#Megan Rapinoe Jersey for Kids

[holyblonded]

putellas vs. putellas | stargirl

pairings: alexia putellas x teen!reader

summary: usa and spain play each in a friendly, making it the battles of the putellas

warnings: none

notes: enjoy! i also think this was requested but i can’t find it

You sit in the locker room, legs crossed and eyes closed, breathing steadily as the music pulses through your Beats headphones. You’ve been in this position for nearly half an hour, unmoving and silent, a sharp contrast to your usual chaotic energy. The tension is electric. You’ve been counting down the days to this game, but now that it’s here, you’re trying to keep yourself grounded. You can’t afford to lose focus. Because today, you’re facing Spain. And not just Spain. You’re facing Alexia.

Your jaw tightens. You’ve gone against her before, in practice, in pickup games at the park, even in one-on-one battles in your backyard. But this is different. This is for real. On the world stage, with fans watching and commentators ready to analyze every move. It’s Putellas versus Putellas.

Your stomach twists. You know how she plays. You’ve studied her since you were a kid. You’ve learned from her. Hell, you probably mirror her more than you care to admit. Which means she knows exactly what to expect from you too.

“Wow,” Alex Morgan says, leaning against her locker and staring at you. “I’ve never seen her this quiet.”

Megan Rapinoe slips on her jersey, raising an eyebrow. “I know. It’s unsettling.”

“She’s in the zone,” Crystal Dunn observes. “Leave her alone.”

Tobin Heath chuckles from across the room, watching you with curious eyes. “Apparently she’s been playing with some of them since she was a kid.” She jerks her chin towards Emily Sonnett, who’s standing awkwardly in front of you, waving a hand to get your attention. You don’t budge.

“Hey, Estrella!” Emily calls out, voice cheerful. “You good?”

You don’t even blink.

“Wow,” Emily mutters, shaking her head. “She really is ignoring me.”

“It’s weird,” Megan comments, eyes wide. “She usually never shuts up.”

You take a deep breath, the music in your ears pounding rhythmically, blocking out the noise of the locker room. You’re in your own world, visualizing the game, running through scenarios in your head. You’re going to mark Alexia. You’re going to defend against her, attack her, beat her. Because for ninety minutes, she isn’t your family, she’s not your mother. She’s your opponent.

The tunnel buzzes with energy as you step onto the pitch, shoulders squared, face set. The Spanish national anthem plays, and you sneak a glance down the line. Alexia stands tall, hand over her heart, eyes fixed straight ahead. A chill runs down your spine.

She looks different. Not the warm, caring Alexia from home. Not the one who nags you to clean your room or sneaks extra food onto your plate when she thinks you haven’t eaten enough. This Alexia is cold, focused, every bit the captain and legend the world sees her as.

Your chest tightens, but you refuse to let it shake you. The whistle blows. The game begins.

The first time you encounter her, it’s in midfield. You step up to intercept a pass, only for her to sidestep with effortless grace, flicking the ball past you like it’s nothing. You spin around, chasing after her, teeth clenched. She’s fast, faster than you anticipated.

She glances over her shoulder, smirking. “Too slow, Estrelleta.”

Your blood boils as you double your efforts, pressing hard every time she gets the ball. She spins away, shielding it like she’s done a thousand times in your backyard battles. But this isn’t home, and you aren’t backing down.

You shoulder into her, disrupting her balance just enough. She stumbles, and you steal the ball, sprinting down the field.

She’s fast, but you’re faster. You hear her footsteps behind you, feel her breath on your neck as she tries to close the gap. You drop your shoulder, feint right before cutting left, leaving her a step behind. The crowd erupts as you whip a cross into the box, inches from Cata’s head.

Alexia glares at you, eyes blazing. “Really?”

You grin, cocky. “What? Can’t keep up, vieja?”

Her jaw drops and you take the opportunity to bolt down the field before she can retaliate.

The game is brutal. Every time you touch the ball, she’s there: marking you, blocking your path, using every trick in the book to throw you off balance. You shove back just as hard, elbows digging in, shoulders colliding. Neither of you hold back, each challenge fiercer than the last.

You swipe the ball from her again, twisting sharply, but she’s on you like glue. No passing lanes. Nowhere to go. You struggle for control, twisting and turning, and then she leans in, voice low and smug. “You’re predictable.”

Your vision goes red. “Shut up.”

She laughs, and you can hear the satisfaction in it.

You dig in, using your body to shield the ball. And then, with a quick backheel nutmeg, you slip the ball through her legs. She freezes and the US bench erupts.

Sonnet’s cackling reaches you over the chaos. “OH MY GOD, SHE JUST DID THAT TO HER OWN MOM!”

Alexia recovers fast, chasing after you, her voice sharp. “That was dirty.”

“You’re just mad I got you.”

She shoves you as she runs by, not enough to foul, but enough to make her point. You laugh, knowing you’ve gotten under her skin.

The game is a war of attrition. You get fouled, hard, and before you can even react, Alexia is towering over you, hands on her hips. “Get up.”

You smirk. “Worried about me?”

“Not even a little.”

When she falls, you stand over her, offering a hand. She slaps it away, getting up on her own.

“Nice try.”

You laugh. “Still stubborn, huh?”

“You’d know.”

The match drags on, intensity never dropping. With ten minutes left, Spain equalizes, and you curse under your breath. 2-2.

You and Alexia battle until the very last second, neither willing to concede an inch. The final whistle blows. A draw.

You’re drenched in sweat, bruised, exhausted. You turn to Alexia, expecting a glare, but instead, she walks over and slings an arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“Good game, Estrelleta.”

You roll your eyes, shoving her off. “I hate you.”

She laughs, ruffling your hair. “Sure you do.”

Tobin jogs over, shaking her head. “That was insane. You two are menaces.”

Alexia grins, eyes softening. “She’s worse.”

You open your mouth to argue, but before you can, she pulls you into a hug, tight and warm.

“I’m proud of you,” she whispers, voice quiet against the noise of the stadium.

Your chest tightens, the fire in your belly fading.

“I’m proud of you too,” you mumble into her shoulder.

Alexia guides you towards the stands, neither of you say anything, just exchanging a glance before scanning the crowd for the three people you know will be waiting.

Eli stands near the barrier, wearing a jersey, stitched perfectly down the middle. One side is the deep red of Spain, ”PUTE” written on it and part of the number eleven proudly displayed. The other is white, “LLAS” on the top and the rest of eleven emblazoned across it. It’s ridiculous, it’s dramatic, and it’s so Eli.

You grin. “Dios mío, you actually wore it.”

“I had to,” she sniffs, eyes suspiciously shiny as she tugs it tighter around herself. “My girls, both of you, playing on this stage, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

Alexia sighs, shaking her head. “You’re getting sentimental.”

“Of course I’m getting sentimental!” Eli huffs, grabbing Alexia’s face with both hands, ignoring her protests as she presses a loud kiss to her forehead. “My little alegría captaining Spain! And you—” She turns to you next, gripping your face just as tightly. “My estrella, playing like you were born for this.”

You groan but lean into it anyway. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

Alba and Olga stand just behind her, both of them grinning. Olga crosses her arms, nodding toward Alexia. “You got cooked by a teenager, mi amor.”

Alexia scowls. “I did not—”

“Nutmegged,” Alba chimes in, biting back a smirk.

“That was one time!”

You preen, puffing your chest. “And I’ll never let you forget it.”

Alexia turns to Eli, desperate for backup, but Eli just sighs dramatically, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t even care about the score,” she says, voice thick with emotion. “Seeing you two out there, fighting, giving everything, I am just so, so proud.”

You glance at Alexia, expecting another eye roll, but she just nods, quietly accepting the words.

Eli pulls both of you into a crushing hug, and for once, neither of you resist.

You’re barely settled in your chair when Alexia, sitting beside you, nudges you with her knee.

“Try not to embarrass yourself,” she murmurs, just low enough for you to hear.

You scoff. “That’s your job.”

The interviewer, clearly amused by the dynamic already, starts with the obvious question. “Estrella, this was your first time facing Alexia on the international stage. What was that experience like?”

You lean forward, resting an elbow on the table. “Terrifying. She’s so serious when she plays, I thought she was gonna disown me on the spot.”

Alexia rolls her eyes. “That almost happened after you nutmegged me.”

“Nutmegged?” The interviewer’s eyebrows shoot up, and you grin as Alexia groans.

“Oh yeah,” you say smugly. “Clean through the legs. The bench was losing it.”

Alexia shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I can’t believe I have to deal with this publicly now.”

The interviewer laughs. “Alexia, what was it like playing against someone you’ve practically raised?”

Alexia exhales, glancing at you before answering. “It was… strange. I’ve seen her grow up, seen her train, so I knew she was good. But today, I realized just how good she is.” She pauses, then smirks. “Still reckless, though.”

“Reckless?” you echo, affronted. “You fouled me like five times!”

“You were running straight at me like a bull! What was I supposed to do?”

The interviewer can barely contain their laughter. “It was a very physical game between you two.”

You cross your arms, mock-offended. “She’s mean.”

Alexia scoffs. “And you called me vieja on live television.”

“Can I plead the fifth?”

“This isn’t America.”

The interviewer shakes their head, thoroughly entertained. “Final question, what was said between you two after the game?”

Alexia glances at you, something softer in her gaze now. “I told her I was proud.”

You clear your throat, suddenly feeling warm under the attention. “And I said the same.”

For a moment, the playful banter is gone, replaced by something genuine, something real.

The interviewer smiles. “That’s beautiful.”

Then Alexia turns to you. “But I’m getting you back for that nutmeg.”

“Oh you wish.”

[outsideratheart]

Rendezvous On The Tennis Court (Julie Johnston x reader)

A/N: I got inspiration for this fic from an interview Sue Bird did. She told the interviewer that she met up with Megan in Tokyo but it had to be outdoors and social distanced.

Part 2

Being in Tokyo with Team USA was a dream come true. It was your second time representing your country at the olympics, the first being in Rio.

Even with the COVID protocols you still were having a great time, the only downside is that you couldn’t see your girlfriend and you couldn’t tell your teammates because you both had decided to keep your relationship a secret.

You didn’t have the opportunity to run into her in the olympic village because she and the rest of the team stayed at the hotel closest to the stadium they were playing at.

Tonight would be the first night you would be seeing her since you both left the states over 3 weeks ago.

You watched as your teammate Sue left the hotel and you left 5 minutes after trying to make sure you didn’t get caught.

You wondered around the olympic village looking at every map as you walked past it. You felt like you were going in circles until you saw them in front of you, the tennis courts and more importantly you see her.

As you enter the court she begins joggings to towards you but you hold put you hand out even though you would love nothing more than to hold her in your arms.

“We have to follow the rules” You tell her and she looks at you like a kid who got told no more cookies.

“Come on baby, you know what that look does to me” She changes her expression “That’s better”

“I miss you so much Y/N” She tells you

“I miss you too Jules” you respond.

She hated it when people called her that but you were the exception.

You both stand there taking in the sight before you. You knew that it would be hard to be away from her but not this hard.

“How is your knee doing?” You ask, you were so proud at how she handled her recovery but you still wanted her to take it easy.

“It’s ok” You see right through the lie.

“Oh really? Is that why you were limping when you ran towards me?” You say.

“You know me so well” You hum in agreement “It hurts but only after games” You raise your eyebrows “Ok so sometimes during games but I can’t not play” she says as if begging you not to say anything.

“Well you couldn’t tell against New Zealand miss woman of the match. Sue was so confused when I started shouting at the TV” you laugh remembering the moment well.

“Thank you. Pinoe was just as confused when I asked to watch the basketball with her”

“So I have a present for you?” You tell your girlfriend “I know that you loved my storm jersey” She nods in agreement “and that you didn’t bring it but I thought that you might like this one”

You reach into your hoodie revealing your team USA jersey giving it to the blonde.

She smells it and smiles which makes your laugh.

“Weirdo”

“What, it smells just like you. I did steal one of your hoodies but then it got washed. This can be it’s replacement” she tells you as she begins to laugh.

“What is so funny?” Her random giggles confuse you.

“I brought you one of my jerseys too. It doesn’t smell like me but it does have my name on it” she says taking her jersey out of her jacket like you did.

You take the jersey, smiling at the Johnston on the back, but just a quick as the smile came it went again.

“You know that I can’t wear this, not here” You tell her.

Julie’s eyes begin to well up at your comment which made you feel terrible but you were only being realistic.

“Why not, is it because it has my name on?” She asks you and you shake your head straight away.

“This shirt, is not available to buy. Which means if get pictured in it or even seen in it my teammates then they will have questions and I can’t lie to them, not directly” You explain.

Keeping your relationship a secret from the people closest to you was getting more and more difficult everyday.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep us a secret” you confess.

Truth is you wanted to scream it from the rooftops but Julie wanted to wait which you understood. Once the world knew, your relationship wouldn’t just be between the two of you.

“I’m just not ready for the world to know” She says.

You don’t hide the hurt you are feeling and Julie can sense it.

“How about this? We don’t tell everyone but we don’t not tell everyone?” She suggests.

You look at her confused. Either you tell people or you don’t.

“What does that mean?”

“It means we wear the jerseys and if people ask then we tell them. I know you see your teammates as family and I should never have asked you to lie to them but you did, for me”

You move towards her but this time it is her who tells you off.

“We have to follow the rules” she says mimicking the tone you used earlier.

“Well rules are stupid” You pout.

You both sit there talking about the tournament, what you had been watching on Netflix and what food you had been eating.

The chatter is small but you appreciate every word as you know after tonight you probably wouldn’t see her till the closing ceremony or till you were both back in America.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” You hear someone say and you recognise the voice straight away.

Looking around you see a social distanced Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe walking towards you.

“Hi Meg” you say “Fancy seeing you here”

“Is there something you want to tell us?” Sue says looking at you then to Julie and then back to you.

You hesitate, not sure what to say. Julie said if someone asked but was Sue actually asking?

Instead of saying anything, you look at Julie mentally asking for permission and she slowly nods her head.

You stand up

“I have a girlfriend!” You shout a little louder than expected and you quickly look around making sure no one else heard you.

“Don’t worry babe, it’s late most people are asleep” she tells you.

“Not anymore” Megan laughs.

Both of them begin asking questions about your’s and Julie’s relationship which you are happy to answer considering you have had to keep everything to yourself for so long.

Before you know it, it is time to go back to the room. You look at Julie and you feel the familiar ache in your chest, it was time to say goodbye and you really didn’t want to.

“Don’t look at me like that” she says causing you to pout.

“I don’t want to go” you tell her.

“We lasted this long without seeing each other, the next week will fly by”

“Promise?” You ask and she nods holding out her little finger and you make a air pinky promise.

Sue and Megan say goodbye too.

“Come on little Romeo, it is way past curfew and we have practice in the morning” Sue puts her arm around your shoulders as you walk back to the hotel.

You went to bed that night with a huge smile on your face, Julie was finally ready to tell people about your relationship. It might not complete openness but it was the first step.

[fruitcoops]

I was watching this video w Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird (tumblr won’t let me link but it’s from 2 days ago on GQ- they ask each other questions but it’s like quiz style?) and didn’t know if you would want to do something similar for coops? Some of the stuff they said/how they acted reminded me of coops’ dynamic

Anon, this video was the perfect way to spend an evening. Both these women are my role models and they’re unbelievably cute together--go check out the video here if you have the chance! Their dynamic is a lot like how I imagine Coops, too! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

“Hey, Lions, we’re back!” Sirius waved at the camera and tapped a short stack on notecards on his thighs. “I’m Captain Sirius Black of the Gryffindor Lions and I’m here with my fiancé, Remus Lupin, to do another couple game.”

“The response to our last few interviews was incredible and we had a great time,” Remus continued. “Miss Marlene McKinnon was kind enough to drag us back in here to answer even more questions!”

“Do you want to go first?”

“Sure.” Remus cleared his throat and pulled the first card. “What are my parents’ first names?”

“Hope and Lyall.”

“Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. What’s my hidden talent?”

“You can sing.”

“Does that count? I feel like most people know that now.”

“Hmm.” Sirius thought for a moment, drumming his fingers on his knees. “You can cook really well.”

“Thank you, baby. What’s my favorite accessory?”

Sirius brightened. “Your watch!”

“Yes!” Remus held it up to the camera—it was simple and elegant, with a leather band and a small face. He wore it with the clock against the inside of his wrist, just above his pulse point. “What is my dream travel destination or vacation?”

“Oh, that’s tough.” Sirius bit his lip in thought. “Seattle? Paris?”

“I do want to go to Seattle, but I’ve always wanted to go to Montreal,” Remus said. “You’ve seen my hometown, but I’ve never been to yours.”

Sirius frowned. “Really?”

“Really. What am I most afraid of?”

“I think…I think you’re most afraid of not being useful,” Sirius said after a moment. “For six years, your job was all about helping people, and it’s not now.”

Remus raised his eyebrows at the camera. “I was going to say the dentist’s office. Goddamn.”

“Sorry,” Sirius laughed. “Yeah, you don’t like medical facilities.”

“I mean, you weren’t wrong about the useful thing,” Remus said. “You still get a point for that. What’s my favorite music, song, or artist to listen to before a game?”

“You don’t have one.”

“That was quick. Half a bonus point for speed. When was our first date and what did we do?”

“Our first official date was just after All-Stars and we went to Sid’s, but we had been together for about three months at that point and just hung out at each other’s houses.”

Remus grinned. “Do you remember what day it was?”

“January 28th.” Sirius gave him a look. “I know for a fact you don’t know what day it was.”

“January 28th.”

“You only know that because I just said it!” Sirius smacked him playfully with his cards. “Next question.”

“What’s my favorite movie and TV show?”

“Jurassic Park and Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

He whistled the first part of the theme song as Sirius did the hand motions. “What’s my shoe size?”

“Oh, god,” Sirius muttered, staring down at the floor. “Eleven? Eleven and a half? You have smaller feet than I do, but not by much.”

“I’m a size ten.”

“Are you really?”

Remus pulled one sneaker off and handed it to him with a laugh. “Check for yourself. Oh, I’d love to know the answer to this one. How do you know when I’m mad at you?”

Sirius tossed his shoe back with a snort. “You make faces.”

Remus seemed surprised. “Do I?”

“Yeah. You’ve got a very expressive face and the second you’re pissed, it’s written all over it. It’s like—” Sirius pursed his lips and scrunched his nose slightly. “I can’t really do it, but anytime I see that I’m like, ‘oh, shit, what did I do?’ Also, you stop calling me baby.”

“That’s what I was going to say. What’s my favorite city to play in?”

“Not Florida.”

“Not fucking Florida,” Remus agreed with a grin.

“Gryffindor for sure.”

“Where was I born?” He gave Sirius a teasing look. “Do you know this time, or should I get my mom on the line?”

Sirius stuck his tongue out. “Madison, Wisconsin.”

Remus glanced at the camera. “We got asked this question in an interview a few months ago and he had to call my mom afterward because he forgot.”

“She made fun of me the whole time,” Sirius pouted.

“What is my favorite food? Oh, you’ll get this one for sure.” Sirius hesitated and Remus’ eyes widened. “Really?”

“I’m a little torn. It’s either my grilled cheese or your dad’s turkey-cranberry thing. Actually, I don’t think you know what your favorite food is.”

Remus nodded slowly. “That’s a really good point. My first thought was grilled cheese, but my dad makes the best postgame sandwiches. I’ll give you that. What’s my favorite hobby?”

“Reading.”

“What did I want to be when I was a kid?”

“A librarian, until you started playing hockey.”

Remus leaned over and high-fived him. “You’re on a roll, baby. What was my jersey number in college?”

“Number six.”

“The transition was so fucking easy,” Remus laughed. “Coach literally came up to me a month before practices started and went ‘hey, what was your old number?’ and I told him, and he looked down at his clipboard and went, ‘cool.’. I got my jersey two weeks later.”

“Is this your last question?”

“It is, indeed. What’s my full birth name?”

“Remus Jehosephat Lupin.”

“That is incorrect.”

“Close enough. It’s Remus John Lupin, which I find endlessly funny.”

“Why is it funny?” Marlene asked off-screen. Remus hid his face behind his notecards as Sirius laughed.

“Because it’s such a basic middle name! I love Hope and Lyall with my entire heart and they’re wonderful people, but they named their sons Remus and Julian and then I think they got stuck. Like, you’ve got these two very uncommon first names and they sort of went ‘fuck it. John and Michael. We’re done.’ It’s just so funny.”

“Whereas your parents went the extra mile and gave you and Reg goddamn supervillain names,” Remus snorted. “The drama of it all, my god.”

“Alright, alright, my turn.” Sirius leaned his elbows on his knees. “What is my favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“How do I like my coffee?”

Remus hissed between his teeth. “Ah, shit, you always make the coffee. With a lot of sugar, right? It’s black with sugar?”

“It can’t be black if it has sugar in it,” Sirius laughed. “But yes, I do put sugar in my coffee. What are three things I never leave the house without?”

“Keys, wallet, phone.”

“My favorite TV show?”

“Why are you going through these so fast? Uh, Avatar.”

“Did I ever have a job that wasn’t playing hockey?”

“Nope.” Remus frowned. “Were you allowed to get a job as a kid?”

“I was not. What’s my favorite ice cream flavor?”

“Cookies and cream.”

Sirius made a buzzer noise. “Incorrect.”

“Is it chocolate?”

“Yep. You get half a point for that. What’s the first meal I ever cooked for you?”

Remus gave him a look. “You don’t remember what you cooked for me, do you?”

“Refresh my memory?”

“No way!” He punched him lightly on the arm. “I’m not falling for my own tricks. Next question.”

“It’s kind of a repeat from earlier. How do you know when I’m mad at you?”

Remus fiddled with the edges of his cards. “You act all weird and Captain-y, and then you get quiet. Just cranky vibes all around.”

“Cranky vibes,” Sirius laughed. “Good to know. What are my favorite movie-watching snacks?”

“Popcorn and…Sweet Tarts?”

“Yes!” Sirius gave him a high-five. “Do you know what I like on my popcorn?”

“Butter and enough salt to kill a Victorian child.”

“Bonus point! What is—oh, shit!” He nearly fumbled the cards onto the floor. “What is my favorite movie of all time?”

“Indiana Jones.”

“Which one?”

“The one with Marian, because she reminds you of me.” Remus looked over at the camera. “I really don’t like snakes.”

“What is the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning?”

“Oh, I think this requires a demonstration. C’mere.”

“Does it really?” Sirius sighed as he laid down next to him.

“For sure.” Remus cuddled into his side and laid his head on his shoulder. “Alright, the key to a true Sirius Black wake-up is getting all four limbs wrapped around the other person like you’re trying to suffocate them with affection.”

“Okay—”

“And then,” Remus continued with a grin. “I go, ‘honey, wake up’—”

“You absolutely do not.”

“In my head, that’s what I say. It’s very sweet. To answer the question, the first thing Sirius does is this.” He buried his face in Sirius’ chest and groaned loudly, then dissolved into snickering as Sirius’ chest began to shake with suppressed laughter. “Stop it, you’re ruining the demonstration!”

“You forgot the part where I have to peel you off me with pliers and grease,” Sirius teased as they stood up, dusting themselves off. The camera crew applauded and they both bowed. “Alright, where were we? What am I most scared of?”

“Losing your friends and family,” Remus said. “Also, spiders and most bugs.”

“You forgot one.”

“Which one? The dish soap bubbles?”

“Losing you.”

A vibrant blush tinted Remus’ cheeks and ears, and he floundered for words. “Oh.”

“You still get the points, though,” Sirius said mildly. “What city do I like playing in the most?”

Remus paused for a moment longer, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Uh, Gryffindor. You like the crowd.”

“I do.” Sirius smiled at the camera. “To all the fans out there: you are incredible and there is nothing like skating out with everybody roaring so loud the windows shake. Who is my biggest hockey influence?”

“Now, or when you were younger?”

“Now.”

“It’s Dumo, right?”

Sirius nodded. “On and off the ice. What’s my proudest career moment?”

“Hmm, I wonder,” Remus said sarcastically. “Could it possibly be winning the Stanley Cup?”

“Just maybe,” Sirius laughed. “What’s my most famous celly, and which one’s my favorite?”

Remus grinned. “Lightning McQueen.”

“I hate it when you call it that.” Despite his words, Sirius was smiling. “It’s supposed to be cool!”

“Can you elaborate?” Marlene asked.

“I mean, most people who have seen him play know what I’m talking about,” Remus said, gesturing to the camera. “But Sirius’ famous celly is a double fist pump, and I call it the Lightning McQueen because it’s like ka-chow! It’s also his favorite one, though he dances when we’re skating alone or with a couple of the guys.”

“Shhh, they aren’t supposed to know that!” Sirius covered Remus’ mouth with his notecard. “This is the very last one. What is my biggest pet peeve?”

“When I leave my socks laying around the house.”

“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! That drives me fucking bonkers. Marley, who won?”

“It wasn’t a competition,” she said off-screen. “Just a Q & A.”

“Who got the most right?” Remus asked.

“You two are hopeless,” she muttered. There were a few beats of silence. “Remus won, with sixteen and a half out of seventeen. Sirius, you had fifteen and a half.”

“No.” Sirius groaned and dropped his head into his hands as Remus whooped.

“Hell yes!”

“My bonus points let you win.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this.”

Remus faced the camera with a victorious smile. “Thanks for joining us to witness my landslide victory—”

“It was one point.”

“And make sure to like and subscribe for more Lion Pride content! See you around, Lions.” They both mock-saluted, and the video ended.

[am-imagines]

And the Favorite is...- USWNT Imagine.

I got this ask:  Hey I read your fic with R being Krashlyn's kid and it was pretty good. Can you do another one? Where R always shows up in someone's insta story like dancing with Sonnet, scaring someone with Kelly, going out for breakfast with Press or playing some kind of games with Tobin? Like how she interacts with her crazy and overprotective aunts. And I ran with it. I hope you like it, dear anon!

You can find the first part here.

I am totally biased, I hope you don’t mind.

The Olympics inauguration is only a couple of days away. It’s the time when nerves grow before disappearing at the ceremony, but your time is filled with so much activity that you don’t even have time to be nervous.

Your team is great and practice is always fun although you can’t wait for the first game. The excitement grows, the pressure builds, and you’re actually ready for your first Olympics.

In order to keep you distracted, your parents have found a thousand games for you to try. Your family isn’t exactly conventional, and those games are far from being board ones. You have to experience a new city in the company of the USWNT while getting information, playing pranks or doing certain things with them to win the game.

You don’t mind it one bit. You love all your crazy aunts. Hanging out with them is a fun way to discover the magic of a new country. They don’t keep you from getting lost. They just get lost with you. Thank God technology is a thing and the GPS has saved your life.

“Here’s another one!” Ash exclaims. “Who gives the best hugs?”

Currently, you’re sitting in bed between your parents while they livestream. Their fans are happy to see how you interact with them, and they don’t miss the chance to ask you stuff about them and the Krashlyn adventures in Tokyo.

“Ma,” you say pointing at Ali. “Her hugs are warm and soft. But mom’s are great too; rib-wrecking and yet can’t say no to them.”

A chuckle escapes your lips when both of them hug you at the same time. Ash kinda proves your point; making you grunt when she squeezes a little too tight. The smile never leaves your lips; much less when they decide to kiss your cheeks at the same time.

It’s embarrassing, but you do nothing to stop them.

Finally, they settle down and you shake your head in amusement.

They’re supposed to be the parents.

“Oh! I gotta go,” you announce mostly to the camera. “Pinoe must be waiting for me. Please, don’t embarrass yourselves or me more than you’ve done.”

“Can’t promise that, kiddo.“

Maybe it would be easier to leave if your parents didn’t cling to you like koalas while remind you to take care and call them if you need anything. You struggle for another minute before they finally relent. Then, they go back to their livestream while you put on your shoes.

“Here’s another one!” You hear Ash through the door, but don’t stay long enough to discover what is the next question.

Pinoe is waiting for you, and you find her with ease thanks to the pink hair.

Sonny and the others like to tease her about it, but you like her style. Not everyone can rock it like she does, but you’re gonna try to challenge the odds with a crazy hair color as well. Not pink, but probably just as outstanding. Blue, purple, orange, silver...you haven’t decided yet.

However, this day is all about make-overs, courtesy of Megan Rapinoe.

“Sorry I’m late,” you say when you make it to her side,

“I thought those two would keep you forever.”

She shows you her phone where you can see your parents throwing their teammates’ names around to answer God knows what question. You don’t have enough time to figure it out before Pinoe puts her phone in her pocket and offers you a pair of shades.

People assume she isn’t the most affectionate person; usually more compossed than the rest of the USWNT, but that’s not the case. Maybe she’s not as open with physical displays, but she expresses herself in other ways. Spending time around the city always means she spoils you like crazy. And no, that’s not the reason you love spending time with her.

Ash loves her for a reason, and you can see exactly why.

Being around Pinoe means not thinking about the Olympics for a bit, even when you can’t understand a single neon sign around you.  It’s all about fashion in ways other than clothes. Your hair ends up in a crazy color that looks amazing on you. It won’t be that visible under the helmet while you play, but you feel empowered by it.

Then, Pinoe gets you the perfect clears for your first game in a couple of days. You can’t wait to show them off, so both of you take a picture in front of the mirror in true Pinoe style.

A few hours later, when you’re back on your room, the pic comes up on your Instagram with a simple comment: #FavoriteAunt.

It makes you chuckle, but you like the post anyway.

***

“Y/n, Y/n! Come here. Hurry!”

You comply without thinking when Kelley motions for you to hide next to a trash can. She’s already recording, and that can only mean one thing.

“Who’s our victim?”

She’s about to prank someone and you’re always up for it. Mischief is clear on your eyes when you look at her behind the camera.

“Allie is about to come up.”

Of course. It had to be Allie of all people.

You’ve scared her over a hundred times, but it’s always fun to make her jump. Thinking about it, camp wouldn’t be the same without Kelley scaring the ever-loving socks off Allie Long, or any other poor soul she has as a target.

“You want to do it?” She asks although she knows the answer already.

“Hell yeah!”

“Language, kid!” She admonishes just for the show while beaming at you.

It takes barely ten seconds for Allie to walk down the corridor. She’s focused on her phone; giving you the perfect opportunity to strike.

You wait just for another second; letting her get closer before jumping and screaming as loud as you can. She screams back at you in total panic; her phone almost thrown at your face in a defensive reflex. It’s a good thing you have her a new phone case that actually protects her phone or it would be down for the count by now.

Kelley is laughing like crazy behind you, and so are you.

That doesn’t stop you from retrieving the launched phone, handing it over to Allie and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Love you,” you say smugly.

“You’re lucky I love you too or I would get you back for this,” she answers while pulling you in for a hug. “Now you, O’Hara, are a different story.”

“You don’t love me?” She asks Allie with that big mocking grin. “I’m the favorite aunt!”

“No, you’re not.” The blonde argues. “I’m the favorite.”

Kelley is still recording, and you’re sure she won’t be able to post all of that at once.

But you don’t know what started the whole favorite aunt debate and by now, you’re afraid to ask. So, while they’re still arguing over it, you make a silent escape.

However, when you see the whole thing posted all over social media later, you can’t help but like it and post a heart emoji directed at both of them. They don’t ask about it directly, so you don’t give an answer either.

The fans are going crazy when the entire soccer National Team jumps into the conversation. Everyone wants to know your answer, but you like to see them fight over that. It’s never too serious, so there’s no shame in enjoying the show.

You don’t make further comments, and all they can do is settle for the night.

It’s a good thing because you have a game to win the next day.

***

Your first victory is exhilarating, but your celebration is quite reserved. You’re on there to win just a game, and although it’s a great feeling to do so, you’re aiming for the gold.

Your nerves were gone as soon as you stepped up to the plate for your first at-bat. Your parents were right about it, and having the entire USWNT cheering for you brought the best out of the entire softball team. The greatest team is there for you; the next generation of golden athletes, and you’re ready to play the part.

After celebrating with ice cold Gatorade, you hang out on your parents’ room.

Playing Smash Bros on your switch with some of your teammates seems like the perfect way to unwind. After a few rounds, you opt to play Mario Kart instead, and you know exactly who would love to join the party.

Tobin calls you after accepting the invite. It’s not that she has a lot to say but because you love hearing her ramble and fight the game when things don’t go her way.

You send a blue shell after her and laugh when she groans in defeat. You don’t have to be in the same room to have a great time with Tobin. She’s amazing.

“You want to have dinner with Chris and me?”

“You getting me ice cream?”

“Fried ice cream if you hurry up.”

“On my way!”

You’d feel bad about ditching your parents, but they have plans with the rest of the team. They’d love it if you’d join them, but there’s no guarantee to make it back before curfew if you go with them. So, after letting them know you’re joining Press and Tobes for dinner, you’re on your merry way.

Dinner is spectacular and Christen smiles the entire time.

It’s not a surprise that the entire world is in love with her. She lets you try from her plate and shares your excitement over dessert while Tobin snaps a thousand pictures of the moment. It’s the perfect way to end the day; with an extra selfie where the three of you smile at the camera.

That’s the picture you post to thank them for an amazing night.

***

The Olympics advance and you try to follow as many events as you can while still being focused on your discipline.

It seems like forever before the USWNT faces their first match.

Your coach gives you permission to go to the match, and the world is ready to see if you’re wearing the jersey of your favorite aunt. You’re not sure why there’s so much expectation considering your parents are also part of the team. In your mind, wearing one of their jerseys is the way to go. And you make your way into the stands wearing the Krieger one.

You wear Ash’s number with your team, and well...you’re Harris too. So, you decided to switch for once. Watching Ali beam makes you happy, and you cheer them on with all your heart. The shouting never stops until your throat is sore and they come on top with their first victory. The atmosphere in the stadium is crazy, and you love every second of it.

It’s hard to tell what happened after that, but you make it to the Olympic Village on JJ’s arms. She’s stronger than anyone could imagine, and it’s shocking when she throws you over to A.D. as if you weighed nothing.

Speaking of strong women…

Every few feet you are in the arms of someone different until you make your way to Naeher. You can see the hint of a smirk on her lips and that makes you smile.

“Thanks for the save,” you say. “Pun totally intended. You were amazing out there.”

A nod is your answer before someone is calling for your attention.

“So,” Mal starts and you know the question before it leaves her lips. “Who’s the favorite aunt?”

“Not you, sorry.” You reply playfully while sticking your tongue out to her. “You’re too young, Rose and T. are the same. You’re more like my cousins.”

Everyone thinks of you as the kids even if you’re not an official part of the team. You’re okay with that, even when they’re overprotective most of the time.

“How did this whole thing start?”

“Livestream,” all of them reply at the same time.

The roll of your eyes is a given. Of course a fan question caused havoc among the USWNT. This has been fun, but they can keep going for ages, and it’s time to stop.

“If it started like that, then maybe it should end with another livestream.”

A deep silence settles over the entire team, and you realize that your inner thoughts were said out loud. It’s too late to backtrack because Kelley, Pinoe and Ash exchange a look before storming out.

“Mom, wait!” You call after Ash, but they’re already gone. “Oh no.”

Alyssa puts you down in case you want to follow them. There’s no real point. You won’t be able to convince them of not doing the livestream right at that moment. Instead, you allow Sonny to guide you through the corridors until you make it to your room.

To no one’s surprise, they already have half the things ready.

With a huff, you take your place in the middle of your bed while every single aunt takes a place wherever they can. Sam ends up on the floor next to Rose. Ali pats your shoulder and takes a seat in the other bed so you can deal with this madness.

Once everyone is seated, Kelley starts the broadcast with: “You know what we’re here for.”

“First of all,” you interrupt before she can say more. “I don’t know who you are, or where are you from, but for the person asking that, you have no idea of the utter chaos you provoked.”

With a glare to the camera, you return your attention to Kelley who only laughs at your words. She’s so damn crazy, and that’s one of the many reasons you love her.

“Come on, Y/n! You’re killing us.” Pinoe says from the corner. “Who’s the favorite aunt?”

“And the favorite aunt is...”

You pause for dramatic effect while you scan the room trying to find her. Then, the moment prolongs because you can’t find her between all the familiar faces.

“Wait, where is she?”

Everyone turns; counting heads and thinking about who is missing. Confusion grows until the door opens and the missing piece enters with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“I knew it!” Kelley exclaims with a triumphant air fistbump.

“Of course you did. I told you before,” Alex says in the most nonchalant tone she can muster. “Y/n said it at her birthday party, remember? You got there late because your plane was delayed, but everyone else was there.”

“I thought it was just because she got you cake!” Sonny exclaims.

“The cake was just a bonus.”

“Why are you late anyway?” JJ asks Alex while the blonde holds you and refuses to let anyone else close to you.

“Well, I went for a blue one.”

“Swap?” You asks excitedly and Alex nods.

You can’t move when JJ holds you so tightly, but that’s okay. Alex takes the empty space between your legs while she puts her jersey over you. Blue is the kit you like the most, and Alex made sure to sign it for you.

In all honesty, you love them all.

They’re your family, weird as they are.

[bittersweetsky3]

my breakdown of the uswnt players

ashlyn harris: big gay, “most beautiful brick wall we’ve ever seen” -kyle krieger, underrated goalkeeper, bitch™, 1/2 of “pookie”, 1/2 of krashlyn, loves babies and would be the best mom

ali krieger: kriegs, kriegy, kriegyboo, best right back in the world? yes. tough as nails and had the final touches on the ball during the world cup after not being called up for 2 years, won’t ever be seen without her mascara, softie, 1/2 of krashlyn, apparently can play forward as of the uswnt vs ireland victory tour game??? okay

mallory pugh: baby, made uswnt debut at 17, mini trackstar, i can definitely see her as a future alex morgan in terms of goals, dork, somehow managed to be on the national team and be in college at the same time

tobin heath: the coolest cat there ever was, will break your ankles and steal your soul, nutmeg queen ™, looks like she will kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll, surfer dude, dresses like a frat guy, 1/2 of harry, 1/2 of preath, came out of the womb in her tar heels jersey, loves jordan (basketball), and remember kids— you can’t copy cool.

christen press: peace? she is peace, yoga god, can run 32mph and will make you look like an idiot trying to catch her, soft but isn’t afraid to steal your soul with a nutmeg, def watches marie kondo, 1/2 of preath, stanford—actually set their all time scoring record

alex morgan: janice, radiates big gay energy but is surprisingly straight, 100 goals and counting, every goal keepers worst nightmare, looks like she will kill you but is actually soft, a big dork, pink headband ™ , the most popular of the bunch and honestly, rightly so. this woman is a fricking superstar.

emily sonnett: sonny, son, dasani, self proclaimed sit down comedian, frat daddy jr, a walking meme, uswnt professional hype man, big dumbass but we love her, kelley is training her in defense, will score goals in the most random yet most crucial of times (see portland thorns fc playoffs)

kelley o’hara: frat daddy, KO, kevin, karen from legal, worms, scare queen, middle child “we need a bitch, get kelley” -jill ellis, a medical miracle— somehow survived a concussion during the world cup final and then proceeded to drink for the next 7 days to celebrate, will never have to pay for beer ever again, chaotic, mother of her adopted crackheads (sonnett & rose), iconically kissed her girlfriend after the world cup win, stanford, great long balls for assists, has played every position except goalkeeper, brick wall

lindsey horan: THE GREAT HORAN, linessi (for her love of messi), sneaky, best midfielder in my opinion, killer foot, player with the second most number of fouls in the nwsl but also one of the most fouled, amazing assists and headers, went pro straight out of high school bc she’s just great like that, won the ball in duels 116 more times than anyone else in the league (nwsl)

tierna davidson: little t, t, baby gay™, pulls her injured girlfriend around in a wagon, stanford, calm, def a book nerd, probably the most normal out of the bunch, baby becky, under the radar but i can see her becoming big in the future—becky is training her, owns a kelley o’hara stanford jersey and loves it maybe more than anything

allie long: wine mom, 1/2 of harry, 1/2 of pookie, not much to say about her tbh, great passes, loves scaring people, hangs with kelley and alex a lot, content provider, doesn’t get a whole lot of minutes anymore but when she does get them, she doesn’t often disappoint, solid defense most of the time

sam mewis: tower of power, panic petunia, tallest women’s soccer player in history, pale besties with rose, great midfielder, will take the ball from you mid-game if you’re just standing there and not doing anything with it (see wwc final), scored in the top 1% of an IQ test the uswnt and usmnt held, loves reading and harry potter, chaotic when with rose & sonnett

rose lavelle: sweet baby rose, def the next generation of greatness, pale af and she knows it, dork, loves her dog, wilma, more than anything in the world, killer left foot, loves twitter, she’s from ohio and proud of it (i’m biased lol)

crystal dunn: dunny, constantly dancing, has played every position besides goalkeeper—sometimes multiple in one game, worked her ass off to make the 2019 world cup roster after being cut in 2015, bitch is drowning in awards (like seriously, this girl is amazing), underrated friendship with tobin

becky sauerbrunn: broon, usually rolls her sleeves, fishtail braid that she’s not afraid to whip in your face, the united states secretary of defense, loves cats and science fiction, nobody makes her bleed her own blood, got cut in the world cup final and still played the rest of the game despite needing 6 stitches, sophisticated, legally not allowed to leave us until she gets a goal

alyssa naeher: uncle, loves her crosswords, underrated, underestimated, under appreciated, saved our asses in the world cup game against england, quiet but soft

julie ertz: JJ, invented marriage, tough as nails, blue headband ™, will slide tackle anyone who enters her field of vision, she is usually bleeding by the end of a game, uses her body as a weapon, killer headers when she gets the chance, occasionally dresses like a frat guy

abby dahlkemper: bellpepper, this girl beat a sepsis infection and the chance of losing her leg. if that doesn’t say bad ass, idk what will. flies under the radar most of the time but plays some great long balls, especially for alex

carli lloyd: carlos, carla, oldest player on the team and she’s still got it, probably will retire soon :( , loves ice baths, queen of new jersey, beast from the east, can score from midfield and has, truly just legendary and did so much for women’s soccer

morgan brian: moe, bean, second most normal of the bunch, don’t really get to see her play much but when she does, she’s tricky, loves pick up soccer, even though she’s young, she’s a ‘15er, one of four to ever win the MAC hermann trophy two years in a row, kinda died (metaphorically) for a bit and everyone sorta forgot about her after the 2015 world cup but we still love her!

megan rapinoe: pinoe, sorta controversial, love her or hate her, she gets the job done, outspoken, NOT going to the white house, so proud of her younger teammates, big goals, big moments, leaves an impression, occasionally referred to as president pinoe, dating sue bird of the wmba

adrianna franch: AD, one of our goalkeepers, doesn’t get a lot of minutes but that doesn’t mean she’s not good— if you want to see her in action, watch a portland thorns fc game!! chill, funny, engaged to her gorgeous girlfriend

jessica macdonald: jmac, the only mom on the team, doesn’t play often so there’s not much to say about her but she does really well on her club team (north carolina courage), chill

let me know if i forgot anything!!

[writings-of-the-unkown]

I Don’t Care What They’re Gonna Say

requested: yes

pairing:  Alex Morgan x Reader

Y/N- your name

Y/L- your last name

Y/F- your friends name

bold are inner thoughts

italics are text messages 

Warning: gay, only a little ANGST if you squint (sorry not sorry :|)

 1250 Words

A/N: THIS IS FICTION ALL MISTAKES ARE MINE

Good luck tomorrow, I’ll be there in spirit! I text my girlfriend.

She is playing in the World Cup final over in France and being a pediatric surgeon at the best hospital in Orlando, it’s hard to get time off. Plus the team doesn’t know that Alex is bisexual, let alone dating a woman at the moment. My coworkers have suspected that I’ve been dating someone and they know I’m gay because all of the month of June, I am a walking pride parade. Or at least that’s what Y/F says.

Babe, I wish you could be here but your job is important and I totally get that. I love you! Alex replies.

Little does she know, but the chief of surgery is giving me the day off so I will be there actually. I contacted the coaching staff telling them that I was coming to the game, so they offered to get me tickets for the game because the family section is where all the players go to after they win. After I completed my charts and made sure my patients were stable for the day, I went home to finish packing because my flight was in just over three hours and one of the coaches said that they’d send someone to pick me up at the airport. I think my flight lands at roughly 10:45 there and the game starts at 5 so I really only have to hide from Alex for about four hours. I get to the airport and I breeze through security so I have time to get some food and relax before I have to board.

The flight attendants call my boarding group, so I wait in line to be seated. I used my frequent flyer miles to get me a good seat for this red-eye flight. I boarded the plane and immediately get my things ready for the long flight. I grabbed my headphones and started the playlist Alex had made for me. My eyes began to close as exhaustion set in after the long work day.

I was being shaken and when I opened my eyes, the flight attendant smiled.

“We have landed at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. If you have checked any baggage, it will be at turnstial û. Enjoy your time here” She said as she stood up to finish her post flight checklist.

I collected my stuff and got off the plane. I didn’t check any bags so I headed to the transportation section of the airport. I get there and don’t see anyone in U.S. Soccer official gear so I just sit on a bench and wait. I was so absorbed in my phone that someone had to tap my shoulder. I looked up and noticed a young girl.

“Um, excuse me. Are you Y/N Y/L by any chance?” she asked.

“Yeah actually I am. What’s your name sweetheart?” She seemed like a nice girl, she was very respectful. There aren’t that many kids who act this way mostly because of the influence that technology has on people. 

“I’m Angelica and I just wanted to say that you are one of my role models and I just, uh, I just wanted to say thank you for being you” she whispered the end of her sentence.

“Awe, sweetheart. That’s so sweet of you. Here, let’s take a picture together. I’m sorry I look awful” I said with a laugh.

Angelica’s mom comes over and takes our picture. She takes one on my phone and one in hers that way we each have a copy. A horn honks and I notice that it is a U.S. Soccer car so I make my way to it. I wave at Angelica and her mom as we drive off.

I was taken to the hotel the team was staying at and I went to the room I was placed in. I checked the time and noticed that it was almost time to get ready for the game. I put on my Alex Morgan pride jersey that I tucked into my black jean shorts and parried with red high top converse.

I headed back down stairs and the employee took me to the game. We got there after the warm ups had finished so there wasn’t a chance that Alex could see me. I sat in my seat and checked the starting line up. I smiled when I saw that Alex was starting. I was sitting next to a woman with dark brown hair. She was wearing a red Megan Rapinoe Jersey and was kind of fidgety.

“You nervous?” I asked her. She was confused that I was actually talking to her. 

“Yeah, my partner is playing” she said as she wrung her hands.

“Same here, I’m Y/N” I stuck my handout for a hand shake.

“Sue” she grasped my hand firmly.

The drums began to play and the video screen was showing the inside of the tunnel. The starting lineups made their way out for the anthems and then the game got going. 

Alex was taken down in the box in the 60th minute. I immediately jumped to my feet and let out an audible gasp. My heart skipped a beat as it took her a minute to get up.

Please get up, please get up, please please, oh god, please get up. You can’t make me fly all the way to another continent just to watch you get hurt. I swear to god you better get up. My thoughts were going a million miles per hour.

Alex slowly gets to her feet and the defender who took her down is awarded a yellow card. Rapinoe stands over the ball and managed to bury in the back of the net. Sue jumps to her feet. She was tearing up and the word happy didn’t do Sue’s emotion justice.

The game continues and Rose scores a few minutes later and everyone is ecstatic once again. 

The game ended and we won! Alex was given her phone so I texted her to look at the family section. She read it and immediately look around trying to spot me.

We made eye contact with each other. She sprinted over to me and jumped up to the railing. I leaned over the railing and she grabbed my face, instantly pressed her lips to mine. We both smiled into the kiss. 

When we broke away from each other we gazed lovingly at each other.

“Congratulations babe. I’m glad I was able to see you kick ass” I say with a smile. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? And what about your patients?” Alex has always been really concerned about my patients

“Al don’t worry about it. I’ve taken care of it. Plus, I didn’t know you were ready to be out about us” I joked with her.

“Whoops. I’m too happy right now to care about the media is gonna say about me” I was holding her hands and I had tears streaming down my face.

After the game and after parties, Alex finally managed to climb into bed with me. I had gone to bed way before her, not only because I was tired but also because I am not one of the players and the media did not want to talk to me.

I felt the weight of the bed shift and I rolled into her arms. We both fell asleep with smiles on our faces that night.

[dweemeister]

June 27, 2019

By Gwendolyn Oxenham

(ESPN) -- DAYS BEFORE THE first game of the 2019 Women's World Cup, Brian Rapinoe jokingly texted his sister, Megan Rapinoe -- co-captain and star midfielder for the U.S. women's national team: "Megs, breaks my heart that you couldn't fly me out for an all-expenses-paid trip to France." She shot back: "Oh yeah, so sad I couldn't pamper you for a month in France."

An hour before kickoff against Thailand on June 11, the rest of the Rapinoe family found their seats in the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims; Brian charged his ankle monitor and rounded up the other guys in the dormitory at San Diego's Male Community Reentry Program, a rehabilitative program that allows an inmate to finish the final 12 months of his sentence taking classes or working jobs outside of prison.

The MCRP common room might not be France, but it's a vast improvement over solitary confinement, where Brian has watched Megan play in the previous two World Cups. He sat on a couch in his red USA jersey, watching on a 60-inch flat-screen, and felt "f---ing great." He had accomplished a major goal for himself: to get out of prison in time to watch his kid sister play in her third World Cup.

Every time the U.S. scored, the room full of men cheered loudly. Nobody there thought the U.S.'s 13 goals against Thailand and exuberant celebrations after each were done in poor taste. "This is what soccer should always be like," one man said.

"It's the World Cup: There's no f---ing holding back," 38-year-old Brian says. "This is every four years."

And his sister didn't hold back. When Megan scored goal No. 9 for the U.S., she sprinted to the sideline, spun around twice and then slid to the ground for a foot-kicking celebration. As the camera zoomed in on her, one of the guys yelled, "Holy s---, it's Brian!"

He has the same face as his sister.

[furbyhater]

do u have any suggestions for getting into watching soccer? i played it as a kid and a bit as a young adult and it's literally the funnest sport on earth (despite being dreadful). my family doesn't watch sports tho, and idk when the season starts or how long it is or idk. like anything lol. at least i get to vicariously enjoy by seeing ur excitement on ur blog.

Yes I do!! The NWSL is right there for you to get into, and I’m so stoked for you.

Players from the USWNT are scattered all through the league and the games stream on Yahoo sports for free!! We’re in the middle of the season right now, so there is plenty of time for you to become a fan of any and every team.

There are 9 teams:

Reign FC (Washington state): Megan Rapinoe, Allie Long

Portland Thorns: Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Adrianna Franch, Emily Sonnett

Utah Royals: Christen Press, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn,

Houston Dash: Rachel Daly,

Chicago Red Stars: Sam Kerr, Julie Ertz, Tierna Davidson, Morgan Brian, Alyssa Naeher

North Carolina Courage: Crystal Dunn, Jess McDonald, Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis

Orlando Pride: Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris, Marta, Alex Morgan

Sky Blue (New Jersey): Carli Lloyd

Washington Spirit (Maryland): Mallory Pugh, Rose Lavelle

(I included some international players too)

Personally, I’m a Reign fan. They’ve got Megan Rapinoe (my Queen) and tons of other great talent on the team like Lu Barnes, Jess Fishlock, Bev Yanez, and so many others.

You can start by following the league on Instagram to get your feet wet. It’s always fun to follow your favorite players and see what the teams are up to.

It’s gonna be especially fun when the players trickle back in from the World Cup. This is truly the best time to get into the league. I’m always here to talk about it with you! I love this sport and I’m so stoked for you to get into it 😊

[newdaystock-blog]

How To Buy The Best Jerseys For Kids?

So, you’re looking for the best Megan Rapinoe soccer jersey, but this is a common question in your mind as to buy the best jerseys for your kids. Well, when you’re buying stuff for your kids, there is nothing but the best you should pick. Sports jerseys are an indication of the reputation for a person and their material should be such that it doesn’t itch or irritate the skin. Some key considerations play a major role in deciding the jersey type you can entertain your kids with. These include:

Its performance: When looking for Megan Rapinoe jersey for kids, you need to find the one possessing characteristics like moisture-wicking, anti-odor, quick-dry, and easy on the skin. Anything above it, will only improve your stylish sport and help you stay cool during strenuous activities. 

Adds on to their comfort: For kids, it is important to invest in material made out of sweat-wicking fabric to keep you cool, dry, and comfortable in the stands or the field. When you adorn clothes with comfort, they make it even more amazing. 

Satisfaction guarantee: In case you have any problem with the fabric, you should be able to provide a refund or provide an exchange for the same. 

The price: Well jerseys costs vary depending on the material, fabric, and overall customization. A good product can be over a few bucks, but in the end, it will be worth it. Consider the overall price after the detailing to be an easy fit in your monthly budgets. 

For more info visit at: https://www.newdaystock.com/

[jennyboom21]

[no mention of the gayest straight heart throb, Julie Ertz? This is an injustice!]

I grew up as a sporty kid; I remember watching my favorite athletes get slimed on the Kids’ Choice Awards, green goop sludging all over Mia Hamm or Venus and Serena, and wishing I could be as powerful as my favorite athletic superstars. But over time, I lost touch with my inner sporty girl. I let the athletes I idolized fall to the wayside as I became acutely aware of the stereotypes that came with being a “tomboy” who liked sports.

Year later, in 2015, a friend invited me to a sports bar to watch the US women’s national soccer team play in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I accepted the invite, but I had no idea how special that day would end up being. The bar was packed with queer women, painted red, white and blue, even donning US Women’s National Team jerseys with the names of players on their backs: Rapinoe, Lloyd, Morgan. I had never seen anything like it; it was like an all-lesbian reboot of your local sports bar on any given Sunday. Witnessing that made me feel like queer women were finally being welcomed into sports fandom, something I felt we've always wanted in on but were never given the space to really be a part of it. And then I realized why most of the women I was friends with, who weren’t sports fans at all, wanted to watch the game in the first place: Thirst.

The women of the USWNT are hot, yes. But many of them are also openly queer, and are embraced by the public as such, something that’s still fairly uncommon in professional sports. In the 80s, tennis star Billie Jean King was outed as a lesbian, and it tarnished her career. Her involvement in the battles for Title IX, the Equal Rights Amendment, and equal purses in tennis meant she had more than her reputation on the line. Back then, even King herself wrote off the relationship with the woman who outed her as a “fling,” afraid of facing homophobia from the public and from her own parents. She chose to stay married to her husband for the time being. A lot has changed since then.

Today’s USWNT, which is competing against Sweden in the Women’s World Cup for the sixth time on Thursday, has five out queer players: Megan Rapinoe, Adrianna Franch, Tierna Davidson, and Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris, who are engaged to each other. Their coach, Jill Ellis, is also an out queer woman. And these women aren’t just out. They’re heralded as such by queer women and straight sports fans alike. Some, like Rapinoe, have even been elevated to that coveted “athletic superstar” status. An out, conspicuously lesbian athletic superstar? That’s monumental. These women are shredding the stereotypes and negativity that have shrouded female athletes for decades. That’s why they have a literal cult of queer stans who follow them online, and GIF them and tweet about their ship names like they’re pop stars. If that’s not the modern version of “getting slimed on the Kids’ Choice Awards,” I don’t know what is.

I nearly crashed my car to marvel at a towering billboard of Megan Rapinoe, an out lesbian, enlarged to god-like proportions, looking down on the city of LA and juxtaposed with those infamous three words I’ve seen nearly my entire life: Just do it

“Ashlyn [Harris] is who I want to be when I grow up — the hair, the fashion, being able to pull off being a platinum blonde AND a deep brunette. My queer envy knows no bounds when it comes to her,” said Becca Canote, a 29-year old digital content strategist. Canote said she’s always been a sports fan, but upon speaking to other self-identified queer stans of the USWNT, I realized that many of them aren’t into sports — they're strictly USWNT thirst cultists. And that’s more than okay, too.

Molly Priddy, a 33-year old writer, said she started following the team in 2011. “I thought it was a really interesting group of players and also, like, a really attractive group of women with great legs,” she said. But for Priddy, the visibility of players like Rapinoe and Krieger meant “everything” to her. “Having queer women as such visible stars is everything,” she continued. “When I was growing up, the idea of dykes in sports scared all the parents — who would be in the changing rooms with the other girls? Wouldn’t they be predatory in that environment? The answer, obviously, is no, but being an openly gay athlete was and is still a gamble for many athletes. So for these soccer players to be at the top of their game, quite literally, and be open about their sexuality? It’s powerful.”

“I thought it was a really interesting group of players and also, like, a really attractive group of women with great legs,” said Molly Priddy.

And visible they are: In May, Megan Rapinoe became the first out lesbian to pose for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue. The magazine, known for its male gaze, featured a spread with the soccer star that was nothing short of a lesbian gaze; with Megan’s cut abs and soft-butch haircut, the shoot actually seemed to cater toward a queer female audience. That same month, Rapinoe was featured alongside her teammates in a Nike campaign that erected sprawling billboards in New York City and Los Angeles. I drove past one of them in Downtown LA, nearly crashing my car to marvel at the towering image of Megan Rapinoe, an out lesbian, enlarged to god-like proportions, looking down on the city of LA and juxtaposed with those infamous three words I’ve seen nearly my entire life: Just do it. It was powerful. As a lesbian, it made me feel welcomed. It made me feel celebrated.

Megan Steffen, a 22-year old student, told me that this sort of queer visibility actually helped her grapple with her own sexuality, after being raised in a conservative, Christian home. “Especially as a young, closeted girl, the idea of being ‘out’ never felt like a possibility,” she said. “To be gay was something shameful, a loss. Yet as I grew to love the USWNT, I saw the opposite. I saw openly queer women living their lives fully, not seeing their queerness as a loss, but as something that could propel them to win. They had enough confidence to be fully themselves, both on and off the field. For that I’m forever grateful, because they taught me I could be openly queer and still win, that being gay wasn’t an automatic loss.”

So, yes — for many queer women, our love of the USWNT is about thirst. When I asked why they were fans of the USWNT, many of the queer women I spoke with just said “their legs.” But it goes so much deeper than their beautiful, tanned, throbbingly veined legs. This year, there are 34 out queer women competing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, plus one coach (Ellis) and one trainer. Megan Rapinoe is currently part of a class-action lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation, in the most recent iteration of a longstanding dispute which demands equity for its female players. These women are game-changers in more ways than one.

“They represent our ability, as queer women, to be open,” Steffen said. “They represent women’s equality. They represent strength, power, hope, and so much more.”

[cometsweepandleonidsfly]

Editor's note: Megan Rapinoe gave her brother, Brian, a birthday shout-out on national TV after winning the 2019 Women's World Cup, the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer and the Golden Ball as its top player. Here is the story behind their complicated relationship.

DAYS BEFORE THE first game of the 2019 Women's World Cup, Brian Rapinoe jokingly texted his sister, Megan Rapinoe -- co-captain and star midfielder for the U.S. women's national team: "Megs, breaks my heart that you couldn't fly me out for an all-expenses-paid trip to France." She shot back: "Oh yeah, so sad I couldn't pamper you for a month in France."

An hour before kickoff against Thailand on June 11, the rest of the Rapinoe family found their seats in the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims; Brian charged his ankle monitor and rounded up the other guys in the dormitory at San Diego's Male Community Reentry Program, a rehabilitative program that allows an inmate to finish the final 12 months of his sentence taking classes or working jobs outside of prison.

The MCRP common room might not be France, but it's a vast improvement over solitary confinement, where Brian has watched Megan play in the previous two World Cups. He sat on a couch in his red USA jersey, watching on a 60-inch flat-screen, and felt "f---ing great." He had accomplished a major goal for himself: to get out of prison in time to watch his kid sister play in her third World Cup.

Every time the U.S. scored, the room full of men cheered loudly. Nobody there thought the U.S.'s 13 goals against Thailand and exuberant celebrations after each were done in poor taste. "This is what soccer should always be like," one man said.

"It's the World Cup: There's no f---ing holding back," 38-year-old Brian says. "This is every four years."

And his sister didn't hold back. When Megan scored goal No. 9 for the U.S., she sprinted to the sideline, spun around twice and then slid to the ground for a foot-kicking celebration. As the camera zoomed in on her, one of the guys yelled, "Holy s---, it's Brian!"

He has the same face as his sister.

The face, the charisma, the wit, the tendency to burst into song: In so many ways, Brian and Megan are alike. But they are also a study in contrasts: At 15 years old, Brian brought meth to school and has been in and out of incarceration ever since. At 15, Megan played with her first youth U.S. national team and started traveling the world. As a young inmate and gang member, Brian was inked with swastika tattoos -- an allegiance to white supremacy that he now disavows; as a professional soccer player, Megan was the first prominent white athlete to kneel to protest racial inequality.

Despite their different paths, the brother and sister have stayed close through letters, phone calls and texts. "I have so much respect for her. And not just because she's the s--- at soccer. It's her utter conviction in the things that she believes in and the stances she takes against injustices in the world," he says.

"I was her hero, but now -- there's no question -- she is mine."

Megan, right, "worshipped" Brian when they were children. Brian, who is five years older, introduced her to soccer early on.

GROWING UP, MEGAN and her twin sister, Rachael, adored Brian. He was their hero, the charismatic jokester who did Jim Carrey and Steve Urkel impressions and danced ridiculous dances. The girls had three other siblings, but he could make them laugh harder than anyone else could. He taught them how to catch crawfish in the creek, walked them to the patch of field across from the church and taught them soccer until his mother called them in with a two-finger whistle. In the side yard, he set up cones and showed his 4-year-old sisters how to dribble the ball -- with the inside of the foot only, with the outside of the foot only, left and then right. "And it wasn't like he drilled them. He let them do it their own way," says his mother, Denise Rapinoe, her voice cracking. "It was just the cutest thing, and we remember it so clearly."

In elementary school, like her brother, Megan was rough and tumble, and spoke her mind. Her second-grade teacher's aide pulled Denise aside to relay the following scene: Megan came in from the playground, walked into the classroom, stood with her arms on her hips and announced, "Brian Rapinoe is my brother, and I am just like him!"

"I worshipped him," Megan says. "He played left wing, so I played left wing. He wore No. 7; I wore No. 7. He got a bowl cut, so I did too."

So when Brian first started smoking marijuana as a 12-year-old, a 7-year-old Megan was confounded. Why was he doing that? Brian still doesn't know for sure. "Right from the start, I was hooked," he says. "One drug always led to the next." He was also attracted to the "fast life," he says, to getting high, to driving nice cars and to the "hype around this lifestyle." She wanted him to stop, and she was still young enough to think there was something she could do. Three years later, when her parents sat her and Rachael down and told them the police had arrested Brian for bringing meth to school, she cried. He was going to juvenile detention. She did not understand: What had happened to her big brother?

"For many years, Megan and Rachael were pissed as hell," Brian says. "They still loved me, they still let me know they were there for me, but they were like, 'What the f--- are you doing?'"

"My mother is the queen of the family," Brian, left, says of Denise Rapinoe, right. "I just love her so much. I'm such a baby when it comes to her."

BY 18 YEARS OLD, Brian had moved on to harder drugs -- heroin, specifically -- and he became more reckless. He was charged with car theft, evading arrest and a hit-and-run while driving under the influence of drugs -- and now, as an adult, his juvenile detention days were over. He was sent to prison. Within months, he aligned himself with the white prison gang and was inked with Nazi tattoos. A swastika on his palm; lightning bolts on his fingers, sides and calves

These tattoos devastated his family. "The prejudice, the racism -- it was so against the way he'd been raised," Denise says. "He wasn't that kind of kid. He was kind, his nature was so loving."

To Brian, the swastikas weren't about prejudice and racism at that point -- they were about heroin and survival. To support his addiction, he needed to be, in his words, "an active participant in prison culture." The California prison system was segregated. That meant Brian lived strictly among the white population. "You come in as a kid, and there are these older dudes you think you respect, spouting ideas, and you kind of listen," Brian says. "I developed a protect-your-own mentality."

He tried to explain that to his mother. The gang was a family, he said; it was a place to belong. "I told him, 'This is not who we are,'" Denise says. "'This is not who you are.'"

Megan was as heartbroken as her mother. "I thought [the tattoos] were horrible," she says. "I still think they're horrible. I could rationalize them: I understood that when he first got in there, he was searching for identity, trying to survive."

But the big brother she had worshipped? It felt like she had lost him.

As a young player on the U19 U.S. women's national team, Megan wore the No. 7 jersey. It was the number Brian wore when he played soccer.

BRIAN BECAME HEAVILY involved in gang life and racked up charges while doing time: possession of drugs, possession of a deadly weapon, three assaults on other white inmates. He spent eight of his 16 years in prison in solitary confinement for this behavior. By 2007 -- as he was turning 27 years old -- he was transferred to Pelican Bay State Prison in Northern California, the state's only super-max-security prison.

While general population is segregated, solitary confinement is not, and every inmate gets one hour out of his cell to walk the pod. Here, the protect-your-own thinking began to fall away for Brian. "You start relating to people beyond your hood, your area, your color," he says. "It doesn't take long before you start talking with each other, seeing how much you have in common. Back there, it's just you in the cell, and the man next to you is just a man himself."

There's no radio, no television in the individual cells in the hole. Sitting in a cement box, counting the number of holes in the perforated door is "hard; it's definitely hard," he says. "But you find a way to escape. You've got books, you've got writing, some guys draw. And you develop these relations with other people, these connections."

Three times a week, inmates also get three hours outside, albeit in his own cage. "In the yard, you start talking [to other guys] -- sports, music, my sister is always a big ice-breaking conversation. You say [to them], 'When we go back in from yard, you can look at my pictures,' or you say, 'Here's something I wrote.' Maybe you become good friends -- like me and Monster did."

Monster, also known as Sanyika Shakur, is a black nationalist and the author of the bestseller, Monster: Autobiography of an LA Gang Member. He and Brian were on the same pod for two years. Using a line and a weight, they'd send each other long letters from cell to cell, fishing for them beneath the doors. Brian shared the song lyrics he wrote; Monster let him read drafts of his articles and essays. For years, Brian had been a serious reader, consuming everything from the classics, to books about social issues. He'd read The New Jim Crow and learned about how police disproportionately search black men and arrest them for nonviolent drug offenses, and how the War on Drugs decimated communities of color.

"He taught me what it means to be racist," Brian says, "and he taught me what it means not to be racist."

By 2010, the now 30-year-old had a new understanding of what the white supremacist insignias represented. He had his face tattoos lasered off. The swastika on his palm became a spider web; the Nazi lightning bolts became skulls. He did not want any racial insignias on his skin. They did not reflect who he was. But he was still using heroin -- and the next year, he was arrested for selling it.

Brian was behind bars once again -- this time at Donovan State Prison in San Diego.

When Megan scored in the 2011 Women's World Cup against Colombia, she seized the moment and sang Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" -- something, people say, Brian would do.

IN JUNE 2011, Brian had something new to talk about during his hour walking the pod: His little sister was playing in her first World Cup -- and he was going to get everybody to watch.

The 15-inch television was at the other end of the hallway, some 50 yards away. He built a tower out of 60 books and tied them together with torn sheets. Sitting on top of it, he could just see the TV through the window in the door. In an early game against Colombia, Megan roped in a goal, then immediately sprinted to the corner flag, grabbed a cameraman's mic and sang Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." The guys got a kick out of this because Brian was the singer on the pod, and this flamboyant corner-flag serenade was so like him.

Days later, ahead of the quarterfinals against Brazil, all 30 cells on top and all 30 cells on bottom were watching, everybody perched at their doors. Megan -- young and audacious with her signature short blonde hair -- subbed in at the end of the game, and in extra time, sure enough -- boom! -- she sent a 50-yard cross-field ball to U.S. forward Abby Wambach, who headed it home to tie the game. "We were going wild," Brian says. "We were yelling and pounding on the doors."

Later that night, on the prison pay phone, Brian talked with his mom. She described the end of the game, how Megan, having just experienced the craziest, most awesome moment of her life, walked to the stands and stood there, searching through the some 20,000 faces for her mom's. Denise put her two index fingers in her mouth and let out her trademark whistle -- the same whistle she had used when they were kids. She had to do it a second and then a third time before Megan could hear her. Megan tapped her ear. "She was letting me know she heard me," Denise told Brian at the time, choking up -- which made Brian choke up a little, too. He could imagine it.

"Not being there -- it hurt," Brian says.

Another four years passed. This time he was in solitary confinement because of his violent record at the Vista Detention Facility, a lower-security prison, in San Diego County -- and Megan was headed to Canada for her second World Cup. The women would end up winning it all, the first time the team had done so since 1999.

"That was the hardest," Brian says. "I was super happy for Megs and super sad for myself. I fricking love my family so much. They were all there. It was like, f---, man, I'm like not really even a part of this. Yeah, I got a lot of support for her in prison, but when the game is over and the ruckus has died down, I'm sitting in my cell. I'm not there to give her a hug, I'm not there to witness it, I'm not there to be a part of it. It's just another thing in their lives that I'm missing out on. What the f--- am I doing with my life?"

Brian was almost 35 years old. He had spent more than half of his adult life incarcerated.

After Megan kneeled during the anthem in 2016, a former prisonmate called Brian to commend her actions. "What your sister is doing -- it means so much," said Sanyika Shakur, a black nationalist. "She is standing up for people who don't have a voice."

ON SEPT. 1, 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial profiling, Brian was briefly out of prison -- although he was still using heroin. Three days later, Megan kneeled in support while playing for her club team, the Seattle Reign. Then, while playing for the U.S., she did it again.

Brian saved the newspaper article with the picture of her solemn, angled-down face. He watched the YouTube videos of the coverage. He thought, Hell yeah. He also read the comments: "If she was on my team, I'd knock this idiot out. She should be banned from the national squad for life. Such disrespect." He understood that she would anger people, understood the impending fallout. He knew that enrollment in her summer camps and sales of her clothing brand, Be Your Best You, would go down. He thought, My sister is brave; my sister is bad ass.

Like every time before, Brian's freedom proved to be short-lived. By July 2017, he was back up north in Pelican Bay. Back to the regimented, day-to-day prison routine. Where tomorrow is the same as today. His whole life had been a habitual rut; Megan's anthem protest felt like the opposite of that. Her stance showed him there is a way to put a foot down on something in life, in spite of the fallout that will come.

Not long after, he had a breakthrough. His cellmate was helping him inject heroin into the back of his neck when the needle broke. "I freaked out on him, really lost it," Brian says. "And he said to me, 'Look at how you are acting right now.'" And for whatever reason, those words torpedoed into Brian and transformed into personal questions he asked himself. Your whole happiness and peace of mind is focused on this dirty-ass hypodermic needle: Is this what you want? Do you want this cell and this bulls--- powerful persona to be all you are?

He thought about the seven murders he'd witnessed out on the yard. He thought about his own knife fights -- about everything he'd done and been a part of -- just so he could continue to do heroin. He thought about Megan. Look at all she's done with her life -- look at what you've done with yours.

That's when he finally decided he was ready for change. He enrolled in the new self-improvement and rehabilitation classes the California prison system had begun to offer. Each completed class reduced time from his sentence.

Most importantly, after using and selling drugs for 24 years, Brian quit -- and he's been clean for 18 months.

"If I do drugs," he says, "I will go back to prison. I didn't believe that for a long time. Now, I believe that -- I don't ever want to go back."

Shortly before his first day of school at San Diego Community College, Brian met up with a friend from Pelican Bay, Cesar, who is also taking classes. "From the Bay to the books," Brian says. "I am so stoked to begin."

TODAY IS BRIAN'S first day at San Diego City College. As part of the Male Community Reentry Program, he's taking classes to finish up the final year of his sentence, and he has some butterflies. "It's been a long time since I've gone to school -- even when I was in school, it was juvenile hall -- I've never taken anything except regular math. I've never even taken algebra.

Plus, he says, it's a little unnerving to sit in a classroom with 18-year-olds whose experiences have been drastically different from his own. He's self-conscious about his tattoos -- particularly his neck tattoo, SHASTA, inscribed in large gothic letters, the name of the county in which he grew up. "These tattoos, I freaking hate them," Brian says.

But he also knows those tattoos could matter again in the future. He wants to get involved in the juvenile delinquency program, wants to talk to anybody who might be about to jump off the same ledge he did. "These tattoos, it's gonna get their attention," he says. "It's like, dude, you don't think I know what I'm talking about?

"I want to make a difference," he says. "I want to be like Megan."

He had "a really fricking deep conversation" with her about two months ago. They talked about racial profiling; they talked about police brutality; they talked about what Megan's kneeling meant to both of them. Megan saw that in spite of their very different paths, they'd arrived at similar conclusions.

"My brother is special," Megan says. "He has so much to offer. It would be such a shame if he left this world with nothing but prison sentences behind him. To be able to have him out, and to play for him, and to have him healthy, with this different perspective that he has now: This is like the best thing ever."

While Megan is in France, she and Brian text daily -- with game thoughts, encouragement and shared excitement.

"This is one of the most exciting things I can even remember ... just everything really, you, the school, the program," Brian texts.

She replies: "People always ask me what got me into soccer ... your wild ass of course."

"Luckily I played a cool sport. What if I'd been into arm-wrestling or something."

"Oh lawd, yea you really set me up."

"Get some sleep -- love you."

"Lovee you Bri! Let's f---ing go!"

-- Freelance writer Gwendolyn Oxenham is the author of Under the Lights and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women's Soccer.

[sitlascl]

Maya 2019 crack broke

#Maya 2019 crack broke full

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The girls had three other siblings, but he could make them laugh harder than anyone else could. He was their hero, the charismatic jokester who did Jim Carrey and Steve Urkel impressions and danced ridiculous dances. GROWING UP, MEGAN and her twin sister, Rachael, adored Brian. Brian, who is five years older, introduced her to soccer early on. "I was her hero, but now - there's no question - she is mine." Megan, right, "worshipped" Brian when they were children. It's her utter conviction in the things that she believes in and the stances she takes against injustices in the world," he says. And not just because she's the s- at soccer.

#Maya 2019 crack broke professional

As a young inmate and gang member, Brian was inked with swastika tattoos - an allegiance to white supremacy that he now disavows as a professional soccer player, Megan was the first prominent white athlete to kneel to protest racial inequality.ĭespite their different paths, the brother and sister have stayed close through letters, phone calls and texts. national team and started traveling the world. At 15, Megan played with her first youth U.S. But they are also a study in contrasts: At 15 years old, Brian brought meth to school and has been in and out of incarceration ever since. The face, the charisma, the wit, the tendency to burst into song: In so many ways, Brian and Megan are alike. As the camera zoomed in on her, one of the guys yelled, "Holy s-, it's Brian!" 9 for the U.S., she sprinted to the sideline, spun around twice and then slid to the ground for a foot-kicking celebration. "This is every four years."Īnd his sister didn't hold back. "It's the World Cup: There's no f-ing holding back," 38-year-old Brian says. "This is what soccer should always be like," one man said. Nobody there thought the U.S.'s 13 goals against Thailand and exuberant celebrations after each were done in poor taste.

#Maya 2019 crack broke full

scored, the room full of men cheered loudly. He sat on a couch in his red USA jersey, watching on a 60-inch flat-screen, and felt "f-ing great." He had accomplished a major goal for himself: to get out of prison in time to watch his kid sister play in her third World Cup.Įvery time the U.S. The MCRP common room might not be France, but it's a vast improvement over solitary confinement, where Brian has watched Megan play in the previous two World Cups. women's national team: "Megs, breaks my heart that you couldn't fly me out for an all-expenses-paid trip to France." She shot back: "Oh yeah, so sad I couldn't pamper you for a month in France."Īn hour before kickoff against Thailand on June 11, the rest of the Rapinoe family found their seats in the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims Brian charged his ankle monitor and rounded up the other guys in the dormitory at San Diego's Male Community Reentry Program, a rehabilitative program that allows an inmate to finish the final 12 months of his sentence taking classes or working jobs outside of prison. This story, on their complicated relationship, was originally posted on June 27, 2019.ĭAYS BEFORE THE first game of the 2019 Women's World Cup, Brian Rapinoe jokingly texted his sister, Megan Rapinoe - co-captain and star midfielder for the U.S. Editor's note: After leading the United States to the 2019 Women's World Cup title on July 7, 2019, Megan Rapinoe gave her brother Brian a birthday shout-out on national TV.

[am-imagines]

Legendary. USWNT imagine.

A/N: Inspired by a request a saw long ago on @imaginesforyourfandom blog and the song Legendary by Welshly Arms. Recomend to listen to it while reading, I guess.

Additional Tags: Next generation? Implied Preath.

You stare at the five starts on your USWNT kit and you can’t believe it’s real. You reach out to touch the jersey, trying to believe it. You finally made it. You’re part of the team that once held the glory with both hands. You were called up to represent your country even when you’re barely nineteen.

Twenty years have passed since the last championship for the USWNT. Twenty years since that epic match with Harris being subbed in at the 80’ to save a penalty. She kept the score even and gave them a chance. Alex Morgan connected the most impressive volley at 89’ and with the final goal of her career, USA had claimed the top of the world.

You weren’t born yet, but as soon as you started playing soccer you looked up everything about them. That team had been special; almost magical. You heard the tales of women becoming the heroes of a nation, and you found your love for soccer through them.

Sadly, twenty years had gone without another trophy. That team was soon replaced by young talent, by prospects that dreamed to get a taste of victory, but they all had failed. Four world cups had seen the USWNT fall before reaching semis, and now you were there: trying to change history on the fifth.

Your age was just a number; a statement about your talent more than about your lack of experience. You had trained as hard as humanly possible and you were your team’s secret weapon.

The whole world had its eyes on the team; pointing right and left and saying you weren’t the team that conquered all odds.

There was something special about them, no one can ignore that; the team of Krieger, Harris, O’Hara, Heath, Sonett, Press, Rapinoe and Morgan. They changed the soccer world and inspired a revolution beyond anything seen before.

The fifth title finally gave women equal pay and attendance skyrocketed until the league was expanded to match the MLS. With that roaring victory most ended their careers and the golden years vanished with a series of mishaps.

Now it’s on you and this team to bring them back.

“Hey, you okay?”

You turn around to face one of your teammates. Warm browns are concerned as she cups your face and you chuckle. Most of the nerves fade away. You’re part of a great National Team. And you’re ready.

“Yeah. I was just...taking it in.”

You motion to the jersey with your name and number on it. If you didn’t feel about to pass out then you could say it’s just a dream.

“This is surreal, isn’t it? Our first world cup.”

You nod again and change into a kit that feels more like an armor.

This year the USWNT is one of the youngest teams overall, but also one of the best. It’s almost like a revelation for the world, but not for you. You look around to find your goalie wearing Krieger’s number with Harris above it. You find your best friend; number five on her back, with the trademark O’Hara smile. You know Long will orchestrate the offensive from midfield like her mother did and she wears the same twenty.

Joining you on the attack couldn’t be other than Press; wearing Tobin Heath’s number.

The room is filled with legends, but not the ones the world saw live and thrive twenty years ago. No, they see the same names with different faces and talent they haven’t witnessed yet. You’re the next generation of those American heroes, but you’re all warriors of your own.

One Krashlyn’s kid is your goalie. O’Hara is your defensive wall. Long is the bridge you need as a midfielder. Press is sharp enough to cut through any defensive, and all of you are ready to claim the glory once again. You do it for yourselves as much as you do it for the nation.

“Alright, listen up!” One of your coaches calls.

All of you turn to face no one else but Megan Rapinoe standing next to Emily Sonnett. They go over the gameplan one last time and you hang on every word they say. There’s no better mentor than an actual world champion, and you’re lucky enough to have two of them.

Apparently, they couldn’t stand another failed tournament. They took matters on their own hands, and so far, they’re the fire behind this team.

“All of you are here because you deserve to be. We didn’t call you because of last names or personal favors. It was a decision, either you’re good enough or not, and you’re the best our country had to offer. We came here to win, not to sell smoke and mirrors,” Pinoe says firmly. “No one is here because we believe you can do great things. We know.”

“You’ve proved yourselves for weeks, months and even years,” Emily says taking over. “You’ve showed us what you’re capable of, now it’s time to show the world. Remember, play harder, faster, better, and prove to everyone that doubts you that they’re wrong.”

“Don’t forget to have fun.”

“And when we win the cup, we’re not going to the fucking White House,” you add, making everyone laugh.

Pinoe points at you in agreement while Sonett shakes her head at your antics. Still, the joke never gets old and she cracks a small smile in the end.

“Get ready, ladies! The party is about to start!” Rapinoe says as you go to the tunnel.

“You ready?” Press asks you when you stand at the end of the line.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Come on, Morgan. Let’s put on a show.”

You hold your head high as you make it into the field. The number thirteen on your back acts both like a shield and inspiration. When the initial kick takes place, you already know this world cup is going to be legendary.

It couldn’t be any other way.

[rickhorrow]

10 To Watch : Mayor’s Edition 72919

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 29 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Forbes named the most valuable franchises in sports, led by the Dallas Cowboys, who for the fourth consecutive year landed atop the list. The study values the Cowboys at $5 billion, with the Yankees second on the list at $4.6 billion, and Spain’s Real Madrid in third with a valuation of $4.24 billion. Rounding out the top ten are Barcelona ($4.02 billion), the Knicks ($4 billion), Manchester United ($3.81 billion), the Patriots ($3.8 billion), the Lakers ($3.7 billion), the Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), the New York Giants ($3.3 billion), and the Dodgers ($3.3 billion). The NFL dominates the overall list with 26 teams in the top 50. A major contributor was the league’s lucrative media rights deals with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and DirecTV, which saw each team receive more than $260 million last year. Way behind the NFL was the NBA, which had nine teams on the list. Eight European soccer clubs made the list, as did seven MLB franchises. Cowboys owner and Sport Business Handbook contributor Jerry Jones has been credited with driving up the franchise’s value since purchasing it for $150 million in 1989.

The cost of the Raiders' new Vegas stadium has risen to $1.9 billion. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ), the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has reportedly approved $40 million worth of additions to the build, including 20 more suites and a field-level club area near the venue’s north end zone. The LVRJ report added that close to $1 billion has so far been spent on the construction of the 65,000-seat stadium. The new venue is expected to be ready for the 2020 season, when the Raiders are scheduled to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas. The construction project, of which $750 million is being funded by taxpayers, has now passed the halfway stage, with the next major task being the installation of the cable steel roofing system that will support the stadium’s translucent roof. The latest update comes a month after the franchise appointed AEG Facilities to operate the new stadium. Right now, the Raiders are reluctantly in the spotlight as HBO’s “Hard Knocks” documents their every move during NFL preseason camp.

World Cup star Alex Morgan looking to launch female-focused media venture. Morgan, co-captain of the USWNT and World Cup champion, is planning to launch her own media venture focused on storytelling, specifically content for girls created by female athletes. The unnamed project is one of many off-field pursuits for the 30-year-old, recently named one of TIME's 100 most influential people. Morgan has written a series of children’s books about soccer called “The Kicks,” and last year acted in her first movie, a sports comedy called “Alex & Me.” Her sponsors include Nike Inc., Coca-Cola Co., AT&T, and Secret, a deodorant brand owned by Procter & Gamble. Morgan reportedly isn’t planning to launch it in partnership with any major media companies – rather, it’s part of a larger push by women on the team to advocate for gender equality in sports and beyond. “We’re authentic to who we are and what we stand for, and we’re becoming more brave and comfortable in our own skin,” Morgan said. This latest venture shows how the women of the USWNT can continue to use their championship platform to speak up about important issues. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder partnered with the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum to unveil their new City Edition uniforms, a "charcoal and gold Nike uniform [that] pays respect to those affected" by the 1995 bombing there. The Oklahoman reported that it has "long been a Thunder tradition to bring each player to the memorial when he joins the team," but now the team will "put its own imprint on the museum." The team "plans to underwrite a permanent exhibit that will focus on the 'Oklahoma Standard.'" The "three values associated with that standard -- service, honor and kindness -- are also printed above the City jersey’s tag." In addition, a time stamp "appears under each: 9:01, the minute before the bombing, and 9:03, the minute after." The "survivor tree, a 90-year old elm that withstood the blast, appears on the waist band of the shorts." The Thunder also "pledged to fund free admission to the museum once a month" during 2020. The jerseys – a touching way for basketball fans to honor those lost in the tragedy almost 25 years ago – will be available to purchase at a later date.

Williamson signs landmark deal with Jordan Brands. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson's deal with Jordan Brand is for seven years and $75 million, according to a source cited by Forbes. In DC, The Washington Post notes for "comparison purposes," LeBron James signed a seven-year, $87 million deal with Nike in 2003. Williamson "arrives in the league as arguably the most-hyped prospect since James." Rockets guard Russell Westbrook and Thunder guard Chris Paul "have signature lines with Jordan Brand, but as an ascendant superstar, Williamson can quickly become the face of the brand." ESPN reported Williamson "ultimately turned down a higher offer from Puma" and as much as $15 million annually from Chinese brands Li-Ning and Anta "in order to wear Michael Jordan's brand." Williamson could see also his already impressive social media following expand after signing the Jordan Brand deal. Jordan has 33.1 million total followers, with 55% of those on Instagram. Williamson became a social media juggernaut due to his high school and college exploits, amassing almost four million Instagram followers and 390,000 on Twitter. Clearly, this sneaker lace up is a win-win for Williamson and the Jordan Brand.

Nasdaq makes a bet on sports gambling. The New York-based stock-exchange group announced a deal with UK betting platform Football Index to help build its trading platform using tools similar to those Nasdaq uses on traditional stock exchanges. The four-year-old, privately held Football Index launched a virtual “stock market” in 2014 in which participants buy shares in star players like Lionel Messi or Harry Kane. The site provides a mix of fantasy sports and regular sports betting with elements of stock market speculation. The Football Index deal will be the first in which the Nasdaq brand will be visible to gambling customers. Nasdaq has other sports-betting clients including the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which has a monopoly on the Chinese territoryʼs sports-betting market. It also has an agreement to provide betting technology for the horse racing unit of Australiaʼs Tabcorp, a lottery and gambling giant. In both those cases, Nasdaq has supplied back-end technology but its logo and branding did not appear on any consumer-facing products. Football Index says the ultimate goal is to create “recreational markets for retail traders in something they understand a lot better than” traditional financial instruments, such as currencies.

MLS WORKS showcases the soccer league’s philanthropy during 2019 All-Star Week. According to Orlando City FC, MLS’ philanthropic group is rolling out a slate of community-focused initiatives and events in the Orlando area for the MLS All-Star Game on July 31. MLS will offset a portion of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with All-Star Week festivities by purchasing 2,600 carbon offsets from a clean cookstove project in Africa. Supporting the Orlando City Foundation’s commitment to urban agriculture, MLS will invest in a community garden as part of the MLS WORKS + Target All-Star Community Day. And in partnership with Fleet Farming and their Edible Landscape service, a garden will be installed at Neptune Middle School. MLS will also provide funding for South Street Urban Farm’s education program in the Parramore area of downtown Orlando. The charity arm of MLS will also team up to combat hunger and support the Special Olympics as the MLS All-Stars take on La Liga’s Atletico Madrid.

Wasserman Media Group launches The Collective with $1 million for women in sports. According to Philanthropy Women, Wasserman unveiled its new program July 13 and the Collective will offer resources for female-focused initiatives, utilizing the full reach of Wasserman entities to support business and client campaigns. Among the Foundation’s grant recipients are Women in Sports and Events (WISE) and the City of Los Angeles’s Evolve Entertainment Fund. Currently, Wasserman represents 56% of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, 26 WNBA players, and “a number of women Olympians who have won a total of 37 gold medals since 2010.” Representing some of the top women in sports such as Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach, Mia Hamm, and Katie Ledecky, Wasserman Media Group has furthered its commitment to increasing the prominence of top female athletes.

Kevin Durant helps to send kids from Prince George, Maryland to college. The newly-signed Brooklyn Net has opened the Durant Center, an educational facility in his hometown. According to BET, the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation has committed $10 million over the next decade in a partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools and College Track to help minority low-income high school students earn a college degree. The Durant Center is the first College Track center on the East Coast, with the inaugural class of the Prince George’s county program totaling 69 students of color. Enrolled students attend the center after school for tutoring and advising where they are taught life skills, including time and stress management. Last year, Durant donated $3 million to University of Texas Austin, in addition to supporting organizations like the Tulsa Dream Center, Larkin Street Youth Services, and Black Girls Code in San Francisco, and was named ESPN’s 2018 Humanitarian of the Year. This only builds on his philanthropy track record.

The Tom Hatcher charity golf tournament raises nearly $100,000. Six years ago, Tom Hatcher had no idea what he was starting when he decided to organize a charity golf tournament. According to The Daily Times, Hatcher is the circuit court clerk for Blount County, Tennessee and was moved to action by his father, who was in the midst of a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. At this year’s tournament, more than 300 golfers competed for two causes close to Hatcher’s heart. The sixth-annual event raised roughly $100,000, which will be split up and donated to Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc. and the Blount County Boys & Girls Club. The total donations have increased every year, with Hatcher’s inaugural tournament raising $23,000 in 2014. This one’s total bested last year’s by roughly $20,000. By mixing politics, sports, and charity, Hatcher continues to see growing success in raising funds and awareness for the Boys & Girls club as well as Alzheimer’s Tennessee.

[newdaystock-blog]

Why You Need To Wear Team Jersey?

The first and foremost reason for Christen Press Uswnt Jersey or jersey of some other sport to be such a popular element among sports players is the fact that it aids in differentiating teammates from the rivals. The fast pace of sports doesn’t enable players to look at the person’s face before making a move. The clothes make it convenient to know which move to make that can benefit the whole team. In all team sports, or otherwise, people wear distinguished clothes to let other people, playing or not, know which team, nation, school, institute or other organization, they are playing for. Some sports that need sports team jerseys are Football, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Baseball, Rugby, Softball, Volleyball, etc. 

If you wish to buy Megan Rapinoe Jersey for Kids, then you can find the best-quality jerseys online at cost-effective rates.

Every sport’s governing committee has the authority to create rules for every part of the sports player kit. This incorporates guidelines for not just the jersey but also, warm-up custom sweatshirts, custom socks and other accessories that players need to wear.

It is possible that every player has some different background. Players originate from all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities. Normalising the dress kit for players lessens the possibilities of struggling with gap that they might have due to other inequalities. Similarly, in a team sport, the team is above every individual and, the uniform helps enliven that belief. 

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