When the trauma of an athlete becomes a reality: The story of Rapinoe in the National Women’s Soccer League in The Athletic
The systems that organize and govern sport as a whole can be at risk of being caught up in the danger with the individual athlete. Last year, reporting on the National Women’s Soccer League in The Athletic by Meg Linehan alongside the brave testimonials of players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly led to the termination of Portland Thorns’ coach Paul Riley and the resignation of NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird.
Rapinoe always answered each and every one of the questions with measured candor, and she has become her hallmark. Not once did she intimate that she had said all she had to say. She never tried to change the subject to make the conversation less harrowing or bleak. There were so many questions about her trauma, and the trauma of so many of her friends, that she had no choice but to relive it.
She sounded tired for just a moment. Someone pointed out that Rapinoe was sitting at Wembley Stadium, where the US would play England on Friday in a game that will determine the world champion.
The reality of Brittney Griner in Russia and the fact that she is a mere NBA star: how much do we know about her? When did she find out?
News last week that a Russian court upheld Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner’s sentence of nine years in a penal colony for drug smuggling surprised no one. While Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, deemed the appeal “another sham judicial proceeding” and asked that Griner “be released immediately,” the outcome continues to hang in the air as her legal team considers next steps.
Women in sports have tough questions about the plight of Griner. Would public reaction to her situation or her fate itself be different, for example, if she were an NBA, not WNBA, star? Is anyone aware that the reality is that she is paid less in Russia than in the U.M., because of her gender and the pay gap?
Despite foggy detail and little evidence, for example, when stories emerged that Iranian rock climber Elnaz Rekabi had gone missing after competing in the Asian Continental Climbing Championships in Seoul without wearing a hijab, many believed them, with much speculation about her passport, her cell phone and her whereabouts.
The climber posted to Instagram that she had made a mistake in a rush to compete and didn’t mean to climb without her hijab. After she returned home, her head was covered by a baseball hat and hood as fans greeted her and the team.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/opinions/brittney-griner-mana-russia-shim-us-soccer-bass/index.html
Women aren’t Safe, but Women Are: The Cases of Peng Shuai and the Yates Report on the NWSL
Reactions to Rekabi and Peng demonstrate how we – global society – are so quick to understand how women, especially those who live under oppressive regimes that threaten their lives and liberties on a daily basis – are not safe. Even in situations where they eventually appear to be safe for, well, appearance’s sake, many of us remain unsure. Why? We have reason to be cautious.
Rekabi has a story that is eerily familiar. Just last year, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from public view after she posted sexual misconduct allegations against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli to China’s Twitter-like platform, Weibo.
Peng then denied making those allegations, once in an interview conducted with her in the presence of Wang Kan, the Chinese Olympic Committee chief of staff. She reappeared after being pressured, and later appeared at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games with IOC President Thomas Bach.
We see evidence time and again that instead of looking to dismantle misogynist systems, society, far too often, asks women to bear the burden of responsibility for the violence that falls upon them. You didn’t do everything you could to protect yourself, that sends a chilling message.
But those consequences were not enough to undo the abuses revealed in devastating detail by the recently released 173-page Yates Report on the NWSL, a document commissioned by US Soccer in the wake of Riley’s firing and completed by former acting attorney general of the United States Sally Yates on behalf of law firm King & Spalding.
These stories – as wide-ranging and different as they are – speak to a deeper point. Sport is one of the most controlled sports activities in society. There are rules, officials, managers, owners, organizing bodies, coaches, and fans all watching, all observing, every move an athlete makes.
Drug tests are required to ensure fair play. Increased punishments for dangerous behaviors include free throws, penalty kicks, and power plays. A slide tackle in soccer with cleats up? Here’s a red card, don’t do it again. Are you going to hit someone with an elbow on the basketball court? Take a seat.
Title IX, the 1972 legislation in the United States which mandated gender equality in schools and sports, just celebrated its 50th anniversary. But while enormous strides have occurred, the seemingly endless examples indicate that the rules of the game, however fair and just they might seem, do not protect these athletes. I talked to Jessica Luther, a journalist and author of “Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape”, who said that sports is hostile for women. Their existence in sports is political because sports did not intend to include them.
We can and should expect change, a revolution that leads to safe space for not just female athletes, but all women. As the Portland Thorns beat the Kansas City Current for its historic third NWSL title on Saturday, fans at Audi Field held signs that read “Support the Players,” a mantra that applies both on and off the field.
The person claiming to be up to the challenge is the one who has already done so much. She announced her new position as chair of the newly formed Participant Safety Task Force at US Soccer, stating that it had taken too long for soccer leaders to take responsibility for protecting players. We need to take immediate action at every level of our sport, from the youth game to the professional game, to find the root causes of our sport’s systemic failures.
The City of Qatar: What has it got to offer? The U.S. Women’s World Cup Semifinals 2011-2014 Goalkeeper Tamara Scurry
It is in the city of Qatar. A lot of metrics show that this World Cup has been an all-time great. A global audience again in the billions; roaring crowds in Doha turning stadiums into hazard zones for the ears; matches that astound and confound.
“Yes, I married into a family that does not care about soccer at all,” Scurry laughingly said, noting the irony that she was the star U.S. national team goalkeeper in 1999, at the most meaningful Women’s World Cup in history. The other day, I and my mother-in-law watched two quarterfinals, and she absolutely loved it. Which is saying something.
The final four of the World Cup are intriguing, notes Scurry, “more like March Madness than any other World Cup I’ve ever seen.”
Scurry said she loved France. I love the fact that many great players came out of difficult circumstances to achieve their dream, because it makes me happy. I remember the French team from last year. It’s the same again.”
She said that her heart was also with Argentina, and that it would be nice for Lionel Messi to win a World Cup. The way that Morocco play is amazing and the goalkeeping has been great.
But there’s not only a rooting case for each semifinalist. There’s also a case to be made for all four teams to win two more matches and become World Cup champs.
Argentina is being tested. Argentina made it to the group stage by defeating Mexico in a must win game. They were thrilled with the winning goal, which was scored by Messi. In the dramatic penalty kick shoot-out against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, it was the Argentines who won despite giving up a late 2-0 lead.
Croatia, the aforementioned fighters, took down tournament favorite Brazil in a match where the Croatian players, yes, fought their way through another grueling extra time period and shootout. Five of Croatia’s last six World Cup knockout-stage matches have gone into extra time.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/13/1142308208/argentina-croatia-morocco-france-world-cup-semifinals
The Fab Four of Goalkeepers in the Semifinals of the World Cup. It’s All in the Scurry’s
“We are mentally strong,” French coach Didier Deschamps said after the England victory. The stronger you get, the more games you win. I believe that was crucial in this match.
A popular narrative is they have surged to the first-ever semifinal berth for an African and majority Arab nation, through heart and determination and divine inspiration.
“When you watch ‘Rocky’,” Moroccan coach Walid Regragui said after his team beat Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals, “you want to support Rocky Balboa because of his heart and commitment, and I think we are the Rocky of this World Cup.”
Belgium, Spain, Portugal and fellow semifinalist Croatia are some of the national teams that Morocco has faced. And it’s given up a grand total of zero goals. The only team to score against Morocco was Canada. It really isn’t. It was an own goal by the Casablancas.
“I can’t think of any other country that’s only given up one own-goal up until this point,” Scurry said. “It’s really hard to do. They defend like their life depends on it. and they [counter] attack like their life depends on it. It’s lightning.
Whether it was Bono saving penalty kicks against Spain, Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković tying history against Japan, Argentine Emiliano Martinez foiling the Netherlands, or France’s Hugo Lloris empathizing with, but beating, Harry Kane and England, this Fab Four of keepers has generated as much buzz in their little confined spaces, as all those other guys running around the pitch.
“At some point, a team might come out flat and the goalkeeper is going to have to stand up and do their job,” she said, “this happens all the time. I mean, it happened to me in 1999, in the [Women’s World Cup] semifinal against Brazil. I had more saves than the entire tournament in that game, and it was the only game I had not made a mistake.
We came out flat against Brazil. In the [preceding] game against Germany, we had to come from behind twice and you exhaust your emotions. A lot of the time, when a team wins, it’s like Anti-climactic, but then a lot of the time it’s flat in the next game.
What a game man! Lionel Messi and the FIFA world cup final in Argentina ended in extra time in a blissful ending
How could anything capture the sound in the stadium when Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup trophy? Kylian Mbappé made a penalty kick to equalize in extra time.
We are breathless up here. It was just an unbelievable final. It was a pleasure to be here. I have never seen anything like that before. I think I will never see anything like that again. It was staggering,” former England international Alan Shearer said on the BBC.
Messi’s penalty and Ángel Di María’s first-half goal looked to have settled the tie in normal time, but Mbappé scored two late goals – one from the penalty spot – in as many minutes to draw France level and force extra time.
With both sides’ feeling the effects of the scintillating finale, Messi looked to have scored a winner in the 108th minute in what would have been a Hollywood ending.
“My god, #FIFAWorldCup. This game has an evil curse. Ryan Reynolds was in awe of Messi’s goal that made it 3-2 to Argentina and ended the game in extra time.
“What a game man. If someone still doesn’t think this is the best sport, then you’re wrong.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/18/football/france-argentina-world-cup-2022-reaction-spt-intl/index.html
The victory of a great game for the world cup: Kingsley Coman, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Alberto Fernández
France’s Kingsley Coman saw his spot kick saved by Emiliano Martínez, who was named as the tournament’s best goalkeeper, and Aurélien Tchouaméni pulled his effort wide before Gonzalo Montiel secured Argentina’s third World Cup title and a first since 1986.
As he described the winning moment, he hugged his co-commentator and his voice cracked with emotion.
Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández tweeted: “Thanks to the players and coaching team. They are the examples we should keep fighting for. We have great people, and a great future.
Michael Owen, the former England footballer, wished Argentina good luck. There is a great game. Is the best ever final? Messi puts the top hat on an unbelievable career but spare a thought for Mbappe, who goes home empty handed from the World Cup.
France’s Prime Minister lisabeth Borne thanked the Les Bleus on her social media accounts. We have trembled with you all, just until the end. Thanks for making us dream and for the game that made us so happy.
Soccer in the World Cup: The Story of the Second Touch of Lionel Messi and the First Soccer Player in a World Cup Final
Soccer is accused of being tedious, the behavior ofFlopping players is ludicrous, the timekeeping is confusing, and that the offside rule makes no sense, which creates a divide between those who say soccer has arrived in the United States and those who don’t.
Argentina’s shootout victory over defending champion France in the men’s World Cup final on Sunday at Lusail Stadium in Qatar was a showdown between two of the most powerful soccer cultures in the world. And it didn’t just deliver: It created possibly the greatest championship game in the history of sport.
Even before the first touch, the most obvious narratives of this final had already been written. It had been reduced by many as Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappé, positioning the teammates at Paris St-Germain (owned by Qatar Sports Investments) as the GOAT and the heir apparent — with Messi likely in his last dance, while Mbappé, already a champion four years ago when he was just 19, has so much more ahead.
It looked like Messi would score on a penalty kick for the first time in his career, almost casually, in the 20th minute. As France looked to have almost no control over play, a second goal for Argentina soon followed, a Messi touch on transition building a beautiful sequence — deemed by bestselling writer and soccer nut John Green “one of the greatest works of art our species has ever created” — that allowed Ángel Di María to get the ball inside the net.
Even if France had lost the World Cup final, Mbappé would have been the first men’s player since 1966 to score a hat trick in a World Cup final.
And yet as thrilling as this final was, it is not the only story of this World Cup, a tournament that was as much about what comes next as it was about Messi. In the minutes before the start of the final, all of the juxtapositions, contradictions and incongruities that surrounded this tournament should have been exhausted but rather took one last spin, with the recorded voice of LGBTQ icon Freddie Mercury (who died of complications from AIDS in 1991) riling up the pregame crowd in a country known to squash LGBTQ campaigns.
Indeed, it bears repeating that there has been a lot to this World Cup that has not been beautiful, including the thousands of migrant workers who are reported by The Guardian to have died while transforming a country with little soccer culture into a land of air-conditioned stadiums. In an interview with a British TV station the chief of the World Cup in qatar admitted that up to 500 deaths of migrants could be expected during the event.
More tragic losses followed — the deaths of soccer writer extraordinaire Grant Wahl — a towering figure in the field as well as a really nice guy — and Qatari photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam.
There was beauty in the story of Morocco, which was controversial but sad at the same time. The run of the Atlas Lions that took them to the semifinals against France was a first and only one of its kind in post-colonial history.
Morocco is getting started just like Croatia was four years ago, with investment in soccer that is lush and deep. In a lot of ways, the tournament was a success, but in one respect, it was not: its fans were so fervent that the morning of the semifinals,Qatar Airways canceled flights due to the overwhelming surge.
Yet if Morocco was the team of the tournament, Messi was its towering figure, his merch becoming more scarce than Taylor Swift tickets, crashing Adidas stores worldwide. Even though there was chaos surrounding the last 12 years, soccer remained the center of attention because of his global superstardom.
Not ready to retire, he solidified the foundations for what a soccer player like him can look like and play like in the future. “Through it all, Lionel Messi has defied the machismo in Argentine football in his own gentle way,” historian Brenda Elsey recently observed in The New York Times. “Football stadiums are part of a sexist ecosystem where displays of misogyny and homophobia are commonplace; organized fans called ‘barras bravas’ have created terrifying conditions during matches. Messi has rejected this violence. …”
With tickets for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia already sold out, there is a chance that Messi will be positioned just in time.
The rise in interest in the women’s game is making it difficult for the American women to remain on top, as their dynasty will face stiff competition from a wide range of teams, including Japan, Germany and Norway.
Those who ignore the math in American football games in favor of soccer games are demonstrating a gap of understanding that remains in the United States. The scores are low because, well, soccer is hard — a fluid game played across an enormous expanse of green space whose players maneuver a small ball with grace, patience and power while running and moving nearly constantly for miles.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/18/opinions/world-cup-america-host-bass/index.html
Reproductive health, carbon footprint, and gun violence: the debate on Qatar and its people’s problems and their consequences for the global health and human rights system
In the United States, issues of reproductive health restrictions, carbon footprint and the world’s overwhelming lead body count from gun violence will be in tension as a result of the debate that has been put on Qatar, its people and its politics.