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SPORTS Thursday 13 June 2019
U.S. catches heat for World Cup goal celebrations

By ANNE M. PETERSON end of blowouts. Thailand
AP Sports Writer won a friendly over Indo-
REIMS, France (AP) — The nesia 13-0 last year, and
goals were one thing, the beat Cambodia 11-0 in
celebrations another. the group stage of the AFF
The U.S. women’s national Women’s Championship.
team faced criticism fol- “In football games, every-
lowing its record-breaking body is following the rules,
13-0 rout of Thailand on and everyone is trying their
Tuesday night. The win set a best,” Thailand coach Nu-
World Cup record for goals engrutai Srathongvian said.
and margin of victory. Alex “We have to accept that,
Morgan alone had five this team is very good. We
goals, matching the most don’t have any excuse, ex-
in one game in tournament cept they are better.”
history. At the World Cup, goal dif-
But there were questions ferential becomes impor-
about whether the Ameri- tant in deciding tie-break-
cans should have celebrat- ers for the knockout stage.
ed goals once the game The U.S. team is in a group
was well in hand. Were with nemesis Sweden, as
the three-time World Cup well as Thailand and Chile.
champions being unsports- It was understood that the
manlike, or merely sending top-ranked Americans
a message to the rest of would likely trounce Thai-
the field? land, ranked 34th in the
Alex Morgan was asked United States’ Alex Morgan, second right, celebrates after scoring her side’s 12th goal during the world, and possibly No.
afterward about the dis- Women’s World Cup Group F soccer match between United States and Thailand at the Stade 39 Chile, which is making
play of hugs, high-fives, Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Morgan scored five goals during the its World Cup debut. The
and posturing for the many match. game with Chile is set for
American fans at Stade Au- Associated Press Sunday in Paris.
guste-Delaune. gether.” Those celebrations is what they’ve dreamt scored their first World Cup The United States faces
“I think in the moment, ev- drew ire on social media, about. This is for them. This is goals and said they had Sweden in the final game
ery time we score a goal some of it directed at vet- a world championship” every right to celebrate, in- of the group stage next
in a World Cup — you’ve eran Megan Rapinoe for Rapinoe, interviewed on cluding Samantha Mewis, week. It is their first meet-
dreamt of it. I dreamt of it twirling and turf-sliding after FOX Sports on Wednesday, Rose Lavelle, Mallory Pugh ing since the Swedes oust-
since I was a little girl,” she her goal — which made it also addressed the criti- and Lindsey Horan. ed the Americans from
said. “You know, winning a 9-0. A World Cup-record cism. In a postgame show of the 2016 Olympics in the
World Cup and being back seven U.S. players scored in “If anyone wants to come sportsmanship, the U.S. quarterfinals — the team’s
there for the third time, we the game. at our team for not doing team also consoled some earliest exit ever. Sweden
want that fourth star. So Morgan was rebuked for the right thing, not playing of the emotional Thai play- bunkered on defense and
tonight we knew that any holding up four fingers af- the right way, not being a ers. Morgan offered en- afterward then-U.S. goal-
goal could matter in this ter her fourth goal, which good ambassador, they couragement to forward keeper Hope Solo called
group-stage game. And made it 10-0. can come at us. It was an Miranda Nild, who like Mor- the team cowards.
when it comes to celebra- “A lot of this is about build- explosion of joy,” she said. gan played college soccer Currently ranked No. 9,
tions, I think this was a really ing momentum and so as “If our crime is joy, then we at Cal. Sweden defeated Chile 2-0
good team performance a coach I don’t find it my will take that.” Thailand’s players were dis- in Rennes on Tuesday night
and I think it was impor- job to rein my players in,” Rapinoe pointed to the appointed, but they have and will play Thailand in
tant for us to celebrate to- coach Jill Ellis said. “This team’s young players who also been on the other Nice on Sunday.q

Zlatan Ibrahimovic sets MLS

salary record at $7.2 million

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — LA guaranteed compensa- field Bastian Schweinstei-
Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibra- tion is $417,643, including ger ($5.6 million base and
himovic is earning a Major a prorated share of guar- total), Montreal winger
League Soccer-record $7.2 anteed money not attrib- Ignacio Piatti ($530,000,
million salary this season. utable to a specific year. $4,443,333), Toronto mid-
The 37-year-old Ibrahimov- The average salary for se- fielder Alejandro Pozuelo
ic, who earned a relatively nior roster non-designated ($3.8 million), DC United for-
modest $1.5 million last players increased 13.3% ward Wayne Rooney ($3.5
year, broke the previous to $345,867 and is up from million, $3,507,500), Atlanta
mark of Toronto’s Sebas- $138,140 in 2014. Toronto forward Josef Martinez ($3
tian Giovinco, who had midfielder Michael Bradley mlolion, $3,058,333), Seat-
$7,115,556 in total com- ($6 million base, $6,428,571 tle forward Nicolás Lodeiro
pensation in both 2017 total) is third, followed by ($2 million, $2,502,500),
and 2018. The MLS Players Toronto striker Jozy Altidore Orlando midfielder Nani
Association said Wednes- ($4,891,250, $6,332,250), ($2,333333, $2,486,250) LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (9) celebrates with
teammates after scoring a goal during the second half of an
day the average base sal- LAFC forward Carlos Vela and Colorado goalkeep- MLS soccer match against the Sporting Kansas City Wednesday,
ary for all players this year is ($4.5 million base, $6.3 mil- er Tim Howard ($2 million, May 29, 2019, in Kansas City, Kan. LA Galaxy won 2-0.
$376,174 and the average lion total), Chicago mid- $2,475,000).q Associated Press