Emma Hayes' gamble of including controversial midfielder Korbin Albert in the squad going to Paris could prove costly.
On Wednesday, it was announced who would be going to the 2024 Olympics as members of the United States Women's National Team (USWNT). While USWNT legend Alex Morgan was notably absent from the final squad , an addition that caught social media by surprise was Albert's.
Albert infamously reposted anti-LGBT+ content on her social media accounts, forcing many members of the USWNT to denounce her actions. Still, Hayes elected to have her on the team, basing the decision to include on "merit" and "what she offers" in midfield.
READ MORE: Alex Morgan breaks silence after being left out of Emma Hayes' USWNT Olympics team
READ MORE: USWNT stars Alex Morgan and Lindsay Horan condemn Korbin Albert social media activity
However, Hayes also addressed the elephant in the stadium: Albert's actions off the field. To which the 47-year-old said that "a lot of work" has been going on to address Albert's previous posts.
"As I've expressed on a couple of occasions, I think it's really important that everybody in this team understands the importance of not just being tolerant and respectful and understanding, the things that are going to matter to us all that. Korbin has had to learn and as my experiences with her has been, someone who's a young person, who's understood fully the implications of social media activity," Hayes explained to reporters .
The head coach then said that Albert is working on being more "mindful" on how her actions could affect others. "We're all part of an environment that's one that appreciates and understands the damage that can do and she has been a delight to coach," Hayes added. "I think she's had a really, really tough time. She's really struggled."
What's more, Hayes understands the vitriol aimed at Albert has affected her play on the field. That said, the USWNT head coach gave Albert a glowing endorsement based on the few times the two have talked.
"She really is a lovely person and someone who really values the most important things and that she's spending time working on herself, as we all do," Hayes asserted. "And I look forward to building on that with her and I want everybody to know that my job is to make sure I keep doing that and I want the fans to really embrace Korbin because I do think she's a tremendous human being."
For as great a player as Albert is, her action will be hard to over, especially for a USWNT team looking to rebound from the bronze medal finish it had in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Of note, Morgan and Lindsay Horan both condemned Albert's social media activity, stating that the young midfielder failed to "uphold the integrity" of the team.
The USWNT Players Association also spoke out about Albert's posts, with the association reiterating its commitment to providing a safe haven for those in the LGBT+ community. "Across the country, human rights are being stripped away. LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Today and every day, the USWNT Players will stand up for those rights," a statement read.
Christen Press, a USWNT legend, expressed her disappointment because Albert faced no repercussions for her anti-LGBT+ posts. "I think that maybe the most slap-in-the-face thing that happened here was that this is all happening during Pride Month, that the team wore Pride jerseys including Korbin, and then they auction them off, including her jersey,” she said on " The RE-CAP Show."
As a result of the firestorm, Albert apologized on social media. It remains to be seen if her apology is enough to fix any ill will aimed her way from the other players.
Most Popular
Comments / 0