HTownAg98 said:
Their political activism didn't seem to affect them when they won the World Cup in 2019 against the best competition in the world. So maybe it's something else.
It could be that this team is old and getting out-hustled on the field. The adage "Father Time is undefeated in athletic competition" seems to be holding true.
You don't think their political activism has increased since 2019? Seems to me they spent a lot of 2020 on election related promotions and activism and less on the playing field.
But their aging is also not unrelated to politics - you think they could leave Rapinoe or anyone else off the team if they were a step slower without major blowback. Don't think for a second these ladies don't know that. They've made their position on the team a political hot point.
The ladies, unlike the men, depend on the USNT salary for 100% of their money usually. That changes their motivations. imho