Hope Solo suspended from national team for 6 months
ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo takes the ball during a women’s Olympic football tournament match against New Zealand in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Aug. 3. Solo has been suspended form the team for six months for what U.S. Soccer termed conduct “counter to the organization’s principles.”
CHICAGO » U.S. women’s goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended today for six months by U.S. Soccer for disparaging comments about Sweden following the Americans’ early departure from the Rio Olympics.
Solo called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team. Sweden ousted the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal match.
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Solo’s comments were “unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players.”
“Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect,” Gulati said. “We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.”
The 35-year-old Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, will not be eligible for selection to the national team until February.
Solo was a lightning rod during the Olympic tournament, irking fans in Brazil when she posted a photo on social media of herself covered with mosquito netting and armed with insect repellant. Fans booed her mercilessly and hollered “Zika!” each time she kicked downfield.
Then she caused a stir with her “cowards” comment.
Sweden’s coach, Pia Sundhage, who led the U.S. team to gold medals in Beijing and London, replied by stating: “It’s OK to be a coward if you win.”
Solo has been making headlines throughout her stellar career.
Last month, she became the first goalkeeper with 100 international shutouts when the United States defeated South Africa 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago. It was also her 150th career win.
Solo won her second straight Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper at the Women’s World Cup a year ago. Over the course of the tournament in Canada, she had five clean sheets and allowed only three goals in seven games.
She has vocally advocated for women’s rights. Solo was among the U.S. players who filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination, saying the men’s national team players have been paid much more than many on the women’s team, which for years has outperformed the U.S. men on the international stage.
More recently, she has called for better conditions for players in the National Women’s Soccer League.
She has also been trying to avoid trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a 2014 incident at her sister’s home, when the goalkeeper was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew. Solo said she was a victim in the altercation. Earlier this year, an appeals court in Washington state rejected Solo’s request to avoid trial.
17 responses to “Hope Solo suspended from national team for 6 months”
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Appropriate action.
Now let’s see how the US Swim team honchos responds to “Gentleman” Ryan.
At least three of his sponsors jumped ship.
More to come ?
See what happens when you make up a B S story about the condition of the turf at Aloha Stadium. BACHI…. Who got the MEDAL girlie??? LOL
Yup, the girls wanted to party in Waikiki rather than play the game in the hot sun.
This is top news to who?
She is sooooo hot.
U.S. Soccer is full of itself.
A asaulted a 17 year old boy? What a wimp.
Now Solo and Lochte can hit the campaign trail with Crooked Hilliary.
Not every article is about rail or the presidential election. Sorry.
Should have been a year. No class sore looser.Her sponsors should drop her.
Goallllllllll…
I forgive Hope Solo for her past, current, and future transgressions. She has bared everything for all the world to see, and she has survived. There is even a term called Hope Solo in the urban dictionary. If you don’t understand, just Google Hope Solo roast beef. Those pictures were hacked, and it must have affected her deeply. NOT!
Her father Han, has never been a good father to her given he is never home and always trying to make a buck smuggling contraband throughout the galaxy. Her half brother Kylo Ren is so messed up, maybe high on bath salts or crystal meth, that he ran a lightsaber through their own father.
Seems like a reasonable response. It is however unfortunate that we need a national organization to enforce what should be universally accepted tenets of good sportsmanship.
She’s still hot lol
You got that right…schwing!