USWNT remains largely silent during national anthem at World Cup

Well, they weren’t going to start singing now.

It’s four matches at the World Cup and four mostly-silent national anthems for the U.S. Women’s National Team after the music stopped at the Round of 16 against Sweden.

Vlatko Andonovski made a few changes to his starting 11 against the Swedes, and a couple more players than usual sang along with “The Star Spangled Banner” while the rest stood quietly.

Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan were again amongst the five who sung, along with Trinity Rodman and Emily Fox.

The coaching staff was again quiet.

The Swedish team, meanwhile, belted out their national anthem “Du Gamla, Du Fria.”

After a lackluster group stage, the U.S. entered Sunday morning’s game under pressure against Sweden, a team against which it has a long history including a 2021 Olympic loss.

Portugal nearly ended the Americans’ campaign for a World Cup threepeat in the last game of the group stage, but were denied a 91st-minute winner by the goalpost, allowing the U.S. to scrape through by the skin of its teeth.

The USWNT is one of the most successful American international sporting teams, but has been controversial in recent history due to its treatment of the anthem.

Ahead of a 2021 friendly against Australia, all but one player kneeled during the anthem.

Star forward Megan Rapinoe, who will retire after this World Cup, said in 2019 that she would “never put my hand over my heart” and “probably never sing the national anthem again.”