DailyMail.com exclusively watched the US Women’s soccer team become world champions with America’s proudest dad Jim Rapinoe, father of Team captain Megan Rapinoe.
In the closing seconds of the game, with the US 2-0 against Netherlands, you could tell Jim, 71 was anxious for the game to end.
He sat stoically in his ‘lucky’ chair at the four-bedroom family home in Redding, California, watching the TV and waiting for each second to tick off.
Jim Rapinoe (center) watches his daughter Megan Rapinoe captain the winning USA Women’s Soccer squad to a fourth World Cup Final win with friend Sharon Babcock (far left) , grandson Austin (second from left) and friends Andrew (second from right) and Nathan (right)
United State’s forward Megan Rapinoe celebrates the victory with her trophy during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final match between United States and Netherlands at Groupama Stadium
Megan broke a scoreless tie against the Netherlands during the World Cup Final
When the game ended he pumped his fist and hugged his grandson, Austin, 18.
He was joined by several of Austin’s friends to watch Megan and Team USA become victors.
After the game ended Rapinoe told DailyMail.com, ‘I’d like to go to the after party but I need a jet.’
Jim Rapinoe, 71, spoke exclusively to the DailyMail.com about how proud he is of his daughter
He also said that to celebrate his daughter and team US victory, he jokingly said: ‘I may go out and mow the lawn.. I don’t know how I’m going to celebrate.
‘I feel pretty good right now,’ he said holding back tears.
‘It’s a long time between World Cups, four years. I would have like to have been there for this one, it’s pretty good stuff.’
And Jim’s household wasn’t the only one celebrating in Redding. It appears the entire town turned out to show their support for the soccer star.
Nearly 300 people braved the heat to watch the USA win 2-0 on screens set up at the California Soccer Camp.
Building contractor Jim flew over to France earlier in the tournament but flew back to care for his sick 94-year old father Jack missing the final.
His waitress wife Denise was at the Stade de Lyon to capture their daughter’s victory in person.
‘I’m proud of my daughter, absolutely. The entire team. It’s a long road. She’s got to stay healthy enough for 4 years to play again. This is all gravy, it’s pretty good gravy.
He added that he may not talk to his daughter again before tomorrow.
‘She’s going to be pretty busy for the next few hours,’ he explained. ‘She’ll probably call me on her way to the airport.’
He watched Megan being interviewed on TV after the match, smiling from ear to ear as he listened to her every word.
In the closing seconds of the game, with the US 2-0 against Netherlands, you could tell Jim, 71 was anxious for the game to end
When the game ended he pumped his fist and hugged his grandson, Austin, 18. He was joined by several of Austin’s friends to watch Megan and Team USA become victors
And Jim’s household wasn’t the only one celebrating in Redding. It appears the entire town turned out to show their support for the soccer star
Locals gathered TV screens, set up in halls and even outside, to watch the big event
Nearly 300 people braved the heat to watch the USA win 2-0 against the Netherlands at the California Soccer Camp
It was tense at times for fans in Megan’s hometown before she broke the scoreless tie
It was a poignant moment when Megan said to a television camera: ‘Happy birthday Brian, I love you so much.’
Brian is Megan’s oldest brother who first introduced her to soccer.
But he is currently an inmate at the California Department of Corrections for drug offenses and is currently being housed in a halfway house in San Diego, scheduled for release in August.
Jim said: ‘Megan’s always had a soft spot for Brian, it’s the best birthday present he can have.’
Brian told DailyMail.com, ‘I’m Megan’s biggest fan and I couldn’t be prouder of her. I’ll be watching her play on Sunday with the other inmates.‘
Tearing up, Jim said: ‘It’s pretty cool stuff seeing your daughter on TV. It was no cake walk for them they had to play Netherlands, Spain, England.
‘It was worth all the miles that I put on the mini van driving Megan back and forth for practices and tournaments.
My wife Denise and I made 300 mile round trips twice a week so she could play at Elk Grove Pride club. But as parents, you do what you have to do for your children.
While her father watched from home, Megan celebrated her team’s win on the pitch
Megan held the trophy aloft as she was surrounded by her teammates to celebrate their win after the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final match
He watched Megan being interviewed on TV after the match, smiling from ear to ear as he listened to her every word
‘Now I can’t wait to hug Megan and tell her I’m the proudest dad in America.’
Jim told DailyMail.com, the day before the match, that he’d always expected Team USA to win – and for his daughter to play.
‘She loves the pressure, the big game, this is what she does best. She loves the big stage,’ she said.
‘I may not agree with some of her views about non-soccer issues, but I respect that she’s willing to put it all on the line and stand up for them.’
Megan has publicly feuded with President Donald Trump after Megan gave an interview on video in January where she said she would not go to the “f***ing White House” if the U.S. won the cup.
Megan (right) was forced to miss Team USA’s clash with England in the semi-finals, but was fit enough to play in the finals against the Netherlands
Trump responded this week: “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team.”
Jim spoke about Megan, the youngest of their five children, at the $400,000 four-bedroom home they are renting while he builds a house nearby.
He said there were a lot of sacrifices that he and his waitress wife Denise, 65, made so Megan and her twin sister Rachael, older by 11 minutes, could play soccer.
He said: ’Megan only went to one high school dance. She didn’t attend her high school graduation, nor did she attend her college graduation, because she was playing in soccer tournaments. She gave up a lot, so did we.
‘Megan’s success is a family deal. We all missed a lot of family get-togethers because we were shuttling Megan and her sister around to various tournaments up and down the west coast.’
‘Rachael didn’t like the traveling lifestyle in soccer and she retired shortly after 2009, she went back to Portland State and got her Master’s Degree in a health-related field,’ added Jim.
Jim (above) beams at his daughter Megan, who was described as a ‘once or twice in a lifetime’ player by her coach, in exclusive interviews with DailyMail.com
Megan come under criticism for refusing any potential offer by President Donald Trump. She said in an interview with Eight by Eight Magazine that she would not go to the ‘f***king White House’
Megan got her first taste of competitive soccer when she was about 9-years old.
Jim explained that not enough girls were playing soccer at the time in Redding, CA so Jim put her on a boys’ team for a year.
He said, ‘The boys ended up being too physical for Megan. She was able to handle them skill wise, they were just stronger.
‘The parents on our own team didn’t like that Megan outplayed their sons so some of them encouraged them to be more physical.
‘I was one of her first coaches by default for about three years. If I didn’t coach her nobody else would in those days, it was hard to gather a girls’ team together but me along with a few of the other fathers formed a team.’
As a 12-year-old student at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, California, Megan chose not to play in the local school’s team but instead joined an external soccer club 150 miles away, where the skill level was higher.
Jim said, ’She played in part because soccer up here in Redding was played in the winter and Megan wanted to play basketball and the other part was that Megan wanted to play in a more competitive environment than what we had up here in Redding.
‘My wife, Denise who has worked at Jake’s grill in Redding, CA for the past 38 years, on her day off, she drove Megan and her sister down to Elk Grove, CA from our home in Redding for soccer practice, more than 300-miles round trip.
‘Megan would do homework in the back of the van on the way down to practice and sleep on the way back home. Meaning she would be gone all day during the school week sometimes until 9:30PM. She never complained about the drive. She loved playing soccer.
‘It was lot of driving, I went through a few mini vans because of all the miles. I don’t even know how many miles I’ve driven over the years. We driven to Texas, Arizona, and up and down the west coast too many times for me to count.’
Megan had her first competitive soccer match at the age of nine, before progressing to play for a team 150 miles away – where she was identified by the team’s coach as a ‘once or twice in a lifetime’ player, in exclusive interviews by DailyMail.com
Danny Cruz, 60, Megan’s club soccer coach at Elk Grove Pride told DailyMail.com, ‘I knew Megan was going to be a superstar from day one.
‘She’s a player that comes around once or twice in a lifetime. The first time I saw her play I knew I wanted her on my team.
‘I saw her in a tournament we were playing in and afterwards I went up to her parents and told them I wanted her on my team – that Megan needs to be seen outside of the Redding area.’
Cruz coached Megan and her sister from the age of 15 years old, until they were both 18, and has coached soccer for more than 40 years.
‘When I got Megan on my team her winning attitude became infectious to her teammates. She hated losing, she knew what she wanted from day one, her drive and passion for the game was unlike anything I had ever seen before,’ added Cruz.
Jim said, ‘I never thought Megan would end up in the World Cup. Every time I see Megan on TV, I pinch myself…when you look up and see her it’s pretty cool.
‘Growing up I just wanted Megan to get into college and get it paid for. I knew she was a good player but being one of the best players in the world never crossed my mind’
Proud dad Jim (left) stands with his father Jack (right), 94, a retired fire fighter. Jim was unable to travel to the final due to his fathers ill health
Megan recently bought her parents a new Subaru Outback (above), worth $30,000, a few months ago
One piece of advice Jim gives other parents who see potential in their child is, ‘let your kids pursue their passion.’
Megan has given back to her family not just by winning soccer games, but recently bought her parents a new Subaru Outback, worth $30,000, a few months ago.
‘One day we were talking to Megan about buying a new car and she said to her mother, that she’d buy us any car we wanted.’
Jim did get to see Megan play in the World Cup. Earlier in the month he flew to France and watched two games.
’But I had to get back to Redding. My 94-year old father Jack, a retired City of San Bernardino firefighter, has congestive heart failure and we were worried about his health.
‘I text Megan every day, ‘I ask her how she’s doing, I tell her to give them hell!
Jim said he is happy Megan’s mom Denise was at the Stade de Lyon to cheer their daughter on.
And Jim revealed fans shouldn’t expect Megan to hang up her boots anytime soon. He said, ‘Megan plans on playing in the upcoming Olympics and in the World Cup again in four years.
‘She has the mindset for it, now if she doesn’t suffer any injuries she’ll play for several more years.’