They are denying they were turning their back on him, or being disrespectful. It was a matter of some players were facing the flag, and some were watching him.
This is the problem when you have at least one player like Rapinoe who is a kneeler. It taints the entire team, and now people are scrutinizing the entire team.
It's one thing to kneel or turn your back on the National Anthem if you're a professional athlete, but the whole idea of the Olympics is to represent your nation. If you're going to turn your back or kneel, then why are you on the team in the first place? This isn't about you, this is about representing your country. There are plenty of other athletes out there that would love to play for their nation and proudly stand for their anthem.