Megan Rapinoe, a veteran of the U.S. women's national team, has weighed in on the recent World Cup exit of the U.S. men's team, the USMNT. In a recent podcast, she accused the team of lacking the mental fortitude and preparation to handle off-field distractions, particularly the controversial intervention of President Trump in the team's affairs.
Rapinoe, a key figure in the women's team's success, including their 2019 World Cup victory, believes the USMNT's performance was hindered by the public discourse surrounding Trump's comments and the subsequent red card situation involving Folarin Balogun. She argues that the team was not adequately equipped to deal with the pressure and attention, which contrasted sharply with the women's team's experience in 2019.
"I think the distraction got to the team for sure in some way," Rapinoe said. "Whether it was the red-card situation, the public discourse with the president, or the chaos that comes with it, it's a lot to contend with." She emphasizes the difference in experience between the two teams, noting that the women's team had a core of older players who were more accustomed to handling media scrutiny and public pressure.
The women's team's success in 2019, which followed their equal-pay lawsuit, provided a blueprint for handling off-field drama. Rapinoe suggests that the USMNT's lack of a similar core group of experienced players contributed to their inability to manage the Trump-related controversy effectively.
"I feel like this is the first time that most, if not all, of these players are having to even think about something off the field that is controversial," she said. "It's impossible to say how much the discourse with the president affected the team, but it's clear that they didn't handle the pressure of the quarterfinal well."
Despite the disappointment of the early exit, Rapinoe remains optimistic about the future of women's soccer in the U.S. She believes the women's team's success and the growing popularity of the sport will inspire and elevate the USMNT, creating a positive cycle of growth and improvement in American soccer.
