NWSL players kneel during the national anthem

(AP) — Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage knelt during the national anthem Saturday as the National Women’s Soccer League opened the Challenge Cup tournament in Utah.

The players wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts in warmups before the game, which was nationally televised on CBS.

In addition to the anthem, the players knelt for a moment of silence before kickoff. The teams issued a joint statement saying they wanted to protest racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism.