By Darragh Roche
US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Evangelical leader Reverend Franklin Graham has suggested the U.S. women's national soccer team (USWNT)was more focused on "political wokeness" than the game following their surprise defeat on Monday.
Graham, who is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and aid organization Samaritan's Purse, took to Twitter on Monday to criticize USWNT after they lost 1-0 to Canada at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
The semifinal defeat was the first time Canada has won a match against USWNT since 2001 and means the team will miss out on a gold medal at this year's games, though they are still in contention for the bronze. The U.S. team had entered the Olympics as the top ranked women's soccer team in the world.
Read More
Laurel Hubbard Praises Olympics Organizers for Being Inclusive After Failing To Finish6 min read
Will Katie Ledecky Still Be Competitive for the Paris 2024 Olympics?3 min read
Belarusian Sprinter Granted Visa in Poland After Criticizing Coaches4 min read
Graham tweeted: "The US women's Olympic soccer team lost to Canada for the 1st time in 20 yrs, & I think a lot of people saw it coming."
"It seems they've lost their focus & instead became more focused on political wokeness & using the Olympic stage to promote their agendas," he wrote.
Graham appears to be referring to the team's decision to take a knee before games at this year's Olympics.
USWNT has received strong criticism from some conservatives for taking the knee. Those who support taking the knee view it as a statement against racism but critics charge that kneeling before games is a politically divisive gesture.
Several other women's soccer teams also took the knee at the games, including Great Britain, Chile and New Zealand. The Canadian team joined the U.S. in taking a knee before Monday's game.
USWNT took the knee before their first Olympic match with Sweden on July 21 and their subsequent surprise defeat by the Swedish team led to claims that the team was too woke to win.
Former President Donald Trump told a rally on July 26: "Wokeism makes you lose, ruins your mind, and ruins you as a person. You become warped. You become demented. The U.S. women's soccer team is a very good example of what's going on."
U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe told NBC on Monday the team's loss to Canada was "terrible" and said that it was "[o]bviously not our best game."
"Not our best tournament. We didn't have it today. Too many errors from us. I felt like the space was there for us. We just couldn't get into it," Rapinoe said.
"We never want to lose to Canada. I don't think I've ever lost to Canada. Still a lot to compete for. That's what I told the girls. It's not the color we want but there's still a medal on the line. It sucks," she said.
However, USWNT can still place third and win the bronze medal if they can win their next game against Australia on Thursday, while Sweden and Canada have advanced to the final on Friday.
Newsweek has asked U.S. Soccer for comment.
...
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines