Conservatives Celebrate US Women’s Soccer Loss as a Culture War Victory

USA players line up for the national anthem prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Sweden and USA at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on August 6, 2023. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The U.S. Women’s National Team’s (USWNT) loss at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has sparked joy among conservatives who, having had their fill of the athletes’ whining about pay inequity in men’s and women’s sports and their refusal to sing the national anthem on the world stage, see it as a culture war victory.

The women’s soccer team was eliminated after a 1–0 loss to Sweden when veteran star Megan Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty kick. The team had reached the round of the final 16 teams in the competition, which was held in Australia and New Zealand.

“When Megan Rapinoe talked about the proudest moment in her career, she talked about fighting for equal pay for what I assume would be women. But then on the other side of her mouth, she said she has no problem with biological men competing against women,” said conservative commentator Tomi Lahren, who reposted a video on X, formerly Twitter, of her Aug. 7 remarks on Fox News’ “Hannity” with the caption “Go woke and..lose…”

After the loss, Ms. Rapinoe told the media that the most memorable moment in her career was when, after the USWNT won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, there were chants for equal pay.

Ms. Rapinoe has also said that trans women, or biological men, should be allowed to compete against biological women.

“‘You’re taking a real woman’s place,’ that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women,” she told Time magazine in an interview published on July 19.

“What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women. Therefore, they’re taking the other spot. I don’t feel that way.”

“We as a country are trying to legislate away people’s full humanity. It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized,” added Ms. Rapinoe. “Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports? That’s total bulls***. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening.”

“So what is it, Megan?” asked Ms. Lahren. “Do you want equality and fairness for women, or does it only come to your paycheck?

“This woman is the epitome of selfish, and she made it really hard to root for the United States. We all root for the USA, don’t get me wrong. Even if it is Megan Rapinoe and others that decided to kneel for the national anthem, we still root for this country. It would be nice, though, if those women who wear the USA on their jerseys could love the country as much as we do.”

While the team did not kneel during the national anthem, like they did (minus one player) at the 2021 Olympics, they refused to sing the national anthem during multiple games.

Ms. Rapinoe, who has now retired from soccer, has lamented the pay gap in men’s versus women’s sports, an issue that has been criticized for a lack of economic sense.

Other conservatives echoed Ms. Lahren’s sentiments.

“The ’shocking and totally unexpected' loss by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Sweden is fully emblematic of what is happening to our once great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden. Many of our players were openly hostile to America. No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot, Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA,” posted former President Donald Trump on his social media site, Truth Social, with the acronym for his presidential campaign, “Make America Great Again.”

“It was a disgraceful act of entitlement and selfishness—and it led to many in the country enjoying schadenfreude because of the team’s defeat,” wrote Washington Examiner commentary writer Christopher Tremoglie, referring to the team refusing to sing the national anthem on Aug. 8. “The resentment toward this team speaks volumes of its lack of class and appreciation of the country.”

Kylee Griswold, editorial director of The Federalist, stated that the elimination was “poetic justice.”

“The U.S. Women’s National Team has only two jobs: Score goals to win games, and proudly represent the great US of A. They haven’t been delivering on the latter, and they just blew the former,” she wrote on Aug. 7. “So yeah, not having to endure another anti-American anthem schtick from a losing team is something to clap about.”

“I’m glad they lost. The attitude of the USWNT reflects such poor values it’s sickening. They need an overhaul. The America-hating, entitled, ungrateful group, led by Megan Rapinoe, needs to go. Quite fitting she’s the one who blew their best chance to win,” T.J. Moe, contributor to The Blaze,” posted on X.

At the end of the day, Independent Women’s Forum spokeswoman and adviser Paula Scanlan said “the women on the US women’s soccer team are entitled to their own opinions.”

“That being said American conservatives are also entitled to their own opinions,” she told The Epoch Times on Aug. 8. ”Based on this, just because Americans don’t root for women’s soccer doesn’t mean they don’t like America, they are free to protest the views of the athletes just like athletes are free to protest America, like many of the women on the team do.”