U.S. women's national team stars Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan have both condemned teammate Korbin Albert's anti-LGBTQ social media activity.
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Morgan and Horan speak on Albert situationTeam has handled discussions internallyU.S. to face Japan in SheBelieves CupWHAT HAPPENED?
Albert came under fire recently for a series of social media posts on TikTok and Instagram. The USWNT midfielder reposted several anti-LGBTQ videos while also liking a post that celebrated Megan Rapinoe's injury in her final game in the fall.
Rapinoe and several other USWNT stars past and present immediately condemned Albert's post, and the midfielder herself put out a statement apologizing for her actions. The Paris Saint-Germain star remains with the USWNT, though, after being called up for the SheBelieves Cup.
Morgan and Horan, both of whom have served as captains, spoke to media on Wednesday, clarifying the team's thoughts on the entire situation while condemning Albert's actions.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT HORAN AND MORGAN SAID
"We've worked extremely hard to uphold the integrity of this national team through all of the generations," Horan said, "and we are extremely, extremely sad that this standard was not upheld. Our fans and our supporters feel that this is a team that they can rally behind. It's so important that they feel and continue to feel undeniably heard and seen."
Morgan added: "We stand by maintaining a safe and respectful space, especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community. This platform has given us an opportunity to highlight causes that matter to us, something that we never take for granted and we'll keep using this platform to keep giving attention to causes that are important to us.
"It's important to note that we had internal discussions around the situation and that will stay with the team, but one thing also to note is that we've never shied away from hard conversations within this team."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Albert is a player who has just started to break through with the USWNT, having earned her first cap in the fall. She was a regular for the U.S. during the recent Gold Cup triumph, becoming the second-youngest USWNT player to start a competitive final in the team's win over Brazil.
The PSG midfielder, who recently scored a big goal for her club in the Champions League, has been tipped for a big role at the Olympics, but her status with the team after this incident remains to be seen as the U.S. heads towards that tournament.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE USWNT?
The U.S. are set to kick off the SheBelieves Cup on Saturday when they take on Japan in their first match of the competition. They'll then face either Brazil or Canada in the final or third-place game on Tuesday.