Alex Morgan celebrated her winning goal against England by curling up her fingers as if she were sipping on Earl Grey. The celebration was thus interpreted by the British media as mocking in tone. But as Morgan would go onto explain: she wasn't taking exception to her English opposition, by gesturing towards the folks back home, within the context of "Spilling the Tea" - an expression that didn't register with the British public, still sulking over their elimination from the World Cup.
Morgan spoke with The Guardian, in an attempt to clear the air. Apparently, the tea gesture was a nod to Game of Thrones' actress Sophie Turner, who routinely ends her social media postings with the catchphrase: "and that's the tea," as Morgan articulated herself, in a commemorative post after the semi-final contest.
"I feel that there is some sort of double standard for females in sports," she told The Guardian. "To feel like we have to be humble in our successes and have to celebrate, but not too much or in a limited fashion. You see men celebrating all over the world in big tournaments, grabbing their sacks or whatever it is. And when I look at sipping a cup of tea, I am a little taken aback by the criticism."
As she said herself (in the above quotable), Morgan feels the celebration was blown out of proportion by the media, due to the double standard that exists between men and women within the realm of professional/high-level sports. The US Women's team stands a great chance of reclaiming the World Cup trophy this Sunday when they square up against the Netherlands in the final.
