The U.S. women’s soccer team has been defending itself from criticism that it went too far in its 13-0 humiliation of Thailand at the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday. Some felt that it was unsporting of the team to celebrate each and every one of its 13 goals. Thailand’s players broke down in tears at the final whistle of match after suffering the heaviest defeat in World Cup history. “We knew that every goal could matter in this group stage game and when it comes to celebrations, this was a really good team performance and I think it was important for us to celebrate together,” said striker Alex Morgan, who made history by scoring five goals in the match. Coach Jill Ellis agreed, saying: “I think to be respectful to opponents is to play hard against opponents... As a coach, I don’t find it my job to harness my players and rein them in because this is what they’ve dreamed about. This is it for them, this is a world championship.” She added: “If this is 10-0 in a men’s World Cup, are we getting the same questions?”
