US women spark fury with ANOTHER listless rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at World Cup – as Holland’s players proudly sing their anthem with arms wrapped around each other
- There were six USA players holding their hands to their chest for the anthem
- Only three USA players sang the national anthem for the first World Cup game
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The US Women’s soccer team gave another uninspiring performance of their national anthem before their World Cup game against Holland on Wednesday.
Only six players held their hands to their chest when The Star-Spangled Banner was playing and not all of them were singing.
Those who did – such as Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan – appeared to mumble the words rather than sing loudly along.
By comparison, the Dutch team sang proudly to their anthem, Wilhelmus, with the players wrapping their arms around each other before the game began in Wellington, New Zealand.
‘All 11 Dutch women sang their anthem. Too bad we can’t match them,’ one fan said on Twitter.
A large portion of the USWNT were silent during the national anthem before playing Holland
Crystal Dunn and Andi Sullivan were silent and did not have their hands to their chests
Alex Morgan (left) sang along but Sophia Smith (centre) didn’t hold her hand to her chest
Savannah Demelo and Julie Ertz had their hands to their chest, with the latter singing along
Another supporter said: ‘Why would you play for USA but not even participate in the national anthem? Embarrassing and disrespectful.’
A different fan wrote: Thank you USWNT players: Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan for being proud of your country & representing it well by singing the national anthem at the World Cup.
Shame on the rest of you…’
It comes after the opening game against Vietnam last Friday, where six of the 11 starting players opted against placing their hands over their hearts, instead keeping their arms at their sides or behind their backs.
Meanwhile, five others did put their hands on their hearts, including three — Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan — who also sang the national anthem lyrics.
Critics have continued to keep an eye on the US women’s behavior during the anthem after former team captain Megan Rapinoe knelt in protest of racist police brutality beginning in 2016.
Rapinoe, now playing in her final World Cup, also said in 2019 that she would ‘never put my hand over my heart’ and ‘never sing the national anthem again.’
Rapinoe is not in the starting line up for this game – she is instead named as a substitute.
The Holland players had their arms around each other and loudly sang along to their anthem
Some fans were furious at their team and said they were ’embarrassing and disrespectful’
All but one player knelt in protest before a 2021 game against Australia, but the team was falsely accused of turning its back on the flag and a World War II veteran before another game that year.
The reigning World Cup champions were seen standing at attention before their 4-0 Olympic-sendoff win in Hartford, Connecticut in July of 2021 as 98-year-old Pete DuPré played a rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
This USA team is bidding for soccer history – looking to become the first team in the men and women’s game to win the World Cup in three straight tournaments.
The game itself finished in a 1-1 tie. Holland went ahead in the 17th minute through Jill Roord before Lindsey Horan’s bullet header in the 62nd got the USA back level.
From there, it was the US that looked more likely to win the game but the team failed to find a decisive goal.
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