Rapinoe says her 退職 call will help US women's サッカー team to 焦点（を合わせる） at World Cup
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Megan Rapinoe said her 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 発表する her 退職 before the Women´s World Cup will help the U.S. team better 焦点（を合わせる） on its 試みる／企てる to 勝利，勝つ a third straight world 選手権.
Rapinoe 発表するd last 週末 that she will retire from 競争の激しい サッカー at the end of the 現在の season. Speaking to マスコミ in Auckland on Wednesday and 冒険的な a new, blue hairstyle, Rapinoe said questions of 退職 would have followed her and the USWNT through the World Cup had she not 発表するd her 計画（する）s before the tournament started.
"明白に I´m 38 years old, I´m not going to be playing forever and it just always feels weird for me to have something settled and feel at peace and to not answer a question honestly," Rapinoe said. "I 肉親，親類d of 手配中の，お尋ね者 to have that for myself.
"I think it 許すs me to 焦点（を合わせる） a lot more, 許すs the team to 焦点（を合わせる） a lot more. We don´t have to get questions every time, every 選び出す／独身 game. It´s just 肉親，親類d of out there and I can just really enjoy it and 焦点（を合わせる） on trying to 勝利，勝つ the tournament."
Rapinoe has two World Cup 勝利者s' メダルs and wants another. At the same time, she said, she wants to 奮起させる young New Zealand women to play サッカー.
"I think 特に those of us who have been around for a long time, (it) certainly wasn´t like this for all the World Cups that we´ve been a part of our entire career," she said. "I think we can really see and feel the game growing and world changing around us.
部隊d 明言する／公表するs' Megan Rapinoe (15) looks on at the end of the second half of a FIFA Women's World Cup send-off サッカー match against むちの跡s in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, July 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)
"I know what that meant for me to be able to see Mia Hamm up の近くに or see Brandi Chastain up の近くに when I was younger - so hopefully it´s an inspiration to them, but I think it´s also an inspiration to us 同様に."
Rapinoe 賞賛するd the training 施設s the U.S. team has experienced since arriving in Auckland and said the 冷淡な, wet 天候 was not a 関心.
"I´m from Seattle so I feel literally 権利 at home," she said. "I don´t mind it too much. "It´d be one thing if we were in the tundra but it´s pretty temperate so maybe a long sleeve but I don´t even know if we´ll need to break the gloves out. I´d honestly rather have this than scorching heat. I just tend to melt and don´t do ver y 井戸／弁護士席 in the heat."
As for her hair, Rapinoe said she has brought a 範囲 of colors to New Zealand and fans can 推定する／予想する 正規の／正選手 changes.
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FILE- U.S サッカー player Megan Rapinoe speaks to reporters during the 2023 Women's World Cup マスコミ day for the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs Women's 国家の Team in Carson, Calif., Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Days before 長，率いるing to her fourth World Cup, Rapinoe anno unced she'll retire at the end of the 国家の Women's サッカー League season. Rapinoe, 38, made the 告示 on Twitter Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, とじ込み／提出する)
FILE - In this July 7, 2019 とじ込み／提出する photo, 部隊d 明言する／公表するs' Megan Rapinoe celebrates after 得点する／非難する／２０ing the 開始 goal from the 刑罰，罰則 位置／汚点／見つけ出す during the Women's World Cup final サッカー match against The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, ou tside Lyon, フラン. Days before 長，率いるing to her fourth World Cup, Rapinoe 発表するd she'll retire at the end of the 国家の Women's サッカー League season. Rapinoe, 38, made the 告示 on Twitter Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, とじ込み／提出する)
