TAKING A STAND

With a spectacular sweep of her right leg, just five minutes into a match against France on Friday, Megan Rapinoe showed the strength and composure of a champion.

The resulting low liner off her foot curved through the crowd of players, between the legs of one and just out of the reach of the goalkeeper, and into the net to give the United States a quick 1-0 lead.

Rapinoe ran to the corner of the stadium, raised both arms and spread them wide in a celebratory pose for the ages.

That “look at me” moment warranted no censure. After all, she is the first American to score four goals in a row in World Cup competition. The first to have back-to-back multiple-goal games.

A self-described “walking protest,” Rapinoe takes her place on the world stage seriously and selflessly. Rapinoe has gone where many athletes fear.

Her early goal, and the subsequent one she made in the 65^th minute to give the U.S. a 2-0 edge, silenced the home crowd at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris and quieted the haters, who openly root against her.

The vile, often anonymous attacks on social media would shake most, drive others.

Rapinoe, to her credit, does her best to be above it all, even above the so-called patriots who were hoping France would win.

“I don’t really get energized by haters or all that,” Rapinoe said after the match. “I feel there are so many more people that love me. I’m more energized by that.”

Rapinoe’s measure isn’t scientific, but she says her face-to-face interactions are always positive. Far different than the treatment she gets from online trolls and wackos, a group that includes the man who holds the highest office in the land.

When a video from several months ago made the rounds this past week, President Donald Trump couldn’t resist jumping into the fray.

In the video, Rapinoe was asked about visiting the White House should the Americans win the Women’s World Cup, Rapinoe made it quite clear, with a colorful expletive for emphasis, that she would not make such a trip.

President Trump responded with a ridiculous twitter rant that went off the rails from the start, misspelling of Rapinoe’s name and mistakenly tagging another social media user.

After detouring through a few unrelated points, Trump closed with, “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team.”

Rapinoe doesn’t put her hand over her heart or sing the national anthem when it is played. A silent protest from one who speaks her mind.

That isn’t disrespecting the country or the flag. If it is, how many of us have been guilty of the same? Including the president.

This isn’t about patriotism. Or a song. And certainly isn’t about soccer.

Rooting against your country in a soccer match isn’t egregious. This isn’t war. But rooting against your country simply because of the president’s dog whistle is pathetic.

But some will cheer for the colonizers when the U.S. faces England on Tuesday.

President Trump bragging about so much having been done for the U.S. team is evidence of his ignorance, and laughable considering the lawsuit Rapinoe and teammates have against the governing bodies that have refused to treat the women’s team with the respect it deserves.

Despite their on-the-field success and overall popularity in comparison to the men’s team, the U.S. women’s squad always has been shorted by the entities in power.

Unequal pay, comparatively substandard travel and the general inequality for the squad that is an outstanding example of American excellence is shameful. Particularly considering the U.S. Soccer Federation numbers indicate the women’s team has brought it more revenue than the men’s team in the last three years.

Rapinoe has the nerve to speak up.

She refuses to wear the mask that grins and lies.

Those who believe in the separation of sports and politics are the ones who should be protesting the national anthem at sporting events.

Wanting America to be better, do better, be great even, doesn’t mean you hate the country. Just as you are free to celebrate America’s shameful past and not look toward its hopeful future, Rapinoe can wish for an improved America.

And she doesn’t have to go to the White House if she doesn’t want her message, her fight for justice and fairness, to be “co-opted by an administration that doesn’t feel the same way and doesn’t fight for the same things that we fight for.”

The first American to score four goals in a row in World Cup competition, the first to have back-to-back multiple-goal games, Rapinoe continues to make noise while quieting the digital bullies.

She is one of America’s finest.

Sign me up for more of her celebrations. jerome.solomon@chron.com twitter.com/jeromesolomon