Insider Notes: Rapinoe reconsiders kneeling for anthem at USWNT matches
The U.S. women’s team plays Thailand on Thursday night, and Megan Rapinoe told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap on Wednesday that she wasn’t sure yet if she will take a knee during the national anthem in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police treatment of black Americans. Rapinoe took a knee in an NWSL game two weeks ago, but she stood and linked arms with her Seattle teammates last Sunday on 9/11. She told SI.com last Monday that if she was selected to play in the national team's friendlies, she would kneel, but she appears to be reconsidering that decision now.
Rapinoe did tell Schaap that it would be “more meaningful” to do something during a national team game than at a club game, but she indicated that it might not involve taking a knee. U.S. Soccer has communicated to Rapinoe that it thinks taking a knee would be disrespectful and that doing so would take attention away from Heather O’Reilly’s last game with the national team.
Altidore and Klinsmann share thoughtful perspectives on the national anthem
Here are a couple of other insider notes from around the soccer world:
