@my2sons said
As a proud American, I am delighted that our team only got a tie with the Dutch today. I was hoping they would lose that game and every other game coming home in
shame. If you can't respect our National Anthem, you have no business calling yourself an American. They are dead to me.
After Megan Rapinoe protested the national anthem in 2016, U.S. Soccer quickly tried to curb similar such protests in the future.
It took only 10 days for U.S. Soccer to release a statement that said, in no uncertain terms, players are expected to stand during the playing of the national anthem. The statement said, in part: "As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played."
It was then made official in 2017, when a policy was implemented that required athletes to stand during the anthem.
That policy was repealed by U.S. Soccer in 2020 as Black Lives Matter protests raged in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.
"It should be, and will be going forward, up to our players to determine how they can best use their platforms to fight all forms of racism, discrimination, and inequality," U.S. Soccer said as part of its statement. "We are here for our players and are ready to support them in elevating their efforts to achieve social justice. We cannot change the past, but we can make a difference in the future. We are committed to this change effort, and we will be implementing supporting actions in the near future."
There is no longer a U.S. Soccer policy mandating conduct during the national anthem. Both the U.S. women's and men's national teams' players are free to do as they please in 2023.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/uswnt-national-anthem-world-cup/fxspgyn31ez0xgf1y6ib3iyo