Is cheering AGAINST the U.S. Women’s soccer team my patriotic duty?

After the U.S. women’s final group stage World Cup game against Portugal, it’s just too easy to point out how Megan Rapinoe adds nothing to the team anymore. Errant passes, baffling miscues, I won’t even get into that because I’m sure plenty of other people will talk about it today. Today, the day the team *almost* lost, just for the sake of a few inches, to Portugal which would’ve knocked the U.S. out of the World Cup altogether. No one played very well, even golden child Sophie Smith (although I love her in this Nike commercial). What I want to confess here today is how I know I should feel guilty for cheering against my home country’s team but that’s exactly what I’ve been doing… and I feel no guilt.

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For my entire life, patriotism in sports meant cheering for, standing with, supporting whatever team was representing the U.S. It was us against the world. It’s always been easy whether it was the Olympics, Little League World Series, World Cups, basketball, etc. But this particular women’s World Cup just isn’t the same. It’s almost as if being patriotic is compelling me to root for whoever is opposing this women’s team.

I’ve always loved the underdogs. That might be another aspect to my disdain for this team. The media has built up the women’s team so much, with comments like “Their game against Vietnam was a glorified practice session,” and the constant barrage of Rapinoe this, Rapinoe that, is making me nauseous.

Could it be our patriotic duty to acknowledge that they need, and it seems to be a desperate need, to be humbled? The way they walk on the field pre-game with their expensive Nike suits and colored glasses, cocky as the king of spades. They way the press praises them. The reputation they cling to. It’s all gross.

Alabama football. Kansas City Chiefs. The Lakers. U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. I want them all to lose.

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When Portugal just barely missed scoring in stoppage time of this morning’s game, it was such a let-down. What a shocker it would’ve been to take out the two-time defending World Cup champions with their arrogance and pride. But I guess the silver lining now is that the U.S. moves on and I’ll have another chance to show my patriotism by cheering for whoever the next team to play them is… Sweden? Are you ready?

-Out of the Wilderness