

Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

(She should try Iran!)

Megan Rapinoe is a captain of the US women’s soccer team.

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Rapinoe was outraged after the women’s league made players sit in the locker room during the anthem after her antics made headlines.

Rapinoe sat with Henry Bushnell for Yahoo Sports last month to trash the US and President Trump good and hard before leaving to France for the Women’s World Cup tournament.

Megan Rapinoe used to sing. With grace and gusto, on fields from Frankfurt to Florida to Montreal, eyelids occasionally fluttering. Her chest would rise and fall with the trumpets on the “Star Spangled Banner,” lyrics rolling off her tongue, patriotism oozing from her entire figure.

She was an American hero, and belted out a national anthem befitting of one. Whether she was preparing to win gold medals or World Cups, whether with dazzling foot skills or majestic crosses, she would cup her hand to a U.S. Soccer crest and join the chorus. And whether the year was 2011 or 2012 or 2015, she would pull at the heartstrings of millions. She’d ripple nets, then serenade viewers with “Born in the USA.” She was equal parts inspirational and flamboyant, her blonde hair jibing with an irresistible personality, her game exuding joy.

She was an American hero. And eight years after first earning the title, she very much still is. She even has a captain’s armband to prove it.

But nowadays, when the trumpets perk up, and when immense pride swells within the 10 women around her, Rapinoe doesn’t flinch. She stands and stares, lips pursed, cheekbones taut, hands clasped behind her back, face expressionless.

“I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart,” she says matter-of-factly. “I’ll probably never sing the national anthem again.”…

…She is at ease, however, in her role as USWNT co-captain. She is “a walking protest when it comes to the Trump administration,” she says, because of “everything I stand for.”

“I feel like it’s kind of defiance in and of itself to just be who I am and wear the jersey, and represent it,” she continues. “Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I can be here or not. So it’s kind of a good ‘F you’ to any sort of inequality or bad sentiments that the [Trump] administration might have towards people who don’t look exactly like him. Which, God help us if we all looked like him. Scary. Really scary. Ahh, disturbing.”

She laughs.