Megan Rapinoe, American soccer player
Megan Anna Rapinoe ( (listen); born July 5, 1985) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger and captains OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), as well as the United States national team. Winner of the Ballon d'Or Féminin and named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019, Rapinoe won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and she played for the team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup where the U.S. finished in second place. Rapinoe co-captained the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan from 2018 to 2020, with the team earning the Bronze medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and MagicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), as well as Olympique Lyon in France's Division 1 Féminine.
Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play on the field and her activism off it. Her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil resulted in an equalizer and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty shootout. The last-minute goal was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. During the 2012 London Olympics, she scored three goals and tallied a team-high four assists to lead the United States to a gold medal. She is the first player, male or female, to score a goal directly from a corner at the Olympic Games, having done so twice. She won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.Rapinoe is an advocate for numerous LGBT organizations, including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally. In 2013, she was awarded the board of directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. She is sponsored by Nike, Procter & Gamble, BodyArmor, Hulu, LUNA Bar, Samsung, and DJO Global, and has appeared in multiple promotional pieces for clothing company Wildfang, as well as for Nike. In 2019, she co-founded a gender-neutral lifestyle brand, re-inc, with fellow athletes Christen Press, Tobin Heath, and Meghan Klingenberg.Rapinoe is included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
1985Jul, 5
Megan Rapinoe
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Events on 1985
- 10Jan
Daniel Ortega
Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba; American policy continues to support the Contras in their revolt against the Nicaraguan government. - 13May
Philadelphia
Police release a bomb on MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia to end a stand-off, killing six adults and five children, and destroying the homes of 250 city residents. - 25May
Tropical cyclone
Bangladesh is hit by a tropical cyclone and storm surge, which kills approximately 10,000 people. - 6Jun
Auschwitz concentration camp
The grave of "Wolfgang Gerhard" is opened in Embu, Brazil; the exhumed remains are later proven to be those of Josef Mengele, Auschwitz's "Angel of Death"; Mengele is thought to have drowned while swimming in February 1979. - 13Sep
Super Mario
Super Mario Bros. is released in Japan for the NES, which starts the Super Mario series of platforming games.