Korbin Albert, Megan Rapinoe and the social media mess that threatens to overshadow the USWNT's Olympic preparations

Thursday, March 28 should have been one of the best days of Alebrt's young career. She had just scored a huge Champions League goal for Paris Saint-Germain to book their place in the semi-finals, a moment worth celebrating, no doubt.

Her life soon went into a tailspin, though. Her social media activity had begun to go viral, and it wasn't good. A series of posts popped up stemming from Albert's TikTok account. One showed a sermon taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community, saying that being gay and "feeling transgender" is wrong. Another showed Albert's family saying that "their pronouns are USA".

In addition to targeting the LGBTQ+ community at large, Albert's social media history also showed a liked post aimed at Megan Rapinoe. In it, the original poster said: “God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game.”

It didn't take long for the USWNT community to condemn Albert, with Rapinoe herself immediately firing back at the midfielder.

Rapinoe's response ended with a very obvious subliminal message. Everything that came before it was clear in its meaning, but Rapinoe signed off with a parting shot. Albert had been handed the USWNT's No.15 shirt, the one that Rapinoe had made famous. And, after seeing her successor bash her in more ways than one, Rapinoe wasn't going to let it slide.

“To the people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’," Rapinoe began on Instagram, "I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone?… Because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! Yours Truly, #15.”

The ex-USWNT star publicly came out in July 2012 and, in the 12 years since, has been a major activist for LGBTQ+ causes. She has been an advocate for transgender women throughout that time, and has always been at the forefront when it came to discussing LGBTQ issues.

Rapinoe's response was quickly backed by several USWNT stars. Long-time USWNT captain Sauerbrunn reposted Rapinoe's story, adding a "Well said". Sam Mewis, Kristie Mewis and Lynn Williams also reposted Rapinoe's response.

Just a few hours after the news broke, Albert made her own statement on social media. The midfielder posted on Instagram, offering an apology for everything that had gone down.

“I’m really disappointed in myself and am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my teammates, other players, fans, friends and anyone who was offended,” she wrote. “I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that and for that I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to play this sport on the world stage and I promise to do better.”

Instagram

Just a few days prior, Albert had been called up for the SheBelieves Cup, and the USWNT chose not to remove her from the roster. It set up an awkward situation, but not one that's unfamiliar for the U.S. program.

Back in 2015, the USWNT found themselves facing a similar controversy, one that lasted several years. On June 26 of that year, same-sex marriage was established in all 50 states. Then USWNT-defender Jaelene Hinkle took to social media to air her frustration, citing her religion as her reason for opposing same-sex marriage altogether.

"This world is falling farther and farther away from God," she tweeted. "All that can be done by believers is to continue to pray."

In 2017, Hinkle was called into the national team, but withdrew due to "personal reasons". In an interview with The 700 Club one year later, she revealed that her decision to step away from the team was due to the fact that she did not want to wear U.S. Soccer's rainbow jerseys honoring Pride Month.

"I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn't my job to wear this jersey," Hinkle said. "I gave myself three days to just seek and pray and determine what he was asking me to do in this situation... I knew in my spirit I was doing the right thing. I knew I was being obedient." Hinkle has not featured for the national team since.

Speaking alongside Sam Mewis on the Good Vibes FC podcast, USWNT attacker Williams reflected on that controversy, saying that this version of the national team will not accept intolerance, no matter what.

“Back then, we didn’t know how to approach the situation and we put soccer first,” she said. “I feel like if I’ve learned anything, it’s that there are some things that are just bigger than soccer. And one of them is human rights, and making sure that people feel safe in their body and just safe in this world. So I think it is a moment for us to say you know what, this topic is bigger than soccer.

“At the same time, women’s soccer has been a safe space for the LGBT community. And I think that it does affect the locker room a little bit. But again, I think this is bigger than the locker room.”

Mewis added: “Zooming out, making an apology is a solid first step. And I think you and I in many cases want to leave room for there to be growth and a change in behavior. But first and foremost, I don’t accept intolerance or the exclusion of people on a human level.”

The thing that makes this even more tense is that Albert had a very real path to an Olympic spot. There's a realistic argument that she could have been starter in France this summer, too.

The 20-year-old midfielder earned her first call-up in November, making her debut against China on December 5. She was a star during the USWNT's triumphant Gold Cup run in February, becoming the second-youngest to ever play in a tournament final for the USWNT during the team's triumph over Brazil. With a trophy on her resume and a strong tournament behind her, Albert was building towards something.

Now, though, it's all so uncertain. She's given the USWNT a very legitimate excuse not to pick her, and it's now up to her to change that, on and off the field.

On the field, she may get a chance to make her case during the SheBelieves Cup. Her partnership with Sam Coffey was really starting to grow and, prior to the controversy, it would have made a whole lot of sense to continue that partnership. Now, though, things may be a bit too raw to give her playing time, particularly in the opener against Japan in Atlanta, which will be watched by a massive crowd.

Making matters even more complicated is a recent Bill passed in the Georgia House that includes language banning transgender girls from competing on public school sports teams. When faced with a similar situation at the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, which was held after Texas labeled gender-affirming care as "child abuse", several USWNT players wore tape reading "Protect Trans Kids".

It's been a common theme for the USWNT. For years, this group has championed causes all over the country and the world, and Albert's statements were directly at odds with those causes. Part of being on the USWNT is being the face of something larger, and Albert spoke out against the literal human rights of some of her teammates.

Getting over that will take time, and it may not happen by the Olympics. Albert therefore has a lot of work to do if she wants to be a part of this team going forward. Ultimately, the USWNT's culture is bigger than any one player, no matter how good she is, and can be.

Scheduled to speak during Wednesday's USWNT media availability were Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario, two players fresh off inspiring injury returns who are ready to step into the USWNT. But, before those two could take their place on the Zoom call with reporters, team leaders Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan stepped in to issue a statement regarding Albert.

"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."

This situation still feels fluid, and much will depend on how Albert handles everything that will be thrown her way going forward. She is just 20 years old, and mistakes have been made, but this can be a big lesson for both her and any player in the future. Views like Albert's have no place with the national team, and the players that make up that team won't stand for it.

What looked like a breakout year for Albert now needs to be a redemption year as the midfielder must now earn back everything she lost with just a few swipes on TikTok.