CNN Shades U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Critic Alexi Lalas With Brutal Graphic Comparing His World Cup Stats to Megan Rapinoe’s

By Ahmad AustinAug 8th, 2023, 3:03 pm
 

CNN appeared to take a shot at former soccer player Alexi Lalas’s career in defense of the U.S. women’s national team.

On Monday’s episode of CNN News Central, the topic shifted to the team’s loss to Sweden in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the right-wing narrative that the team lost because its players were too “woke.”

While Lalas — now an analyst for FOX — didn’t explicitly say that, he did argue on Twitter that the players’ stances on social issues made them “unlikeable to a portion of America.”

In response to that claim, CNN’s Brianna Keilar called up a graphic comparing Lalas’ career to Megan Rapinoe’s — the biggest target of the “woke” narrative.

“We should note this record — if you put it up against, say, Megan Rapinoe’s,” Keilar noted, “it pales quite in comparison.”

The career accolades are vastly different between the two. Rapinoe has played 17 World Cup matched compared to Lalas’ four. She’s won two World Cup championships compared to his zero. She’s also won the Golden Boot — awarded to the tournament’s top scorer — and a Golden Ball — awarded to the top player. Lalas has won neither.

To Lalas’s credit, however, offensive statistics will inevitably make the comparison lopsided. Lalas was a defender during his playing days while Rapinoe plays offense.

When asked by Keilar if the “woke” narrative had any validity, former player Briana Scurry flatly rejected it.

“I completely disagree,” Scurry said. “I think the reason that this team was unable to do the greatness that it’s used to doing has nothing to do with any of the things that these people mentioned. I think that having so many rookies on the team in positions of expectation of carrying the team.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with the amazing achievements that we have done off the pitch, and the way that we have — as a group — stood up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. That’s something that we have done for 30 years and obviously has not been something that hasn’t hindered us in winning championships. We will win again, whether it’s in the Olympic Games or World Cup.”

Watch above via CNN

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