US Soccer has apologized for a 2017 policy that banned kneeling for the anthem. But the issue won’t officially be settled until Saturday, when it’s put to a vote at the annual general meeting
It wasn’t long after the death of George Floyd that the decision-makers at the US Soccer Federation realized they needed to make some changes – and one change was immediately obvious.
Years earlier, the federation had issued an edict requiring national team players to stand during the national anthem. It was targeted at Megan Rapinoe, who had been kneeling to protest systemic racism, and the federation framed its new policy as minimizing distractions and showing respect for the flag.
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