There was never a doubt in my mind, but yesterday the National U.S Women’s Soccer team won the FIFA World Cup!
I had been keeping up with the matches since the beginning with my FIFA app, and watched when I could (which was not usually often). I got to watch a couple games in Germany leading up to the final yesterday. This aside from the U.S v England game I missed because I couldn’t locate the T.V room in the dorms (Sasha and I tried…everything) and unsuccessfully tried to make a FUBO TV account to live stream it. But it was all made up for, because yesterday we got to watch the game outside of Les Halles on the big screen WITH prime seating (very important for someone of my height).
It was surreal for many different reasons.
- The World Cup was in the country I was watching it in: France
- I wasn’t just anywhere in France, I was in PARIS
- Many people there were Americans, decked out in their flags and face paint
Number 3 was definitely a surprise to me, and while everyone loudly chanted “USA USA USA”, I just did it in my head…… because… you know. When the U.S scored their two goals, it felt like everybody there just lost it. It’s amazing how much sporting events can bring people together, especially international ones. I can only imagine how much more exciting it would be if France were in the final (U.S v France was my ideal match). This was my first experience watching a sporting event of this caliber in a public setting, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
To hear the crowd cheer for Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan left me feeling proud of my country because these players stand for so much more than the positions they play. The U.S Womens team in particular use their platform for activism and change despite everything that is thrown at them. I recently read a Time Magazine article discussing the criticism they received throughout the World Cup. My personal favorite being that they “had bad sportsmanship” for scoring too many times against Thailand (13-0). Despite all the noise surrounding their every action, they still achieved what they set out to do. 4 stars baby!
United States’ Megan Rapinoe celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ORG XMIT: XAF175 
I think having such well spoken and talented women represent our country is really inspiring and refreshing in our current climate. To have members of the LGBTQIA+ community represented in the highest tier of the world’s most popular sport is pretty revolutionary as well. This game is also sparking discussion about wage equality for women- so that’s great. I can’t wait to see what the team does next!
It was truly an honor and a privilege to watch this game with you Lily E.
Yes to soccer and representation and the USWNT and basically this: https://twitter.com/ladylovestaft/status/1144696926371291136?s=21
Shamefully, I had followed neither the standings nor the politics of the World Cup until the final match. But the shouts of “U-S-A” morphing into the whole crowd chanting “E-QUAL PAY” as the FIFA president walked into the stadium was probably the most powerful moment I have witnessed in sports.