'This country backed our team': Praise for US Soccer pours in as players promise brighter future



A loss to Belgium should not overshadow remarkable achievements and accomplishments by the United States as one of the World Cup host countries.

While the tournament is over for the United States, current and former players are trying to let fans know that this isn’t the end, but rather the start of what will be a more competitive future for the sport in America.

'Hold your head high, and don't for a second stop dreaming.'

Things fell apart at the end of the round-of-16 match against Belgium on Monday, with U.S. Soccer eventually losing 4-1. However, star players like Christian Pulisic said they were disappointed in their performance and thought the team did not reach its full potential.

"I'm disappointed with myself, of course, but I'm going to try to stay positive. I did a lot of good things, and the team did as well," Pulisic said after the game, per ESPN.

After calling it an "unfortunate way to finish," Pulisic said while he fell short of the moments he was hoping to have, he believed the team was on its way to getting to that next level.

Former U.S. players stepped in on Monday to back that reality up and said the sport and team is in a way better spot than when the tournament started.

"You can't get away from talk shows talking about soccer, the U.S. men's national team, talking about these individuals and how brilliant they've been," former USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan said, according to Fox Sports.

"They should be extremely proud of what they've been able to do," he added.

RELATED: Referee at center of World Cup red-card scandal was investigated for match-fixing in Brazil

In a tournament that saw a seemingly unlimited amount of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Jay-Z, Tom Cruise, and more, the game of soccer seems to have been elevated to a place that hasn't been seen in the United States.

This is what so many former players urged hardcore fans to think about, including former midfielder Maurice Edu, who said, "The bigger picture still exists."

His message to the team included, "Hold your head high, and don't for a second stop dreaming, stop daring yourself to be the best version of this national team that we've ever seen. Don't, for a second, ever, question what your ability is and what the standard is."

Another former USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard, echoed that sentiment, declaring on his YouTube channel that the team "brought this country to new heights" and should be praised for what they did for soccer in the United States.

"This team should be proud, should be proud of what they achieved together. ... This country backed our team. They gave what they had and came up short," Howard concluded.

RELATED: Report: Trump personally involved in FIFA overturning USA player's suspension

Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Many agree that the game U.S. Soccer put on the field attracted more fans than ever before, with former U.S. midfielder Sacha Kljestan saying it brought him pride to see "a lot of young kids out there and a lot of fans."

Kljestan focused on "that casual sports fan that locked in on this team and was so excited to watch them play. That was special."

The casual fan was certainly brought out when looking at online engagement, where even CNN anchor Jim Sciutto made a patriotic X post saying the team had triumphant moments and, at times, "looked magical."

Other fans said they had never seen the United States "dominate games like they did this World Cup."

Wrapping up what seemed to be the most prominent takeaway from experts, another fan wrote on X, "The USMNT is young."

"They need to build physical strength and get the experience. ... Dropping out at the round of 16 is not embarrassing."

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Referee at center of World Cup red-card scandal was investigated for match-fixing in Brazil



Referee Raphael Claus has become the center of attention since issuing American player Folarin Balogun a pivotal red card last week.

However, this isn't the first time the Brazilian referee has been the focus of controversy with a governing body.

'Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA.'

The FIFA World Cup's red card heard around the world, which landed Balogun a one-game suspension, came in the 64th minute of the U.S.' 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday.

Even though FIFA lifted Balogun's match ban on Sunday — after a call from President Trump — eyes have been fixated on Claus after details of a match-fixing scandal in his home country have re-emerged.

Claus, along with two other Brazilian referees, were called to testify before a 2024 Senate Parliamentary Inquiry Commission on the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting in Brazil.

According to Brazilian outlet O Dia, Claus and fellow referee Daiane Caroline Muniz were asked to participate in secret sessions regarding particular games in the Brasileirão, the top Brazilian soccer league, where Claus refereed the game and Muniz was working on the video review team.

For both the 2022 and 2023 Brazilian Championships, the two were asked to provide clarification on their use of video review and "any possible influences on match results."

The investigation included videos provided by Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo FR that purportedly showed unaired video footage that contradicted the decisions made by the referees.

That wasn't the only accusation made in the report.

RELATED: Report: Trump personally involved in FIFA overturning USA player's suspension

Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

Another item that caught the attention of Brazilian soccer officials was the shocking number of games Claus and Muniz worked on together: 11. This was found to be unusual, as it greatly exceeded the typical limit for referees working together, which is a maximum of three, according to O Dia.

Botafogo also reportedly asked that Claus not be allowed to referee one of the team's matches.

The Sporting News also reported that Claus has been accused of handing out "irregular red cards."

At the same time, former referee Glauber do Amaral Cunha was pulled into the investigation over audio where he is allegedly heard complaining about not being able to manipulate a "smaller division" game.

In the end, Claus was found not guilty by the Brazilian Football Confederation and faced no charges. Per the New York Post, investigators found no direct evidence linking Claus to any schemes, and he was not punished.

Muniz is still listed on FIFA's website as a referee and video match official, and Cunha retired before the investigation began.

The Trump call

Blaze News previously reported that President Trump may have placed a phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask if FIFA's governing body would review the red card. Blaze News has since independently verified that was indeed the case, with subsequent follow-ups revealing that the president was first notified of the incident by White House FIFA World Cup Task Force executive director Andrew Giuliani.

By Wednesday night, Politico reported, the White House put in motion its attempts to appeal Balogun's suspension, and what followed has been described as four days of lobbying, legal maneuvering, and diplomacy.

Trump made the call on Thursday and, by his own admission, told the FIFA boss "that wasn't a foul."

Trump also said Claus is "a little bit suspect if you check his past" and "made a call that nobody could believe" last week.

"So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA," Trump added.

Meanwhile, Giuliani focused on Claus and those same controversies from recent years. Senior government officials reportedly reviewed Claus' story, making sure to evaluate every angle that they could use in their appeal.

By Sunday, FIFA had decided Balogun did not deserve a suspension, but rather a probationary period, although it did not publish a report on the decision reached by its 18-person disciplinary committee.

RELATED: Trump's USA World Cup watch party a raucous hit on National Mall

The Post reported that Claus has given out just the one red card in 23 international matches and averages more than four yellow cards per match in Brazil.

Claus also refereed two matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar: England vs. Iran and Canada vs. Morocco.

FIFA and the Brazilian Football Confederation did not responded to requests for comment from Blaze News.

The United States and Belgium play at 8 p.m. ET on Monday at Lumen Field in Seattle.

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USWNT players adopt victimhood, but wait until you see what their actual salaries are



While the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has many beefs, one of the women's biggest complaints has been their “disparaging” salaries compared to what their male counterparts earn.

“They did work out a deal where they share equally with the men’s team, all the revenue, despite the fact that they’re not bringing it in,” says Pat Gray, clearly annoyed by the flagrant entitlement.

Their salaries must have been abysmal for such a drastic shift, right?

Well, not exactly.

“The number-one highest-paid women’s soccer player on this planet: Alex Morgan from the United States,” reports Pat. “What did she make? $70K a year? $80K a year?”

Turns out $7.1 million is her actual salary.

“How is she getting by?” asks Jeffy, who can’t quit laughing at the absurdity.

But Alex Morgan isn’t the only player making it big.

Megan Rapinoe earns $7 million, and Trinity Rodman earns $2.3 million.

“How do you make ends meet on just $2.3 million?” Pat jokes.

Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, and Sophia Smith all earn $2 million a year as well.

Clearly these professional athletes aren’t struggling to make ends meet.

And yet, even though they now share revenue with the men’s team, “they just got permission from the U.S. Soccer Federation … to go ahead and kneel during the national anthem again.”

“It’s pathetic,” says Pat. “[You’re] millionaires and you’re not bringing in the same revenue as the men, so you got a sweet deal for yourself – what are you complaining about?”

“It almost makes one want to not root for them,” Jeffy says.

Pat agrees, adding, “you’ve got to push pretty hard” for him to “[want] the U.S. National Team to lose, but that’s what they’ve done to me.”


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US women's soccer — in search of 'equal pay' with men for years — says offer to get same contract proposals as men akin to 'PR stunts'



On the hunt for "equal pay" with men for years, the organization that represents American women soccer players said the U.S. Soccer Federation's offer to make female players' contract proposals identical to male players' contract proposals is akin to "PR stunts."

USSF's PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement. In contrast, we… https://t.co/i4UpSlGWQ6

— USWNT Players (@USWNTPlayers) 1631721725.0

"USSF's PR stunts and bargaining through the media will not bring us any closer to a fair agreement," the United States Women's National Team Players Association tweeted Wednesday in reaction to the offer. "In contrast, we are committed to bargaining in good faith to achieve equal pay and the safest working conditions possible. The proposal that USSF made recently to us does neither."

While the women's national team has been winning quite a bit more than the American men's team over the last several years, it's argued that female players don't earn as much as male players — and should. However, actual numbers aren't crystal clear, particularly due to how multiple revenue streams are deployed and differences in compensation structures (e.g., the women receive salaries while the men don't).

How did U.S. Soccer respond?

U.S. Soccer fired back at the women's players' association on Twitter: "An offer on paper of identical contracts to the USWNT and USMNT, and to discuss equalizing prize money, is real, authentic, and in good faith. A publicity stunt is a 90-minute one-sided movie."

What did star player Alex Morgan have to say?

U.S. women's forward Alex Morgan said her fellow players were cautiously optimistic, ESPN reported.

"We still need to chat about the statement given by U.S. Soccer. But any commitment to equal pay publicly is good," Morgan said Wednesday, the outlet noted. "However, we need to look line by line at what they're actually providing, because if you have equal but it's not even what we got before, or to the value that we are, then we still consider that to be not good enough."

Morgan added, "We don't want to start the new year without a new CBA in effect, so that's the number one priority of our PA, of our legal team. Looking at the [USSF] statements, it's difficult to say, we want to feel encouraged and we want to be optimistic, but we have seen a lot of statements before. What we really want to do is see what we can do at the negotiation table, see those statements be put into action in those negotiations. So of course we're always hopeful. Under the new proposal put forward by the USSF, it said it also wouldn't agree to a CBA with either team that didn't take the important step of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money."

ESPN reported in a separate story that FIFA offered $30 million in prize money to the 2019 Women's World Cup teams — while in the men's teams in 2018 got $400 million.

More from the outlet:

The USWNT sued U.S. soccer's governing body in 2019 over allegations of gender discrimination in compensation and nearly every other aspect of its playing conditions.

Months later, the team won a fourth World Cup as fans during the final chanted, "Equal pay."

The lawsuit, which sought $66 million in damages under the Equal Pay Act, was dismissed, but the USWNT has since appealed.

The USWNT's current labor agreement expires at the end of 2021, while the men's team has been operating under the terms of a deal that expired in 2018.

Anything else?

In 2019, Carlos Cordeiro — then-president of U.S Soccer — responded to the equal pay lawsuit by saying USSF paid the women players more over the course of a decade even though the team has lost millions of dollars overall.

In 2020, U.S. Soccer apologized for arguing in court that women players aren't as skilled and athletic as their male counterparts.

The U.S. women's soccer team suffered embarrassing defeats at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this summer and failed to win an expected gold medal. In fact, many Americans rooted against the team over its propensity for anti-American kneeling protests prior to games.

Are the U.S. women's soccer team players paid less? The gender pay gap explained | The Fact Checkeryoutu.be

US Soccer Athletes' Council expels member who opposed allowing players to protest national anthem



The U.S. Soccer Federation's Athletes' Council voted to remove member Seth Jahn on Sunday, alleging the former captain of the U.S. Soccer 7-a-side Paralympic team made racially insensitive comments that demanded his immediate removal.

What is the background?

On Saturday, the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Council voted to formally repeal its policy that required athletes to stand during the playing of the national anthem.

ESPN reported:

The vote to repeal Policy 604-1, which took place at the USSF's annual general meeting on Saturday, received 71.34% of the weighted vote. The policy had already been repealed by the USSF board of directors last June, but it still required a vote from the National Council, which comprises hundreds of voters from across the country representing stakeholders from the youth, adult amateur and professional constituencies, as well as the athletes' council.

What did Jahn say?

Prior to the vote repealing the policy, Jahn, a U.S. military veteran, spoke out for seven minutes voicing his opposition to repeal.

Jahn centered his criticism on two issues over which athletes have protested the national anthem: policy brutality and slavery.

On the first, Jahn claimed police brutality is "a narrative with relatively zero data to substantiate it." On the second, Jahn appeared to downplay the significance of race-based chattel slavery, which existed in America between the 17th and 19th centuries.

"I keep hearing how our country was founded on the backs of slaves, even though approximately only 8% of the entire population even owned slaves," he said. "Every race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point time. Blacks have been enslaved. Hispanics have been enslaved. Asians most recently in our country in the freaking 20th century have been enslaved. Natives have been enslaved. Whites have been enslaved."

Jahn went on to say that he supports the First Amendment rights of others, but explained he believes individuals should not express their political opinions when collectively representing America.

"United we stand, divided we kneel," he said.

How did the federation respond?

The U.S. Soccer Athletes' Council voted Sunday to remove Jahn, claiming he violated U.S. Soccer's "prohibited conduct policy, specifically the section on harassment," the Athletic reported.

The Athletic characterized Jahn's comments as "racist and historically inaccurate."

In a statement, the U.S. Soccer Athletes' Council said Jahn's removal was "effective immediately" and said the council wanted to be "unequivocal in its condemnation" of Jahn.

The statement read, in part:

The Athletes' Council does not tolerate this type of language and finds it incompatible with membership on the Council. While the Council understands that each person has a right to his or her own opinion, there are certain opinions that go beyond the realm of what is appropriate or acceptable.

How did Jahn respond to his removal?

Jahn, who served three tours in Afghanistan during his special forces military career, went scorched-earth on U.S. Soccer.

"I will never apologize for the statements I made, and will never bow down to the mob mentality of intimidation, bullying, or the social media warrior's gestapo tactics," he said. "I'm embarrassed to represent a hypocritical federation that conducts a complete assault on diversity of thought."

My apology letter: https://t.co/QLaHhjXDfn
— Seth Jahn (@Seth Jahn)1614522147.0