#puerto rico wnt

[tequeirozgio]

Sydney Martinez's performance today ooomph 😮‍💨 she's someone to watch for sure

[sapphiccj]

kind of obsessed with puerto rico’s keeper

[rookieforlife]

🙏🏽💞

[junker-town]

Sports and politics, explained by a photo of Ron Rivera holding a USWNT jersey

It’s (almost) all connected.

Let me start by saying something that is hopefully obvious: Ron Rivera can and should root for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, since he seems to be so inclined. I am jealous of his custom jersey.

Coach is ready for GAMEDAY! #OneNationOneTeam https://t.co/iJ0eNF3168

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) January 28, 2020

The photo of him holding said jersey would probably not be quite as remarkable if it weren’t taken in front of the name and logo of his new employer, the Washington NFL team, in front of a racial slur and a caricature of an indigenous man.

That team, like many others at every level of American sports (including the Kansas City Chiefs, who are preparing to compete in the Super Bowl where their fans will once again bastardize Native American culture with crude costumes and the inescapable “Tomahawk Chop”), uses the indigenous peoples of North America as a mascot. Such imagery turns the survivors and the victims of a centuries-long genocide — perpetrated in the name of “liberty and justice for all” — into a mythical, subhuman “other.”

The dissonance of Rivera touting his allegiance to his country — in this case, via cheering for its athletic supremacy and sporting the colors of its flag — in front of an offensive depiction of the very people who were systematically murdered to create it, is jarring. It’s like when the Washington NFL team is scheduled to play on Thanksgiving, a holiday designed around the lovely lie that the United States was founded with some friendly negotiating over a good meal and not the violent destruction of an entire way of life. Or when you hear someone singing about the “land of the free and the home of the brave” to entire stadiums of people literally wearing their racism on their sleeve. Those same fans listen as they wait to watch teams comprised mostly of Black men play a sport with a 100 percent injury rate for less money than they deserve, all so billionaires (called their “owners”) can profit hand over foot.

Like the women whose jersey he’s understandably proud to wear, Rivera is often billed as a trailblazer: the first Mexican and Puerto Rican NFL player; the first American of Puerto Rican descent to win a Super Bowl; the second Latino coach to win a Super Bowl.

Rivera was born in California, but his father is from Puerto Rico — the beautiful island commonwealth with a status as an unincorporated American territory which prevents its citizens from voting for the president and having representation in Congress, but not from paying federal taxes. His mother’s family immigrated from Mexico, crossing the same border where would-be migrants are currently being unlawfully and unethically detained by American authorities to the point of potentially violating international human rights laws.

He shares the jersey — presumably, based on his wording, a gift — of the most popular team of women athletes in the world right now as part of what’s become popular social media marketing trope for women’s sports organizations: Look at this famous MAN (bonus points if he is also an athlete) who likes to watch WOMEN play sports! How implausible and good! The man is no longer simply a person who likes something fun. Instead, he is a symbol of how women’s sports become worthwhile when men, the inherently superior athletes and thus arbiters of legitimate competition, decide they are.

The U.S. Women’s National Team is an easy one to like. First of all — and one hopes, naively, most importantly — they are good. Second, they are majority white, majority straight and mostly attractive, according to cisgender, white heteropatriarchal standards. Not characteristics they have any choice in the matter about, of course, but still characteristics that always impact which women get attention and respect or not (just ask the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Team). Third, they are competing under the banner of the stars and stripes, inciting nationalism and tribalism in hopes of getting people to ignore their somehow-even-more-deeply-entrenched sexism. Historically, getting people to cheer for women athletes when they also get to cheer “U-S-A” — or even for their alma mater — has been exponentially easier than it is otherwise. In practice, this means women athletes get the most attention at the Olympics, a wholly corrupt institution incompatible with any progressive vision of contemporary global society, the same contest the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is competing to qualify for.

So we accept a vague gesture towards gender equality couched in the same nationalistic fervor that has been, and will continue to be, a rationale for neocolonialism. We accept that America continues to treat its long history of systemic oppression and state violence as no more serious than a rallying cry for a football game. We accept that rooting for women is still something men apparently deserve a cookie for. Not happily, but for at least as long as it takes to look at this goofy picture, we accept it.

Thankfully the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is pretty fucking great, and I guess at least Rivera (for some reason, notably) understands that.

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Moore denies allegations in new TV interview; 8-year-old New Jersey boy in spirit of giving back to Puerto Rico

[circle111e-blog]

U.S. WNT PLAYERS READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS

READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS

Acquired by Chicago from Boston for the 2016 season, Naeher started in all 13 games she appeared on this year, recording six clean sheets and tied for first place in the league. She is up for the 2016 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award. Naeher has also started three games for the USA this year and has a 3-0-0 record while allowing only one goal

In just her second NWSL season, Mewis started all 14 games she played for Western New York this year and scored five goals, third-most on the team. She has played in 10 games for the WNT in 2016 and scored her first international goal this year – a long-range shot from just inside the box against Puerto Rico during Olympic Qualifying.

When the National Women's Soccer League playoffs commence on Friday, Sept. 30 (8 p.m. ET on FS1) as the Washington Spirit host the Chicago Red Stars, and on Sunday, Oct. 2 (5 p.m. ET; FS1) when the Portland Thorns welcome the Western New York Flash, 11 U.S. Women's National Team players will see action with their respective teams as they compete against each other for a chance to claim the coveted NWSL Championship trophy.

The NWSL recently completed its historic fourth season, and amidst tough competition and passionate rivalries, four teams rose above the rest: Portland Thorns FC, Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars and Western New York Flash.

The Thorns lead the way with five WNT players, while the Red Stars have three, the Spirit has two and Western New York has one. All 11 players are of course key contributors to their clubs, which only strengthens the already existing bond between a domestic professional league in the USA and the National Team.

We take a look at the WNT players on each playoff team and look back at their NWSL regular season performances:

Portland Thorns FC

Tobin Heath: Heath's excellent year on the field has certainly drawn acclaim for her play both for club and the National Team. In 14 games played this season for PTFC, Heath set up 10 goals, a new Thorns and NWSL record for most assists in a single year, which has placed her in the running for the 2016 NWSL Most Valuable Player award. A handful of those assists were for her club and country teammates, Allie Long and Lindsey Horan. In addition to her assists record, Heath has scored one goal for Portland, and scored four goals while recording seven assists for the USA. The latter includes this perfect pass to Carli Lloyd in the WNT's most recent game against the Netherlands on Sept. 18 in Atlanta.

Lindsey Horan: Horan, who just completed her first regular season in the NWSL after playing professionally in France for three years, started and appeared in 15 games for the Thorns, scoring five goals. Out of those five, her most important one probably came this past Sunday when her diving header found the back of the net for the game-winning goal in the 3-1 Portland victory against SBFC that clinched the 2016 NWSL Shield. Horan has scored two goals for the USA this year, adding four assists and appearing in all but one game.

Soccer Elite Group would like to thank Team Mobile Sports CLICK HERE the full article.

The post U.S. WNT PLAYERS READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS appeared first on Soccer Elite Group.

[circle111g-blog]

U.S. WNT PLAYERS READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS

READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS

Acquired by Chicago from Boston for the 2016 season, Naeher started in all 13 games she appeared on this year, recording six clean sheets and tied for first place in the league. She is up for the 2016 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award. Naeher has also started three games for the USA this year and has a 3-0-0 record while allowing only one goal

In just her second NWSL season, Mewis started all 14 games she played for Western New York this year and scored five goals, third-most on the team. She has played in 10 games for the WNT in 2016 and scored her first international goal this year – a long-range shot from just inside the box against Puerto Rico during Olympic Qualifying.

When the National Women's Soccer League playoffs commence on Friday, Sept. 30 (8 p.m. ET on FS1) as the Washington Spirit host the Chicago Red Stars, and on Sunday, Oct. 2 (5 p.m. ET; FS1) when the Portland Thorns welcome the Western New York Flash, 11 U.S. Women's National Team players will see action with their respective teams as they compete against each other for a chance to claim the coveted NWSL Championship trophy.

The NWSL recently completed its historic fourth season, and amidst tough competition and passionate rivalries, four teams rose above the rest: Portland Thorns FC, Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars and Western New York Flash.

The Thorns lead the way with five WNT players, while the Red Stars have three, the Spirit has two and Western New York has one. All 11 players are of course key contributors to their clubs, which only strengthens the already existing bond between a domestic professional league in the USA and the National Team.

We take a look at the WNT players on each playoff team and look back at their NWSL regular season performances:

Portland Thorns FC

Tobin Heath: Heath's excellent year on the field has certainly drawn acclaim for her play both for club and the National Team. In 14 games played this season for PTFC, Heath set up 10 goals, a new Thorns and NWSL record for most assists in a single year, which has placed her in the running for the 2016 NWSL Most Valuable Player award. A handful of those assists were for her club and country teammates, Allie Long and Lindsey Horan. In addition to her assists record, Heath has scored one goal for Portland, and scored four goals while recording seven assists for the USA. The latter includes this perfect pass to Carli Lloyd in the WNT's most recent game against the Netherlands on Sept. 18 in Atlanta.

Lindsey Horan: Horan, who just completed her first regular season in the NWSL after playing professionally in France for three years, started and appeared in 15 games for the Thorns, scoring five goals. Out of those five, her most important one probably came this past Sunday when her diving header found the back of the net for the game-winning goal in the 3-1 Portland victory against SBFC that clinched the 2016 NWSL Shield. Horan has scored two goals for the USA this year, adding four assists and appearing in all but one game.

Soccer Elite Group would like to thank Team Mobile Sports CLICK HERE the full article.

The post U.S. WNT PLAYERS READY FOR NWSL PLAYOFFS appeared first on Soccer Elite Group.

[rookieforlife]

All these teams deserve better.

[eh-zed-oh]

Puerto Rico vs Mexico, CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifiers (10 Feb 2016)

[donatellaholland]

Oh my god the Puerto Rico team looks full of children. It makes the USWNT team look like grandmas. I wonder what their average age is. 

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Trump tweets that FEMA, the military and first responders cannot stay in Puerto Rico forever; Chris Harris was killed while deployed in Afghanistan, but his wife has good news for his military family

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Trump makes offhand comment about Puerto Rico throwing US budget "a little out of whack"; Tom Petty's music inspired generations of people

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Millions desperate for food, water and fuel in Puerto Rico; 11-year-old boy writes essay calling his older brother his hero

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Puerto Rico's governor begs the federal government for help after Hurricane Maria; History is made as the Marine Corps welcomes its 1st female infantry officer

[endtimewatchman]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Thousands in Puerto Rico are told to evacuate as a new disaster unfolds; Walmart tests out a new grocery delivery service