US women catching heat for World Cup goal celebrations

The goals were one thing, the celebrations another.

The U.S. women’s national team faced criticism following its record-breaking 13-0 rout of Thailand on Tuesday night in Reims, France. The win set a World Cup record for goals and margin of victory. Alex Morgan alone had five goals, matching the most in one game in tournament history.

But there were questions about whether the Americans should have celebrated goals once the game was well in hand with displays of hugs, high-fives, and posturing. Were the three-time World Cup champions being unsportsmanlike, or merely sending a message to the rest of the field?

Those celebrations drew ire on social media, some of it directed at Megan Rapinoe for twirling and turf-sliding after her goal — which made it 9-0. Morgan was rebuked for holding up four fingers after her fourth goal, which made it 10-0.

“If anyone wants to come at our team for not doing the right thing, not playing the right way, not being a good ambassador, they can come at us,” Rapinoe told Fox Sports on Wednesday. “It was an explosion of joy. If our crime is joy, then we will take that.”

Rapinoe pointed to the team’s young players — including Samantha Mewis, Rose Lavelle, Mallory Pugh and Lindsey Horanwho — who scored their first World Cup goals and said they had every right to celebrate.

In a postgame show of sportsmanship, the U.S. team also consoled some of the emotional Thai players. Morgan offered encouragement to forward Miranda Nild, who like Morgan played college soccer at Cal.

Celebrating and piling on the goals are two different issues. At the World Cup, goal difference becomes important in deciding tiebreakers for the knockout stage. The U.S. team is in a group with nemesis Sweden, as well as Thailand and Chile.

“For all that...