There’s the fairy-tale version of this story that focuses on Megan Rapinoe missing two years of national team action and nearly having her promising, fledgling career derailed by multiple ACL injuries. And how her hard work, determination, and never-say-die attitude was rewarded with her Cup-saving, 35-yard rainbow cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute.

And now here’s the better version of the story: Megan Rapinoe is an absolutely awesome American human being, and if she isn’t doing the Top Ten on Letterman by the end of July then we should just put Lady Justice on a milk carton and call her “missing.”

It is important to remember that these bans [on women’s soccer] were not directed only at women. They quite specifically targeted men interested in supporting the women’s game – and, by implication, women interested in being involved in the men’s game. They were designed to make it as difficult as possible for women to learn how to play, coach, referee, and manage a team. They worked to alienate women from men, and men from women. You couldn’t be involved in the men’s game and the women’s. You had to choose.

It was a football divorce, and we – who know so little about our own history – are its children. I don’t think it’s too melodramatic of me to suggest that we all lost something with those efforts to divide the game in half.