CBS Sports
Before the opening game of the NWSL Challenge Cup on Saturday, all 22 starters from the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns knelt during the national anthem while wearing Black Lives Matter shirts to protest police brutality.
Astonishing moment in American Sports. NWSL becomes first American Pro-Team sport to return to action. All 22 players wear Black Lives Matter t-shirts and take a knee during the National Anthem. Breathtaking to witness 🇺🇸🙌 #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/2pELWZ0S3k
— roger bennett (@rogbennett) June 27, 2020
every player on both teams kneeled during the national anthem to kick off the NWSL Challenge Cup pic.twitter.com/5iwkXCQHLA
— SB Nation (@SBNation) June 27, 2020
You love to see it. You love to see these women using their voice, demanding better for America, and for black people and people of color. @TheNCCourage and @ThornsFC kneeling in solidarity with @Kaepernick7 and @Blklivesmatter ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/8Urlj5FMPn
— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) June 27, 2020
Players from the two teams released a joint statement on why they decided to kneel during the anthem.
“We took a knee today to protest racial injustice, police brutality, and systemic racism against Black people and people of color in America,” the statement read. “We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard. It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone.”
Former US soccer player Alexi Lalas did not appear to be impressed by the player’s kneeling.
https://twitter.com/AlexiLalas/status/1276919578455506944
https://twitter.com/AlexiLalas/status/1276986287690375168
Of course, Lalas was called out for his comments.
No. Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe had real courage. https://t.co/iLEj38UW8L
— Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore) June 27, 2020
Update: Lalas would later apologize for his comments.
I wrote a few more words about today… pic.twitter.com/1jDGXEEK33
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) June 28, 2020