All eyes will be on United States men’s national team players during the playing of the national anthem ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier versus Panama.
It’s been over a year since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during a rendition of the national anthem, thus, intentionally or not, sparking the most polarizing wave of athlete protests the sports world has seen in decades. Kaepernick’s actions spread to the NFL and also to soccer, as United States women’s national team midfielder Megan Rapinoe knelt ahead of a contest versus Thailand.
Rapinoe’s peaceful and silent show of solidarity with the QB directly resulted in the US Soccer Federation adopting the following policy, as explained by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle: “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”
Neither Rapinoe nor any other US Soccer player who hasn’t stood with teammates on the pitch during the anthem have been punished by the federation, and it remains unclear what, exactly, would happen if multiple members of any US national team failed to “stand respectfully” while the Star-Spangled Banner played at an arena or stadium.
The topic of national team players potentially protesting reentered headlines less than a week ahead of Friday’s pivotal World Cup qualifier between the United States and Panama. Per the previously mentioned Carlisle, men’s national team manager Bruce Arena approached the question without giving a definitive answer:
"“I think our guys are focused on the game. They have constitutional rights like anybody else. I can’t tell you what would happen if someone expressed themselves in protest, if that’s what that is.“I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t anticipate that happening.”"
Arena also said he expects players would approach him before making any protest, and that none have done so as of Carlisle’s post.
The coach’s public comments about what has, understandably and predictably, become a sensitive topic suggest he wouldn’t be bothered about any anthem protest, to a point, so long as the matter was addressed beforehand. That’s fair. Any coach asking a player, or players, to give advance warning about something that’s going to spark controversy and lead to questions from media members isn’t unreasonable.
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Real life, of course, isn’t so simple. Those watching the USMNT face Panama either at Orlando City Stadium or via television make up a diverse group. Some will support such protests. Others will claim they’re offended. Pockets of fans will offer “stick to sports” takes. There will likely be those who won’t care either way, and just want to see the Americans qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The United States currently sit fourth in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. A home loss to Panama, third in the group, would guarantee Panama a spot in next year’s World Cup, and it would force the US into a scenario where a fourth-place group finish and subsequent success in November’s intercontinental playoff was their only route to Russia. In short, those marching in Arena’s army need no distractions before Friday’s kickoff.
The US squad that will take the pitch Friday will represent the federation and also the nation’s footballing hopes. Supporters, customers and casual viewers wanting the players to stand unified during the anthem makes sense. Those players are athletes who will be on the job that night, but they’re also people, grown men from various backgrounds who feel differently about all kinds of matters. It’s likely at least a few of those individuals are considering some form of protest in the days leading up to the match.
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There’s no right or wrong answer regarding the subject. It’s about personal beliefs, political opinions, and whether or not the footballers involved want to use forums to spark debates and attract attention to specific topics. We don’t know what Arena has said to his players behind the scenes, if anything, about anthem protests, but comments he made to reporters opened the door for demonstrations.
We’ll see if any players walk through that opening Friday night.