New York, Jun 28 (IANS): The National Women's Soccer League maintained the trend being followed worldwide as Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage players took a knee showing their support to the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign.

According to a BBC report, the players also wore T-shirts reading "Black Lives Matter" before kick-off.

The teams said it was to protest against "racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against black people and people of colour".

The joint statement added: "We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard.

"It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone."

Recently, former England cricketer Phil DeFreitas opened up on facing racism during his playing days and stated how it hampered his progress with the national team.

"I always felt that I had to be twice as good as a white person, which is quite sad that I felt that way," DeFreitas said during the Sky Sports Podcast.

"I never felt welcome; I always felt like every game was my last game. I was desperate to play for England and that kept me going."

Sportspersons, in recent times, have been coming out and speaking more about racism since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police personnel last month.

Floyd, aged 46, died shortly after Derek Chauvin, a police officer, held him down with a knee on his neck though he repeatedly pleaded, "I can't breathe," and "please, I can't breathe".