride, they sure don’t seem to be showing much.
In the U.S. women’s first game of the World Cup, they played Vietnam and it was hard for me to root for America. However, for players like Rodman, Smith, Ertz, I will try again when they play their next game Wednesday. Now watch the anthem from previous matches and see if you don’t notice a general ramping down of excitement over the years. In most of the videos, the women and men are pumped up, proud, honored to represent their country. And if any of those things aren’t true, they at least had the maturity to keep it internal as their faces and body language were being broadcast around the world.
And finally, the anthem at the men’s World Cup in 2022…
-Out of the Wilderness
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Out of the Wilderness 