USWNT soccer icon Megan Rapinoe was on hand to watch Team USA defeat Brazil 1-0 in a thrilling gold medal contest at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The former midfielder was donning her signature pink hair and was joined by her former teammates Tobin Heath and Ali Krieger. It hasn't been a quiet first year away from the USWNT for Rapinoe, as she had a brief war of words with current midfielder Korbin Albert over the player's controversial anti- LGBTQ+ social media posts.
On Saturday, Rapinoe cheered like crazy as Albert brilliantly slipped through Mallory Swanson for the go-ahead goal in the 57th minute. Many were surprised the 20-year-old made the Olympic team after the controversy . To her credit, Albert has emerged as a key player for coach Emma Hayes's squad after only debuting for the USWNT last fall.
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Albert posted and liked a series of anti-LGBTQ+ posts on TikTok, including one post mocking Rapinoe getting injured in her last-ever game for the USWNT at the 2023 World Cup.
Rapinoe, an outspoken advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, responded on Instagram: "To the people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs, 'I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone?
"Because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! Yours Truly, #15.” Albert used to wear #15 for the USWNT before switching to 3.
Albert apologized within 24 hours, posting on her Instagram story: "I’m really disappointed in myself and am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my teammates, other players, fans, friends and anyone who was offended.
“I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that and for that, I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to play this sport on the world stage and I promise to do better.”
Hayes decided to call up Albert, who was a rotation option for the group stage before a suspension to Samantha Coffey meant the 20-year-old would start against Japan in the quarterfinals. Albert played the entire 90 minutes of the final.
"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," Hayes explained before the tournament.
"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. 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."
Swanson's winner from Albert's ball gave the USWNT a fifth gold medal and the team's first since 2012. Carli Lloyd scored twice at the London games to give Team USA the victory over Japan.
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