U.S. Soccer Players Will No Longer Be Punished For Kneeling During National Anthem

So far, Washington Spirit rookie Kaiya McCullough is the only one other than Rapinoe who has publicly said she will kneel.

U.S. Soccer announced its Board of Directors voted to repeal the policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem. Of course, famously, Megan Rapinoe had taken a knee during the anthem previously. Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with SI's Luis Miguel Echegaray about why the policy shift was made and what it means about public sentiment in the country and for soccer, and leagues like the ML going forward.

Read the full video transcript:

Robin Lundberg: U.S. soccer has announced it voted to repeal a policy that required players to stand during the national anthem. The policy was originally put in place after Megan Rapinoe knelt before a National Women's Soccer League game. For more, I'm joined now by our Luis Miguel Echegaray. And Luis, if the concern at first was backlash to a player like Rapinoe kneeling, I think it's a real commentary on how we've shifted that now, perhaps the concern is backlash for this policy remaining in place. 

Luis Miguel Echegary: Yes, correct. Robin, I mean, listen, we can have a debate, obviously, about this, which is the right one, which is this appeal. This policy shouldn't have even happened in the first place. As you mentioned, it was instilled in 2017 after Megan Rapinoe initially actually started doing it in NWSL for her club. And then once she wore the United States women's national team kit and started kneeling in a friendly that's where the policy came into place. Now, U.S. soccer has repealed it, apologized, but I think there needs to be way more, because actually, if you look into context, some of the things that they wanted to do with this policy was to ban players from even, playing--like three match suspensions, et cetera, et cetera. Now, there's also the conversation, of course, of MLS and NWSL on what they already, you know, stood for even before this policy. But, yes, the first part is this: that U.S. soccer as of now has now repealed that policy. 

Robin Lundberg: Luis, how do you expect this to impact, say, the NWSL and MLS as those leagues are set to resume? 

Luis Miguel Echegary: Yes, so NWSL on MLS both, actually, Robin, even before this policy in 2017 have always been supportive of players, staff to, you know, action ably have the right to protest. They've never really created a policy. There's no ban. So that could have been done even before the 2017 installment policy by U.S. soccer. Now, NWSL is the first league that's really coming back in the US with the Challenge Cup at the end of this month. And they will play the anthem in games, but it will be up to CBS, who's streaming it, if they want to show it. But players have every right to do it. MLS are coming back at the beginning of July with their own tournament in Orlando. And Don Garber has stated that their anthem will not be played. Basically saying that that is not even appropriate due to the fact there's not even fans present. In terms of players, publicly only one at this point since Megan Rapinoe--and that's Washington spirit rookie Kaiya McCullough--has said that she will intend to kneel if the anthem is played. But MLS and NWSL has always supported players and their right to protest and kneel during the anthem. 

Robin Lundberg: Luis, appreciate your time, as always. 

For more soccer coverage:

• USWNT Calls for U.S. Soccer to Repeal National Anthem Kneeling Policy

• Soccer in Spain Resumes With Continuation of Suspended Second-Tier Match

• What's Known–and What Isn't Yet–About MLS's Return-Plan Tournament