Soccer SPYGATE: US Women's National Team Officials Were Caught In Private Rooms in England's Hotel
An extraordinary “spygate” row has broken out at the Women’s World Cup after undercover US team officials were caught wandering into private rooms at England’s hotel while Phil Neville’s side were out training.
The Football Association is furious over the incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, two days before the teams meet in Tuesday’s semi-final. It claimed that it would never scope out another team’s hotel – let alone enter their inner sanctum – while they were still in the tournament.
It is understood the US officials were not wearing official team uniforms when they were shown round the Fourvière hotel, an exclusive resort located by Lyon’s Roman amphitheatre, by hotel staff.
Ooooooh baby! Just when I thought there couldn’t be anything else to make women’s soccer more riveting, the US National Team officials go undercover and spy on England right before tomorrow’s match. I didn’t know Bill Belichick worked for the USWNT? His name isn’t in the team media guide, but tell me this isn’t him speaking….
The row was played down by the US manager, Jill Ellis, who insisted her officials were merely scouting the hotel as a potential base for her team for Sunday’s final. “I would assume everybody is doing that,” she said. “You have to plan ahead.”
Classic Belichick. Changes his name from Bill to Jill, puts on a wig, and gives us the most bullshit answer of all time. “I would assume everybody is doing that!” Okay Jill. And I’m not saying this is worse espionage than the terrible examples of the Cold War or the Patriots or anything like that, but the idea that these team officials walked around in street clothes through England’s hotel while they were out practicing is a little bigger deal than “planning ahead”. And even if we were just “planning ahead”, that’s a little cocky, no?
Advertisement
Ellis also denied that this latest incident – which some here in Lyon are also calling Hotelgate – was another example of her team being arrogant. Earlier in the tournament the US defender Ali Krieger claimed that the Americans “have the best team in the world – and the second best team in the world”.
I don’t want it to seem like I’m coming off as anti-American here, but again, bullshit. We are arrogant and I LOVE IT. We have the first and second best team in the world. We choreograph dances for when we’re up 13-0. We’re checking into our next hotel before we even play the semifinal. We’re the United States of America and you couldn’t beat us in 1776 and you’re sure as hell not beating us tomorrow.