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'Wah, wah, wah': Rapinoe brushes off criticism of Morgan's tea celebration

Brad Smith/ISI Photos / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Megan Rapinoe isn't having any of the criticism that teammate Alex Morgan incurred in the wake of her now-infamous celebration against England.

Morgan, who headed home the winning goal in the United States' dramatic 2-1 semifinal victory over the Lionesses on Tuesday, mimed sipping a cup of tea. Inevitably, there was backlash; some dubbed the move disrespectful.

Rapinoe, who broke out a now-iconic celebration of her own against France earlier in the tournament, was quick to shoot down those critics.

"Wah, wah, wah. We're at the World Cup, what do you want us to do? This is the biggest stage, the biggest moment," she told reporters on Wednesday, per SNTV's Davidde Corran.

"I don't think anyone truly believes that we disrespect the game or disrespect our opponents. We have the utmost respect for England and every team that we faced and every team that we will face, forever and ever. That's just part of the DNA of the squad. With that said, we work hard, we like to play hard, and we like to have fun and enjoy ourselves, and these are the absolute biggest moments you can get."

If anything, Morgan's ingenuity may have forced the 33-year-old star to go back to the drawing board and push the envelope even more.

"I think I might have been upstaged," Rapinoe added. "That was next level, that was pretty sharp by Alex."

Rapinoe, who has five goals at this summer's Women's World Cup, missed the semifinal against England with what she called a "minor" hamstring injury. She said after the match that she'll be fit for Sunday's final.

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