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NFL players are no longer the only professional athletes to silently protest during the national anthem.On Sunday night, womens soccer player Megan Rapinoe followed the example of?San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick by taking a knee during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner before her Seattle Reign played the Chicago Red Stars in an NWSL game.After the game, a 2-2 draw, Rapinoe told John D. Halloran of American Soccer Now that her action was a nod to Kaepernick.I am disgusted with the way he has been treated and the fans and hatred he has received in all of this, Rapinoe told espnWs Julie Foudy. It is overtly racist: Stay in your place, black man. Just didnt feel right to me. We need a more substantive conversation around race relations and the way people of color are treated.We are not saying we are not one the greatest countries in world, she added. Just need to accept that [it is] not perfect, things are broken.And quite honestly, being gay, I have stood with my hand over my heart during the national anthem and felt like I havent had my liberties protected, so I can absolutely sympathize with that feeling.Rapinoe said she would continue to kneel in every match going forward.The very least that I can do is continue the conversation with him by kneeling for the anthem, she said.?The Reign issued a statement on Wednesday that said in part, We will continue to encourage all Reign FC players to participate in the pre-match ceremony, which honors those who have served and made sacrifices on our behalf.We will also continue to allow players to participate in the pre-match ceremony in a manner consistent with their personal beliefs, reflecting our respect for the rights earned and defended by those fighting for our nation. And we will continue to support Megan in her efforts to make a positive impact on our country, encouraging her to do so in a way that provokes needed conversation about serious issues, in a manner consistent with the values of our organization.On Tuesday, Rapinoe told Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic that her joining in protest has been fairly well-received.I felt like it was the right thing to do. I think it was the right time to do that, Rapinoe said Tuesday. Ive talked to people who are equally inspired and outraged, and I welcome both of those conversations and think that they are both incredibly important. I think overall, its been positive.Rapinoe, a World Cup and gold-medal winner with the U.S. womens national team, becomes the first nonblack professional athlete to join in protesting during the national anthem since Kaepernick gained notoriety for sitting out the anthem during the 49ers preseason games.Since coming out in 2012, Rapinoe has been a devoted advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and has worked with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and other organizations.Rapinoe also has been vocal about pay equity. She was among five national team players who lent their names to a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging wage discrimination. The players say that members of the team make in some cases up to four times less than their male national team counterparts.She has frequently spoken out on Twitter, delving into politics and even calling out the NWSL when a match was played on an extremely narrow field earlier this summer.After sitting during the playing of the anthem during preseason games, Kaepernick elected to kneel during the anthem for the teams final preseason game on Thursday and was joined by teammate Eric Reid.In a separate game on Thursday, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane also elected to sit down during the playing of the national anthem.Though he has received backlash for his protest, Kaepernick has said its not his intention to denigrate police, military or the country, but rather, it serves as his way of bringing attention to what he sees are failings in the United States treatment of racial minorities.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.Kevin Durant Nets Jersey . 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Negredo broke the deadlock from close range after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th.CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Western Michigan came to Illinois Saturday as three-point favorites to pick up its second win in three weeks over a Big Ten team.Maybe that line should have been a little bigger.The Broncos (3-0) knocked off Illinois 34-10, two weeks after beating Northwestern on the road, 22-21.Western Michigan looked the part of a Big Ten team for much of the game Saturday, pushing the Illini (1-2) around the field. The Broncos held Illinois to 3 yards rushing while they piled up 287 yards on 54 carries.Sophomore running back Jamauri Bogan led Western Michigan with 189 yards on 24 carries, including a pair of long touchdowns.Bogan now has 425 yards -- 6.8 a carry -- and four touchdowns. He praised an offensive line that dominated the Illini defensive line, considered the strength of the Illinois team.Line came to play, he said. Its always the guys around me that allow things to happen when we play good football games.Broncos coach P.J. Fleck celebrated the win with fans who made the trip and said his team was never overwhelmed by the idea of facing another Big Ten team.They never flinched; they werent going to be intimidated, he said, while trying to play down the significance of beating Illinois on the road. Its no bigger or less than any other win.Western Michigan opened up a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter and finished the afternoon with 437 yards of offense.While Western Michigan shoved Illinois down the field, the Illini could barely sustain a drive. Unable to run, their only touchdown came on a trick play, a reverse flea flicker that ended with quarterback Wes Lunt hitting tight end Ainslee Johnson deep down the right sideline to cut the Western Michigan lead to 21-7 midway through the second quarter.Talking about a fourth-and-1 stop by the Broncos in the first half, Illinois coach Lovie Smith summed up the Illinis afternoon.They beat us up front, he said. We knew it was going to be about our line. They know were running, and of course we are running. Now, whos a better man?The two wins over Big Ten teams in a season is a first for Western Michigan, and just the fourth time a Mid-American Conference team has two wins over Big Ten opposition in one season.THE TAKEAWAYWESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos win at Northwestern was a squeaker, requiring a late touchdown and some defensive herroics.dddddddddddd The win at Illinois was domination. Western Michigan ran the ball right at Illinois and the Illini couldnt do much about it.ILLINOIS: That feel-good period that followed Lovie Smiths hiring is over and the reality that he has taken over a mistake-prone team short on talent has set it in. Smith said from the beginning he wants to run the ball, but lead back KeShawn Vaughn had just 22 yards on eight carries Saturday. And while Lunt had 312 yards passing, he lacks a true go-to receiver. Smith also questioned his quarterbacks decision-making, particularly opting for short receivers in late-game, long-yardage situations.Theres probably four or five big plays we probably left out there that could have changed the game, Lunt agreed. I think I just need to do a better job when were down by that many points of forcing it down the field.KEEP THE BALLPlaying against an Illinois team that stresses the need to create turnovers, Western Michigan did not turn the ball over Saturday. That gives the Broncos a turnover-free start through their first three games. Opening up that three-touchdown lead helped. The Broncos stuck to the run much of the rest of the way. Quarterback Zach Terrell was just 9 of 13 for 150 yards.FUTILITYIf any one play could sum up the day for the Illini, their third-and-2 at the Bronco 3 early in the third quarter might be it. Lunt rolled left, had Justin Hardee open in the end zone with Reggie Corbin open in front of him at the 1. But with the ball headed toward Hardee, Corbin got his hands on it, and dropped it at the goal line. Illinois settled for a field goal, and remained two touchdowns behind at 24-10.UP NEXTWESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos are at home Saturday, against Georgia Southern, before they start MAC play at Central Michigan, which has its own win at a Power 5 school (Sept. 10 over Oklahoma State).ILLINOIS: Illinois gets a week off before heading to Nebraska to open the Big Ten season on Oct. 1. The Cornhuskers provided the 2015 highlight for the Illini, who came from behind to win their meeting in Champaign, 14-13.---Follow David Mercer on Twitter: (at)davidmercerAPAssociated Press college football coverage: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '