The United States women’s national team and England’s national team shared a moment before Friday’s friendly to show support for all the victims of the NWSL’s abuse scandal. An independent investigation from Sally Q. Yates and King & Spalding LLP revealed the top women’s soccer league in the U.S. had a systemic misconduct and abuse problems.
"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct -- verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct -- had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims," the Yates' report said.
There’s still another investigation of the NWSL going on between the league and players association.
Two of the top women’s national teams in the world came together on Friday with a gesture of support for all the players that U.S. Soccer and the NWSL failed to protect.
USWNT England gesture for NWSL victims
Protect the players.
We stand in solidarity with sexual abuse victims pic.twitter.com/8FTBvnaXFe— Lionesses (@Lionesses) October 7, 2022
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 7, 2022
England and U.S. players stand together with a ‘protect the players’ banner. All wearing teal armbands, too, and the Wembley arch is currently lit up in the same colour, to show solidarity pic.twitter.com/TOLTahFJzC
— Ameé Ruszkai (@ameeruszkai) October 7, 2022
In a show of unity and common cause, players from the #USWNT and the @Lionesses will take the field tomorrow wearing teal armbands to stand in solidarity with sexual violence survivors. pic.twitter.com/2jjNc9pzZc
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 6, 2022