U.S. women’s national soccer team captains Alex Morgan and Lindsay Horan on Wednesday said they were “extremely saddened” by teammate Korbin Albert’s social media activity. The 20-year-old midfielder issued an apology last week after liking and sharing an array of anti-LGBTQ posts on her TikTok account.
“We’ve worked extremely hard to uphold the integrity of this national team through all of the generations and we are extremely, extremely sad that this standard was not upheld,” Morgan and Horan said in a statement. “Our fans and our supporters feel like this is a team that they can rally behind, and it’s so important that they feel and continue to feel undeniably heard and seen.”
Albert is training with the team for the SheBelieves Cup Saturday and Tuesday. U.S. Soccer officials have not commented.
“We stand by maintaining a safe and respectful space, especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and this platform has given us an opportunity to highlight causes that matter to us, something that we never take for granted,” Horan and Morgan said.
Albert’s TikTok content included a reposted sermon from someone ashamed of being gay and posts that celebrated an injury to former soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who is gay. The retired forward tore her Achilles’ heel in the final match of her career in November, saying “If there was a God, this is proof that there isn’t.”
“Liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful, which was never my intent,” Albert wrote in a statement last week. “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.’”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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