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U.S. men’s national team legend Tim Howard has shared his take on the controversy surrounding U.S. women’s national team player Korbin Albert and her selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The USWNT are ready to take on the Summer Games with new manager Emma Hayes in what will undoubtedly be a redemption tournament following the United States early exit in the 2023 World Cup. The U.S. are expected to bring back the gold.
Despite the 18-player call-up being one of the most important in recent years, Hayes did not hesitate on taking on criticisms over young midfielder Korbin Albert’s inclusion in the squad.
Albert fell into controversy this year after resharing anti-LGTBQ+ content on social media in March, creating waves of backlash toward the 20-year-old from fans across social platforms, former players and even from her own teammates in the USWNT.
Her inclusion to the USWNT’s Olympic squad — a squad that has continuously fought for the LGBTQ+ community — has raised questions on whether or not her call-up would benefit or become detrimental to the national team’s performance in the tournament.
Former USMNT player Tim Howard has shared his take on the young American’s situation.
Tim Howard says Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes changed opinion on USWNT’s Korbin Albert
The NFL stars are a perfect example of how to manage a team. This, according to Howard.
Shortly after the release of the USWNT’s roster for the Summer Olympics (and the inclusion of Albert), Howard made it clear that he was against Albert’s call-up.
While he was initially opposed to the decision, Howard has since reconsidered his stance, drawing inspiration from NFL Kansas City Chiefs duo Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, who faced a similar situation with teammate Harrison Butker.
In his column for the Daily Mail, the former USMNT goalkeeper elaborated on the reasoning behind his change of heart.
"My opinion has changed recently, thanks to Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes," said Howard.
In May, KC Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered a controversial commencement speech in which he told women that one of their most important roles in life will be ‘homemaker’ — causing backlash from fans around the United States.
"The situation caused a stir and put his Chiefs teammates and coaches in a very difficult position. I initially thought Butker was out of line and would have told him so if he were in my locker room. I still believe that if I hold a stance and it's the right one, I'll be disappointed if others don't come around to it. However, Mahomes and Kelce really opened my eyes."
“They are leaders on that team and they argued that we live in a world where not everyone's going to agree. But we support each other as a family and we try to understand where other people are coming from - even if we don't see eye-to-eye. That is much more accepting than I would have been.
“But now I see the other side. Now I'm not stupid enough to think that my opinion is the only one that matters. Now I know you have to listen. You have to have conversations.
“So if I was on the USWNT and Albert was in my locker room, I would not be so hardline. I wouldn’t feel like my voice has to be heard and there has to be one way of thinking. I look at how a great team like the Chiefs dealt with Butker and realize that I was wrong,” said Howard.
Howard also spoke on how Albert will deal with the backlash despite being backed by the USWNT coaching staff and teammates, with the 20-year-old now having to face the consequences of speaking her mind.
“Fortunately, in soccer as in life, something always comes up. There will be another difficult moment for the USWNT and maybe Albert and her teammates will see eye-to-eye on that. I have been down this road and they will find something that brings them back together.
“Yes, she has a target on her back now. Yes, she is under more pressure to perform. But that’s on her. As athletes, we have the option to speak out or stay silent. But we must understand that if we choose to take a stand, we will be scrutinized and even ridiculed.”
Albert has continuously took on boos and whistles from fans following her comments. Most recently, the Paris Saint-Germain player was received with a negative reaction from fans in the USWNT’s preparation friendlies for the Olympics.
“Hayes knows that. She knows how selecting Albert could impact the dynamic and culture of her team. She knows that anything other than winning gold will count as a failure and that if the team is dogged by in-fighting, her decision will be the reason why. But she thought it was worth it. Hayes is a winner who understands the scrutiny of soccer’s top jobs," Howard said.
“It is important that she lays down a marker in her first major tournament. She has already shown she won’t shy away from tough calls,” Howard added.
