Becky Sauerbrunn is queen

Becky defined the era for me. She should’ve been the sole captain for so much longer than she was. Alex was the face of the team, sure, but Becky was the brains, the heart, and the ever-steady hand. Always there to be relied upon.

I still remember her getting the start in the 2011 wwc semifinal against France only because of the red card Buehler had gotten in the infamous Brazil game. I remember thinking that was a BIG ask of someone who had hardly any caps, but she really never let us down did she?

I think of that time in the 2015 wwc often when JJ made a mistake that cost us a goal and Becky just cupped her face and told her it was alright and there’s still work to do.

And on a 2019 team that was so unbelievably stacked, she was arguably one of the most important.

I hate the way that 2023 unfolded for her (and the team in general) and I’m not surprised in the slightest that she’d announce it like this and go out with as little fanfare as possible.

For her to have such a huge legacy for all the behind the scenes work - for equal pay and collective bargaining protections for both the nwsl & uswnt - speaks to her immense and irreplaceable character.

I felt similarly when Pinoe retired, that what bums me out the most about this current era for the uswnt is that we seemingly don’t have anyone currently who could take up the mantle of a Rapinoe and I don’t really see it for Becky either. I’m hopeful about Girma but seems like a lot to ask. It can be said that there’s significantly less for this era of the uswnt to do thanks to Becky, Pinoe, Alex, CP et al, but you never really want to get complacent when it comes to USSF.

P looks dreamy at Magda with: 😍

Remember them now more than ever.

The deserve every bit of praise and support for all that they’re doing.

THEY are the ones that are working for the betterment of women’s football by taking a stand.

They are the pioneers of change.

How are you going to complain and then go BACK to that horrible human being, they are so spineless and there’s not a smidge of respect left for them. They’re going to have to live with being so incredibly fucking bad at keeping their word for the rest of their life.

They have not only failed themselves but also their friends who rejected the call up to change the NT, they’ve failed every little girl in Spain who look up to them and expect them to change the abusive ways of that cockroach.

They’re gonna have to keep on playing under him for the rest of their international careers and they’re going to continue to suffer abuse because they were so incredibly spineless. I hope that it gets better, but I know that it isn’t.

All I’m saying is, say goodbye to that change you wanted because it is never going to happen, the Spanish federation have seen what they can do with abusive coaches so they’re going to continue to appoint them, even after that gross man is gone.

My heart goes out to Clàudia Pina, Patri Guijarro and Mapi Leon who stood their ground for the change that’s never going to happen now and the fact that they’re most likely not going to play any international football for a long while. Extreme respect for them and all the others who stayed home despite being labelled as rebels.

Fuck all the girls that went back and have now cost the Leila, Laia, Sandra, mapi, patri, pina, and nerea the chance of ever wearing a Spanish shirt.

And who have solidified that toxic environments and abusive coaches are okay in the women’s game.

Fuck them all.

"You think about the team sooner than other people do, which is a testimony to you and how great of a captain and teammate you are." —Sam Mewis on Becky Sauerbrunn