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US Women's National Soccer Team throws their own opening ceremony party

The team celebrated the opening ceremony with dances and a watch party.
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Team USA poses for a photo prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The team did not attend the opening ceremony due to a conflict with its game schedule.Yoshikazu Tsuno / AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team is celebrating the beginning of the Olympics with a private party.

According to social media posts from the athletes, the soccer players missed the opening ceremony because they were preparing for an upcoming game against New Zealand on July 24.

"No Opening Ceremonies for us as we get ready for Game Day," wrote the team in a post shared to the USWNT's Instagram story. "But these views."

The team clarified on Instagram that practice was keeping them from the opening ceremony.
The team clarified on Instagram that practice was keeping them from the opening ceremony. uswnt / Instagram

Other images and clips shared by the team showed the athletes drilling and practicing as they prepared for their second game this week. Striker Alex Morgan said on Twitter that the team was still excited for the opening ceremony, even though they couldn't attend in person.

"So excited for 2020 Olympics #openingceremony tonight!" she wrote on Twitter. "We won't be there in person but we WILL be parading around the hotel in our opening ceremony outfits while prepping for game 2 tomorrow!"

A cute clip shared on Instagram showed defender Abby Dahlkemper and forward Megan Rapinoe strutting around the team's hotel in their opening ceremony uniforms, with Rapinoe pretending to be fiancee Sue Bird, who served as one of Team USA's flag bearers during the ceremony.

"If you can’t go to the #OpeningCeremony , you bring the #OpeningCeremony to you," wrote the team.

Rapinoe also shared a selfie of herself wearing the opening ceremony uniform, which was designed by Ralph Lauren, and flashing a peace sign on her Instagram story.

"Opening ceremony vibes," she wrote, noting Bird's status as the flag bearer in smaller text.

Megan Rapinoe shared a selfie of herself dressed for the opening ceremony in her hotel room.
Megan Rapinoe shared a selfie of herself dressed for the opening ceremony in her hotel room. mrapinoe / Instagram

Defender Crystal Dunn shared another video of herself and Rapinoe dancing in the team's hotel, as well as a short clip of the team watching as Bird carried the flag during the ceremony.

The team gathered for a viewing party to watch Sue Bird participate in the opening ceremony.
The team gathered for a viewing party to watch Sue Bird participate in the opening ceremony.

Rapinoe told TODAY that the team is looking forward to playing New Zealand on Saturday after their 3-0 loss to Sweden on July 21.

"We don't lose very often, and we definitely don't lose like that very often," said Rapinoe on TODAY.

"We have a match day again tomorrow, that's what we're looking forward to," she added. "We just need to take care of business. We weren't happy with our performance and we definitely need to do better tomorrow and we're all excited for that."

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