USWNT coach Twila Kilgore says Korbin Albert is 'available' to play in SheBelieves Cup
ATLANTA, Georgia — Twila Kilgore, the United States women's national team interim head coach, said on Friday ahead of the SheBelieves Cup that Korbin Albert "is available" to play in this tournament.
The 20-year-old midfielder is currently facing a wave of criticism after recent anti-LGBTQ+ posts on social media.
Captain Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan made a joint statement about the situation earlier in the week, and Kilgore opened her press conference on Friday in Atlanta with one of her own. The USWNT faces Japan in the SheBelieves Cup semifinal on Saturday and will play either Canada or Brazil in the final or third-place match on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.
"It is disappointing when somebody falls short of the very high standards that we set within this team," Kilgore said. "This team has always been a beacon of respect, inclusion, and demonstrated great allyship through actions for underrepresented and marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. And we will continue to do so.
"As Lindsey and Alex mentioned, this team has never shied away from hard conversations, and today we're here continuing to work on getting better, continuing to work on preparing ourselves to make ourselves proud, make our fans proud and put ourselves in the best position to continue to look toward success as we start this tournament."
Kilgore was asked if the team considered removing Albert from this roster, and said there have been "several internal conversations about this that will remain internal." In terms of how this might affect lineup and playing time decisions, Kilgore said that Albert is "available" to play against Japan. Albert has seven caps and started in the three knockout-stage games during the Concacaf W Gold Cup, which the U.S. won last month.
Albert, who was participating in team training during the media viewing period on Friday morning, had previously shared a video on social media from a Christian sermon that spoke about how being gay and "feeling transgendered" is wrong. She also appeared to have liked a post that made light of former USWNT star Megan Rapinoe tearing her Achilles in the 2023 NWSL championship game, which was Rapinoe's final match before entering retirement.
Rapinoe responded quickly, calling out Albert on Instagram, and was immediately supported by current and former USWNT players. Albert later issued an apology.
The USWNT is not new to controversy, tension or conflict. Historically, the players have embraced having difficult conversations in the locker room rather than shying away from them. "I think that's what helps us continue to grow and create those spaces to have those conversations," veteran goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said.
The team has "been through a lot of ups and downs together" over the years, Morgan said.
"We've been through a lot of hardship, both individually and collectively," Morgan continued. "I think just one thing about this group is we are resilient and we do come together seeing the bigger picture. We do all support each other on the field, especially putting our differences aside. And there's been a lot of differences, not just recently, but historically through this team.
"We don't exit the field and all go become best friends and call each other every day with our major life achievements outside of soccer. But the one thing we all do is we fight for each other on the field and we understand that it doesn't matter how good we are individually, the reason we have as many championships and World Cups and Olympics under our belt is because we come together as a team and understand the selflessness we need to lift the team before each individual."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
