Even without the U.S. National Team on the field (or the court case for Equal Pay in the news), U.S. Soccer is once again in the spotlight this week. This time over the national anthem. 

U.S. Soccer Federation Board of Directors repealed the policy that required U.S. National Team players to stand for the national anthem. The policy was put in place after U.S. Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe kneeled during the anthem while playing in the NWSL and with the Women’s National Team. Rapinoe’s peaceful protest was in homage to Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. Both used their platform to bring awareness to police brutality and systemic racism. 

Last week, USSF Board of Directors decided that the policy requiring the players to stand was wrong. USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, who was appointed to the position in March of 2020, personally apologized to Rapinoe. 

“We missed the point completely -- it was never about the flag," Parlow Cone told ESPN FC in an interview last week. "It was and is about fighting police brutality and the racial injustices in our society.”

The decision to repeal the policy did not go unnoticed. Matt Gaetz, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida, took to Twitter to broadcast his opinion on the matter. 

I’d rather the US not have a soccer team than have a soccer team that won’t stand for the National Anthem.

You shouldn’t get to play under our flag as our national team if you won’t stand when it is raised.

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 11, 2020

Gaetz says that he is drafting legislation to reverse the reversal - in essence he wants the original policy back in place that required players to stand for the flag during the national anthem. The President took notice of this and chimed in on Twitter that he “won’t be watching much [soccer] anymore.” [President Trump’s son Barron played for Arlington Soccer Academy in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in 2019-2020. He previously played in the league for D.C. United as well.] 

President Trump followed that up with a retweet of the Washington Examiner piece on Gaetz’s proposal suggesting that the U.S. should ditch U.S. Soccer. 

USSF Presidency Parlow Cone and the Board of Directors find themselves in a tricky spot. Parlow Cone’s predecessor Carlos Cordeiro worked with Trump during the process of securing the bid to host the 2026 World Cup - a joint venture between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The partnership between two produced the iconic photo from the Oval Office. 

never forget this pic.twitter.com/b7fAYxizMj

— Maxi Rodriguez (@FutbolIntellect) June 13, 2020

USA along with Mexico and Canada earned the bid in 2018 with President Trump tweeting that he “worked hard” on it and gave special thanks to New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft. 

With no international soccer games in the foreseeable future, this does not seem like a pressing issue for either side of the argument. However, the last thing U.S. Soccer wants or needs is another legal battle. If Gaetz follows through with his legislation proposal, it will turn the heat up on Parlow Cone and the Board of Directors for how they handle the criticism and attention from government officials.