WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Megan Rapinoe mentioned her resolution to announce her retirement earlier than the Women’s World Cup will assist the U.S. group higher concentrate on its try to win a 3rd straight world championship.
Rapinoe introduced final weekend that she is going to retire from aggressive soccer on the finish of the present season. Speaking to media in Auckland on Wednesday and sporting a brand new, blue coiffure, Rapinoe mentioned questions of retirement would have adopted her and the USWNT via the World Cup had she not introduced her plans earlier than the match began.
“Obviously I’m 38 years old, I’m not going to be playing forever and it just always feels weird for me to have something settled and feel at peace and to not answer a question honestly,” Rapinoe mentioned. “I form of needed to have that for myself.
“I think it allows me to focus a lot more, allows the team to focus a lot more. We don’t have to get questions every time, every single game. It’s just kind of out there and I can just really enjoy it and focus on trying to win the tournament.”
Rapinoe has two World Cup winners’ medals and desires one other. At the identical time, she mentioned, she desires to encourage younger New Zealand girls to play soccer.
“I think especially those of us who have been around for a long time, (it) certainly wasn’t like this for all the World Cups that we’ve been a part of our entire career,” she mentioned. “I believe we are able to actually see and really feel the sport rising and world altering round us.
“I know what that meant for me to be able to see Mia Hamm up close or see Brandi Chastain up close when I was younger – so hopefully it’s an inspiration to them, but I think it’s also an inspiration to us as well.”
Rapinoe praised the coaching services the U.S. group has skilled since arriving in Auckland and mentioned the chilly, moist climate was not a priority.
“I’m from Seattle so I feel literally right at home,” she mentioned. “I don’t mind it too much. “It’d be one thing if we were in the tundra but it’s pretty temperate so maybe a long sleeve but I don’t even know if we’ll need to break the gloves out. I’d honestly rather have this than scorching heat. I just tend to melt and don’t do very well in the heat.”
As for her hair, Rapinoe mentioned she has introduced a variety of colours to New Zealand and followers can count on common adjustments.
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