Angel City FC star Elizabeth Eddy at war with teammates over 'racist and transphobic' op-ed

Women's soccer star Elizabeth Eddy has come under fire from her teammates in Los Angeles over a controversial op-ed they claim had 'racist and transphobic' undertones.

Eddy, who plays as a midfielder for National Women's Soccer League club Angel City FC, called for the league to implement clearer 'gender standards' in an editorial for the New York Post last week, which has started a war in her own locker room.

In the piece, the 34-year-old urged the NWSL to limit eligibility to players 'born with ovaries' or conduct genetic testing, while it also included a photo of Orlando City's Zambian striker Barbra Banda - who has faced questions over her gender.

And after it was published last Monday, two of Eddy's furious Angel City teammates held a press conference at the weekend to express their 'disgust' and 'devastation' with the article.

'I'm gonna start off by saying that that article does not speak for this team and this locker room,' defender Sarah Gorden said. 'I've had a lot of convos with my teammates in the past few days and they are hurt and they are harmed by the article. And also they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article and it's really important for me to say that.

'We don't agree with the things written for a plethora of reasons, but mostly the undertones come across as transphobic and racist as well.'

Gorden then continued: 'The article calls for genetic testing on certain players, and it has a photo of an African player as the headline, and that's very harmful. And to me it's inherently racist because to single out this community based on them looking or being different is absolutely a problem.

'As a mixed woman with a black family I am devastated by the undertones of this article, and I feel very protective of my teammates and this community who are also hurt by this - and that includes staff and anyone who is a supporter and a fan.

'There are players in this league and in this locker room who are directly harmed by what was written in the article, so for that I just want to say I am so, so sorry for anyone hurt by this or anyone harmed by this.'

Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson also added: 'Angel City is a place for everyone. It always will be. 'That's how it was from the beginning. That's how it always will be, period.'

As well as posting a clip of Gorden and Anderson's 'courageous' press conference - while stressing in the caption that 'no one in our community should be questioned, harassed or targeted because of their identity - Angel City also distanced themselves from Eddy's opinions in a statement last Wednesday.

'In response to an op-ed published on October 27th, we want to make clear that while we respect the right for an individual to express their opinion, it does not reflect the opinion of an entire organization,' the statement read.

'Since our founding, Angel City has remained committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging. These principles will always guide how we show up for our team, fans, and community.'

Daily Mail has reached out to Elizabeth Eddy for comment. 

The liberal backlash to Eddy's op-ed has infuriated a number of leading conservative voices, including ex-ESPN host Sage Steele. 

Steele wrote on X amid the controversy: 'Pathetic that @weareangelcity & the @NWSL not only lack the courage to speak facts & truth about women, they prove their cowardice by demonizing their teammate @elizabetheddy2 who simply wants to protect women, protect her sport. Stay strong, Elizabeth. Common sense will prevail'.

Jennifer Sey, founder of pro-women sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics, said: 'The Angel City FC women's soccer team is calling their teammate Elizabeth Eddy racist because she says women's sports are for women. How the left got away with this scam on behalf of men, will forever be beyond me.'

While Outkick founder Clay Travis branded the reaction from Eddy's teammates as 'insane'.

As for Eddy herself, she claims to have received support from other players around the league after releasing the op-ed despite sparking fury amongst Angel City stars.

'Overall, what I’ve come to realize, is that it’s an 80/20 issue,' she claimed in an interview with Fox News. 'Most of the country wants women’s sports to be for women. What I have noticed, again, a lot of my teammates are having a hard time speaking up if they believe this. But, bigger picture, the players need to decide and work together.

'And what I also realized is, a lot of players in the league have messaged me and reached out, saying they do agree but they’re fearful to speak up. So, to your point, it’s just a really difficult scenario for the people that are in it. But the people on the outside, the overwhelming majority, has been supportive of this whole concept.'

Eddy also revealed that several of the teammates who took issue with her piece are still invited to her upcoming wedding.

'The invite still stands,' she said. 'They have said, "yes." I hope they come. I think it’s super important to offer an olive branch because, at the end of the day, we’re all humans, and getting on the same page and choosing to work together is very important.'

The NWSL does not have any open transgender athletes, though it did release a policy in 2021 that allowed for trans women to compete if their testosterone levels are 'within typical limits of women athletes.'

In 2022, the league told The Guardian that the policy had been abandoned and that it 'does not currently have a policy in this regard.'

Banda, who was one of the NWSL's leading scorers this year before picking up a season-ending injury, was left out of Zambia's Africa Cup of Nations squad in 2022 on 'gender eligibility grounds.'

The BBC sparked controversy last year by naming her as their Women's Footballer of the Year despite questions over her gender, with former USWNT captain Megan Rapinoe hitting out at the 'hateful little people' trying to 'tear her down.'