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Hope Solo suspended six months for comments following loss to Sweden

Photo by Erich Schlegel/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Erich Schlegel/USA TODAY Sports

For the second time in as many years, Hope Solo has been suspended from the U.S. Women’s National Team.

U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday that the USWNT goalkeeper has been suspended six months for “conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles”. The discipline comes in the aftermath of Solo’s controversial comments following the USWNT’s loss to Sweden, who the goalkeeper called “cowards” for their style of play.

“The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.

“Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. National Team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

Solo, who was previously suspended in 2015 for inappropriate conduct, will not be eligible for selection until February.

What do you think of the suspension? How do you see the USWNT moving on without Solo? What do you expect of Solo upon the completion of her suspension?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m surprised I don’t see more people mention it, but every time I think of hope solo, I think of one thing. Let me say first that I hate memes. Hate them. But when I think of hope solo, I think of the naked selfie she took in the mirror with that remarkably disgusting lower half of hers, with the big bold caption “CLASS PERSONIFIED”

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  2. Us soccer has dealt with this obnoxious moron for years. I think she’s awful and I only see her on Tv. I can only imagine what those around her within us soccer must know and think about her. I’m rolling with Gulati because there is no way she didn’t have it coming to her based on us soccer’s reaction.

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  3. Cannot believe I am defending Hope (yet again) because I really, really despised the (complete lack of) sportsmanship, graciousness, or humility in her comments…

    But if Ronaldo can get away with saying the exact same thing against Iceland in the Euros, and nothing is done, why is Miss Solo subjected to far greater discipline for the same offense?

    I thought Ronaldo was a tool, and a narcissist, and it showed greatly in the Euros when he opened his mouth against Iceland. I thought much the same about Hope Solo when she opened her yap after the Olympic loss. But while I thought bad things against both of them, at no point did I think either toolbag deserved to be suspended. I just thought they were jerks.

    Sorry, this is sexism at its worst. There’s a “shut up @#$@%” message going on here I just can’t agree with.

    Gulati slammed her, publicly. Her own teammate Rapinoe slammed Solo, publicly. Good job, guys, and I agree…but to take it further isn’t something you would do to a male athlete. We encourage our menfolk to be strong, individualistic, outspoken…when you get a girl doing it, we kick her out (again!)

    Don’t like the message, sorry. And Gulati is more than a little tone-deaf if he doesn’t see what he’s doing here. You don’t necessarily have to like Hope Solo – I don’t think she wants us to, most of the time – but suspending her (for this!) seems heavy-handed. For stealing the USSF van on a drunken joyride…I’d have had zero problems. But you didn’t, because you still needed her.

    This is politics…and again, I don’t like the message.

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    • I see you don’t read: “Taking into consideration the PAST incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. National Team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

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      • Of course I know there’s a past history of stuff the USSF has chosen to overlook, Oh Condescending One.

        The problem was, they overlooked it. You don’t get to retroactively back up that truck after you’ve enabled it…you know, because the girl won you games and all.

        This is very convenient, politically. You know, because there’s no big events for the next six month, the World Cup and Olympics being done, and all. If you’re going to take a stand, do it at the end of a cycle, not at the very beginning when it doesn’t matter.

        Again, I hate the fact that I’m left in the position of defending this woman, because she’s neither likable nor terribly defensible, but the USSF is being as politically expedient as a college football program right now.

        If you have ethics, USSF, implement them in the middle of a cycle. Not retroactively going into a brand new cycle when it doesn’t matter. Otherwise it comes across as, well, political posturing. And it also comes across as something the USSF would not say to Cristiano Ronaldo, were he American.

      • You wrote a lot and still said nothing.

        I am not agreeing with the timing when they should have done it long ago but they chose to do it now. You can bend over backwards to defend her but it still doesn’t dispute her actions or her words.

        Lol and to compare Ronaldo to this is hilarious. This is nothing similar nor does he have a similar history with his national team. You sound like a white knight.

      • “Lol and to compare Ronaldo to this is hilarious. This is nothing similar”

        How do you figure? CR said Iceland had a “small mentality”, that they didn’t try, that they were lucky in the result, and repeatedly criticized their style of play, and even their celebration at the end of the match. Not a lot of difference, there…

      • I will quote it again: “Taking into consideration the PAST incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself…”

        What past actions besides saying “small mentality” has Ronaldo done with regards to his national team in the past two years? I also don’t see small mentality as bad as cowards but since you seem to think so I’ll call that moot. This is the third incident in a little over two years. The total soccer show just did a podcast on this and did a good job of explaining it.

      • I see the clear distinction between Solo and CR in terms of repeated issues or past history, however you yourself seemed to be separating that out from your comparison of their comments:

        “Lol and to compare Ronaldo to this is hilarious. This is nothing similar _nor_ does he have a similar history with his national team.”

        So I was responding on that basis. I also think “cowards” is a bit worse than what he said, but especially if you read the full comments of each of them, it’s like 8 v 7 on a scale of 10 or something, not a big difference and certainly not one big enough to call the comparison “hilarious”. But again that’s only if you are comparing CR’s comments to Solo’s comments, period. If comparing CR’s comments to Solo’s comments + her past issues, then I don’t see the respective reactions as out of line.

        The reactions to her repeat behavior and for example Suarez’ repeat behavior are still very out of line, though.

      • The reactions to her repeat behavior and for example Suarez’ repeat behavior are still very out of line, though.

        Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield or Mike Tyson beating Robin Givens.

        Since you’re in the market to compare apples to oranges, I wonder which one is socially worse and more traumatizing on the psyche of the victim. There’s only one answer, but two agendas to providing a response.

        What you lack in quality, you certainly make up for in quantity when providing a horrible comparison and complete diversion of the topic.

      • Let me try this one more time. I find it hilarious that the two situations are being compared. She has a history with the national team and people comparing it to C. Ronaldo are not getting the point. It’s a consistent infringement to use a soccer term of all her past behavior. These things have been talked about behind the scenes between her and USSF about her behavior. The comments were more of a straw that broke the camels back than the actual reason for the suspension. If this was Lloyd, Rapinoe, Morgan, etc making the comments, it would have been a one off and nothing more would have come of it.

      • Your last reply shows that, somewhat incredibly, you still don’t get it, OS. Or you don’t want to get it, I dunno. And I’m not the only one who has explained the difference to you: GP did, as well. I don’t know what you’re on about me comparing Tyson’s antics to anything in this situation, as I have never done so. About the only immediate similarity I see is between Tyson and Suarez for biting.

        Maybe you’ll get it this way: are you more convinced that Ray Rice did something seriously wrong, having (i imagine) seen the video of it, or by Hope Solo having done something wrong, provided only what some of the people involved or there told the police? Just that.

      • RB, I don’t need to reference others who disagree with you (in this very post) to support my own posts when I’m addressing you directly. I often find people on SBI that are presenting a feeble argument and feel less confident about their presentation utilize this lazy tactic.

        Again, you dodge the actual comparison I provided you, which is most likely the most apropos out there to Suarez vs Solo (which is ignorant to begin with), and provide more false equivalencies by trying to reference even more males that committed domestic violence (and have been protested, and black listed from their sport – which only proves my point).

        Sincerely, I hope no one in your family has or will ever experience domestic violence, but more importantly I hope if they should they have reasonable people around them that don’t question the validity of their injuries, statements or trauma suffered after.

        The fact that you’re now delegitimizing the statements provided to police by the victims and ignoring the police officers statements is sickening. You’re going down a dark path now that I can’t follow over some incessant reasoning to justify and apologize on Solo’s behalf.

        Take a moment to reflect on that.

      • So you don’t want to get it. OK. It was a straightforward question about judging others and the reliability of witnesses and parties involved and fallible memory and so forth, none of which come into play with clear video. But instead you opt to avoid the question and then make bizarre claims that I’m delegitimizing the police and “going down a dark path now” [spooky music]. Oooooooohhh. 🙂

        I’ve also run into a few like you in online discussions, OS: all bluster and pomp, especially when surprised by others who legitimately disagree with you, but then more name calling and overactive imagination driving such bizarre accusations than any real, thoughtful engagement, in response. “Take a moment to reflect on that”. Exactly.

    • I share your feelings. But you/we are not defending Solo. We are defending due process and equal treatment. While I realize that there are different bodies at work in deciding punishment, when you compare punishment to crime, whether it is Ronaldo, the USL player or Luis Suarez, it should be clear to any objective observer that Solo has been punished more harshly than male soccer players. That is the issue. The issue is not Solo’s character which leaves a lot to be desired.

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      • If you consider that Suarez’s ban included two months of professional games and nine internationals including the Copa America 99nario, to say she is being punish more harshly isn’t true. Initially FIFA even banned him from going to any soccer facility even from buying a ticket and attending games. It was only the Court of Abitration for Sport that allowed him to train with Barcelona (this case may end up there as well although I am not sure if they have any jurisdiction). His biting is obviously worse especially with the third offense(although you could see either side if her first two offenses are worse than biting), but he was punished and had received larger punishments for previous incidents than Solo is for this one. Both have lied and made excuses and half hearted apologies following their incidents.

        If you look to the NFL, players are routinely suspended for simply being arrested even when charges aren’t filed or cases are dismissed. The NFL has its own investigators that look into incidents (and failed in the Rice case obviously) whereas US soccer just apparently took Solo’s word because they never talked with police or the family members. So you cannot say that Solo is held to higher standard because she is female either.

        What forces people to quazi-defend Solo in this case relates to a distrust of USSF brought on by a lack of transparency. Had USSF been more open about the discussions mentioned by Gulati it wouldn’t feel to some as such an overreach. If we knew what was told to Solo after the van gate it would be much easier to understand this punishment.

    • I think you nailed it quozzel in your lucid posts, which in no way exonerate Solo from the stench that emanates from her and has for a long time, but recognizes more than one stench producer in this smelly situation

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      • Let me ask you this though, if you had a girl on your team who had some sportsmanship issues, and some discipline issues off the field at team events and after talking with her several times you suspended her for a game or two and then a few months later she’s embarrassing your club again with her behavior shouldn’t you be able to suspend her for 2 to 8 games, which is what this suspension really is. Its not 6 months of games every Saturday.

      • hey johnny, fair question man. one of my teams is a team of girls. in all seriousness, things would never be allowed to get to this point, that player would have to play elsewhere; in this instance however regarding Solo, quozzel’s take on the situation is also mine. I think he presented it well.

      • Fair enough. USSF gives the impression that Solo had been warned that this would happened but we’ll never really know what was said at these meetings.

  4. The freedom is speech thing is dumb guys. Just stop. Walk into your job tomorrow and spout off like this idiot does. You’ll get fired and screaming ‘freedom of speech!!! Merica!!!’ won’t save your job.

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  5. What a joke there are no major tournaments in 6 months.
    She is trashy, too bad for her she doesn’t live in a country that has freedom of speech…we only have freedom of speech if what we say is politically correct

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    • It’s ironic that people are playing the “double standard” card in this story.

      Pay close attention to the media and public response to people men accused of domestic violence that are professional athletes. You have men and women voicing outrage to their employment, threatening to not purchase anything related to the team and actually protesting their employment in some cases.

      …and that’s when said men can actually get a job again and aren’t black listed.

      Meanwhile, Hope Solo is arrested for domestic violence. Resists arrest in the process and has been a part of drunk driving on at least one occasion. No outrage. No protests. No boycotts.

      Yea, there’s a double standard alright but people are too blind with their own bias to see it’s actually favoring Hope Solo.

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      • “It’s ironic that people are playing the “double standard” card in this story.”

        No, it/s accurate. And glad to see more and more people are recognizing it.

        “Pay close attention to the media and public response to people men accused of domestic violence that are professional athletes … Hope Solo is arrested for domestic violence. Resists arrest in the process and has been a part of drunk driving on at least one occasion. No outrage. No protests. No boycotts.”

        Of course this is wholly inaccurate, first off because of the false equivalence the comparison is based on (hearsay reports of misdemeanor-level violence at a family gathering v video evidence confirming felony-level violence, for example), and secondly because there obviously have been protests and backlash and indeed disciplinary treatment.

        “Yea, there’s a double standard alright but people are too blind with their own bias to see it’s actually favoring Hope Solo.”

        …OR (as many have noted here) male athletes like Suarez who repeatedly engages in outrageous violence to opponents on the field and yet is treated more mildly.

      • Of course this is wholly inaccurate, first off because of the false equivalence the comparison is based on (hearsay reports of misdemeanor-level violence at a family gathering v video evidence confirming felony-level violence, for example), and secondly because there obviously have been protests and backlash and indeed disciplinary treatment.

        Sorry, RB. It’s based off police reports provided by the victims (one of which was a minor), statements corroborated by responding officers (who also reported physical resistance when trying to detain). Later in the process, suddenly the victims refused to participate, but the charges have not been dropped – unlike Hope Solo saying they have been – because the state becomes the victim then.

        Had a woman dropped charges or stopped assisting the investigation against the man accused of domestic violence (as we see time and time again), presumption of innocence in the court of public opinion goes right out the window…assuming it was even provided to him to begin with – which it’s more often not.

        It’s an all too convenient attachment to say it’s a false equivalence, and an equally convenient double-standard when it’s the woman is the aggressor.

        For the record: I failed to see any protests by American men or women to her employment/place on the team, but you’re welcome to provide anything to the contrary (unless you’re making things up).

        Also for the record: She.was.not.suspended. for the domestic violence. She was suspended for the drunk driving participation. To the point that Senator Richard Blumenthal (a Democrat) ridiculed Gulati for allowing Solo to participate in the World Cup.

        It’s sad & maddening how you believe Solo is the victim of a double-standard, rather than the beneficiary. Even when provided rationale responses to disprove your jaded view. Perhaps I should just go back to calling her a piece of s–t (of that she is) because you’ve also disproved that nonsense about it “changing the conversation”.

      • “It’s an all too convenient attachment to say it’s a false equivalence”

        Nope, it’s just accurate: there is no reasonable equivalence between a situation in which, say, someone suddenly coldcocks their spouse on video for all to see, without question, so much so that said spouse must then be dragged from the elevator in which the incident took place, and on the other hand, some people who are known not to get along too smoothly report their versions of a much less shocking scuffle of some sort to the police. No reasonable equivalence.

        “For the record: I failed to see any protests by American men or women to her employment/place on the team, but you’re welcome to provide anything to the contrary (unless you’re making things up).”

        I guess you don’t read the news, social media, this site or much of anything else, if that’s your view. (shrug)

        “Also for the record: She.was.not.suspended. for the domestic violence.She was suspended for the drunk driving participation. To the point that Senator Richard Blumenthal (a Democrat) ridiculed Gulati for allowing Solo to participate in the World Cup.”

        Great: looks like you just helped proved yourself incorrect and me correct on the previous claim. Cheers.

        “It’s sad & maddening how you believe Solo is the victim of a double-standard, rather than the beneficiary. Even when provided rationale responses to disprove your jaded view. Perhaps I should just go back to calling her a piece of s–t (of that she is) because you’ve also disproved that nonsense about it “changing the conversation”.”

        Yeah it looks like you’ve cleaned up your act a bit wrt simple, base name calling, which is always to be applauded. Hopefully you’ll stick with that, as it really makes the discussion much more of an adult, mature affair, you know.

        As for the point at hand, though, I and others (now many others, as you can see) are providing an increasing variety of rational points and examples of the double standard referred to. And yet you continue with your view (which is truly the only one to which the word “jaded” could be applied, as evidenced by tone alone), and do not respond. Indeed it seems you respond to few but me, which is curious. But there it is…

      • I will gladly stipulate that Solo behaves often like trailer trash. However, that is not the issue. The issues are fairness, equivalency, due process. Regarding the domestic violence incident, she has not been convicted of anything related to that and, at last report, the prosecutor has not yet even refiled the case that was previously withdrawn. There is nothing there. As for the drunk driving, she was a drunk passenger. She showed incredibly bad judgment, BUT, her husband is a former pro football player He is a very large man at 6’7″, 265 pounds and has been arrested in the past for assaulting Solo. It is very possible that he insisted on driving the van and physically forced himself into that situation. We just don’t know. We do know that if he didn’t want to do what Solo wanted, given his history and size, there is no way Solo could have prevented him from doing what he wanted. He has a pretty lengthy arrest/charge record and has spent time in jail. Why she married him I’ll never understand, but that is a whole different issue. As for the present case, I have pointed out here and in the case of the USL player verbally abusing Robbie Rogers, the punishment to Solo is way out of proportion to that meted out to male soccer players. There should be equality under the law. It is clear to me, that in this case, it has not applied.

      • I guess you don’t read the news, social media, this site or much of anything else, if that’s your view. (shrug)

        You referenced it, so the responsibility is on you to validate such claims – of which you have not – to prove she’s received unfair criticism that her male counterparts have not received. Until then, your claim remains in the realm of fabrication.

        Great: looks like you just helped proved yourself incorrect and me correct on the previous claim. Cheers.

        I have no idea what point you’re even trying to make and see fabrication is becoming a theme with your conversation style. Don’t be lazy, and actually take the time to relay your point rather than a “No, you are!” effort.

        Yeah it looks like you’ve cleaned up your act a bit wrt simple, base name calling, which is always to be applauded. Hopefully you’ll stick with that, as it really makes the discussion much more of an adult, mature affair, you know.

        Your reservation with classifications that Hope Solo is a piece of s–t is your own deficiency. The English language exists to utilize it’s vast arsenal and I will proceed in any colorful fashion that is befitting of her ilk. Your inability to see past that and allowing it to mentally disrupt your conversation reflects a lack of maturity, in fact. Hopefully you work through that because if this throws you off kilter, as you’ve already admitted, I’d pity you in an actual conflict.

        As for the point at hand, though, I and others (now many others, as you can see) are providing an increasing variety of rational points and examples of the double standard referred to.

        Yes, you’re comparing Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield in a sporting event to that of a Mike Tyson beating his girlfriend Robin Givens. The fact that you either believe that, or are trying to peddle that off as a comparison is…in fact…both sad and maddening.

        You claiming “now many others” also discredits some notion that Hope Solo has received a black eye (pun intended) for her transgressions. You simply can’t have it both ways…either she’s received unprecedented criticism or you want to believe you’re a part of a growing chorus that supports her.

        Both sound like fabrications, just like believing you’ve provided anything deemed “rational examples” of actual false equivalences, and that is both amusing and a growing trend in your posts.

      • BUT, her husband is a former pro football player He is a very large man at 6’7″, 265 pounds and has been arrested in the past for assaulting Solo. It is very possible that he insisted on driving the van and physically forced himself into that situation. We just don’t know.

        …and here we go with more apologist bulls__t. What a joke. For the record, he was arrested and charged with the exact degree that Hope Solo was charged with. Yes, Stevens is a miserable excuse for a human being…and so is his wife…by the exact same standards.

        I wish this absurdity of some of these posts were more entertaining than troubling.

      • Well said, GP. As someone said, you are a voice of reason.

        OS, not so much. If you can’t see the double standard he and others are also pointing out here, or can’t see why people might point them out eithout being apologists or just gaga for the woman, or can’t distinguish between the levels and types of actions involved and their circumstances, or other such things, well sorry, but you’ve now been shown so many of the dots and in the end, it’s on you if you just don’t want to connect them, not on others of us.

      • Gary and RB you both seem to be saying that its not ok for a football player to abuse his wife, but it is ok for a female soccer player to abuse her nephew and sister.

        I researched the difference between felony DV and misdemeanor and found out in Seattle and King County usually people are charged with 4th degree assault if there are no other witnesses (as in Solo’s case) Rice was charged with 3rd degree assault because it happened in front of a security camera and thus would be easier to prosecute. The three arresting officers all agreed based on their interviews with the three individuals and based on inspection of the injuries sustained by all three that Solo was the aggressor that’s why only she was arrested.

        Obert “had bruising on the left side of her face,” and “a large scratch mark on the right side of her neck,” according to Officer Chuck Pierce. He wrote that Obert’s clothing was in “disarray” and it “appeared she could not stand.”

        Obert’s son, according to Officer Elizabeth Voss, had redness around his nose and left jawbone and a “bleeding cut on the bottom of his left ear, just above the earlobe.” His T-shirt was ripped and his arms were “bright red and had scratch marks.”

        Solo’s lawyer used the classic blame the victim technique trying to force the nephew’s psychological records out in open court. When the family refused to answer those questions in a deposition the case was dismissed.

        Gary there is absolutely no evidence anywhere that your construction that Stevens forced Solo to get in the van so he could drive them somewhere. Solo and Stevens drove in a team van got drunk and started we are too assume driving back to camp. It was never reported how they had come to have the van and if Solo or Stevens was driving before the drinking started (by the way both her sister and nephew reported Solo arrived in her car with an open bottle and heavily intoxicated the night of their incident). Stevens DV arrest came because apparently in Seattle if a DV call is made to police someone must be arrested, Hope had what police described as a small laceration on her elbow. Steven’s has certainly done some terrible things, but Solo marrying him doesn’t free her from being punished for things she did. Try taking a company vehicle getting into said vehicle with your drunk spouse and then after being pulled over act belligerently to police and not get into trouble with your company.

        This is the third time in three years Solo has brought negative publicity to the USSF its not a double standard its standard practice. You can argue that USSF has bungled other incidents with Solo, by dealing with things largely behind the scenes, but in this case they got it right. Its largely symbolic since she not miss anything besides friendlies, although depending on the number of actual games missed it will be a few thousand dollars. The comparison to the USL player is irrelevant because its not run by USSF, if he was being selected for national duty at any level then yes USSF should suspend him from those. That’s like a teenager saying you can’t ground me for getting an “F” on a paper because Jimmy in his Algebra class didn’t get grounded for wrecking his mom’s car. Gulati can’t punish someone not under his jurisdiction.

        Sorry this is so long, but just assuming there is nothing to her DV because it was dismissed or that Stevens alone was to blame for the DUI because he’s a bad guy is not holding Solo accountable for her actions in either case.

      • “Gary and RB you both seem to be saying that its not ok for a football player to abuse his wife, but it is ok for a female soccer player to abuse her nephew and sister.”

        Certainly not, any more than I think it was OK for her to call her Swedish opponents cowards. And not sure why you would think that. I don’t have a problem with USSF suspending her from national team play for 6 mos, either, for that matter.

        Again (as GP has said) the issue is the different types and levels of response to female v male athletes misbehaving.

      • Obviously we’re talking in circles at this point. I feel you’re absolutely wrong by the standards of reality and you feel the exact same towards my opinion.

        Not an opinion: Solo wasn’t suspended just for the remarks.
        Not an opinion: Solo was suspended for 6-months for overall conduct.

        Hope’s entire catalog of wrongdoings and embarrassment she’s brought to herself, her teammates, her coaching staff, supposed “girls that look up to her”, and her fans was her own fault.

        She’s lucky to even collect a paycheck from USSF at this point.
        She’s lucky they were reasonable enough to still allow her to play in her NWSL games.
        She’s lucky to only miss 2 friendlies with the USWNT.
        She’s lucky misguided fans are still justifying her criminal behavior.

        Not lucky? The little girls that look up to her.
        Also not lucky? The fans of the USWNT that don’t want to see that trash associated with the rest of the classy women who represent themselves, their team, their coaching staff and their nation with pride and class.

  6. Currently there are only 2 games on the official schedule, there were 8 during this time period last year, but that was a combination of victory tour and prep for Olympic qualifiers. From Gulati’s comments sounds like she had been warned, perhaps after the mosquito keeper photo even, to be on her best behavior and she wasn’t.

    If any of us continually brought bad press to our employers as Hope has done, we’d have consequences too.

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  7. What a pathetic, hopelessly PC, decision by the Committee. Hope she sues. Hope should sue. We used to believe in freedom of speech. Our forebears are rolling in their graves.

    Hope I don’t get banned from the site for supporting Hope.

    Too many puns to deal with.

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    • She’s not going to jail. She has freedom of speech and a private organization (the Fed ain’t a public institution either even though it has Federal in it’s name) has a right to give her the boot.

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  8. This is absurd. Criticism of “parking the bus” and “anti-football” are amongst the most common criticisms leveled in the game. Ronaldo said Iceland had a “small mentality” in Euro 2016., a comment at the same level of what Solo said. He and Messi and countless others have criticized “anti-football” tactics without facing a hint of punishment. Whether or not these comments are particularly valid or nice or gracious is irrelevant (they weren’t especially valid, and were not nice or gracious). Punishing a competitor for expressing their disappointment at the tactics of the other team in the heat of the moment is ludicrous barring racism or something similarly odious. It sends precisely the wrong message — “say a word out of line, and you’ll find that the friends you had are gone forever” is supposed to be a criticism of overreacting, not an invitation to do so. I hope Solo challenges this punishment and wins.

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    • Had she used the words you used in your comment “anti football, parking the bus” she probably wouldn’t have been suspended. Like it or not sexist or not the USWNT has always branded itself as role models for all of the young girls that flock to their matches and buy their merchandise, poor sportsmanship and that’s what this is, has no place in their marketing plan.

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  9. That is ridiculous! How else are rivalries formed? Trash talk is essential to the growth of sports. Without a little of that, opponents the US women’s soccer team play are just another team. In other sports, or men’s sports, when there is trash talk like that, the next game played catches the interest of fans. US soccer are now the cowards for being pressured into suspending Hope Solo. The best women’s goalie in history.

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  10. Good riddance and appropriate given the culprit and her routine embarrassments to the USWNT and USSF that pays her salary.

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    • Sidenote: There appears to be a common theme of confusion as to why she received this length of suspension and it’s pretty clear many on here simply posted without reading. The USSF is correct in citing this is a result of a history of behavior exhibited by Solo – including many private conversations they’ve had with her about her conduct.

      Over on ESPN-com encourage you to watch the clip of Julie Foudy breaking down the suspension. No one more qualified to give her opinion than a woman, a woman that played the game, and a woman that is close to the USWNT to make it more clear why it’s deserving and should be a surprise to no one.

      The team should move on if they want to be respected. Associating themselves with the likes of Solo does little to their credibility – especially when they’re involved in a marketing ploy to increase their earnings.

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      • it’s because the ussf is ready to move on, plain and simple.

        there were plenty of good reasons to suspend her for 6 months, or even indefinitely. but the only reason they did this now is because at this point they’ve got what they wanted from her, and this is a good opportunity to sever ties without hurting themselves too badly.

      • sorry, my comment was a mess. and apparently i missed your last paragraph.

        just read quozzel’s comments below: said it better than me, although i think it’s all about political opportunism and nothing to do with sexism.

      • I don’t know if I would want quote Julie Foudy on this one O/S. It was U S Soccer which got her the the TV gigs, so she naturally would be defensive of their position. Solo makes herself looks silly with her comment as everyone who has followed the USWNT knows that every team plays them the way that Sweden did. While I would defend her right to say what she did, she lowers her own character with such a statement. As for U S Soccer, I think they should have attempted to contradict Solo’s statement, making her look bad, instead of giving her a meaningless 6 month suspension, which gained her more sympathy than should have been warranted from what she said.

  11. Yawn!!!! But reality is simple milennials are a bunch of wimps. If she felt the opposition did not play brave so be it. I cannot stand Hope but talk about overboard good lord.

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    • Every generation says that about the next one. Who raised the millennials by the way? The late boomers and early Gen Xers is who.

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  12. First of all, Where and when did she make the comment?? Did she call a press conference or was this said in the ladies restroom?? IMHO, everyone is entitled to an opinion. As long as she didn’t make any disparaging remarks against any Sweden Team Member, it should be No Harm – No Foul

    If they should suspend anyone it should be the U. S. coach. She makes that ridiculous statement that roster selections were made on the basis to develop the USWNT team for the future and that some seasoned veterans had to be left behind. I wonder what her thinking was about the Olympics – was it another D-League match. The Olympics and the World Cup are the 2 biggest competitions in Soccer, and there is little else for the women during any 4-year period. So the Olympics should have every team putting their absolute best team on the field, and save any development for the Agave Cup, “Friendlies”, and Even the She Believes Cup. The U. S. loss to Sweden was squarely on the shoulders on the coaches, and that is probably who Hope should have ragged on if they were going to suspend her – Just like she did with the Brianna Scurry matter.

    As far as missing any friendlies, Hope has a lot more on her plate besides the USWNT. Besides they need to give the other goalkeepers some work. Based on the friendlies they have lined up, they won’t need Hope, and she has reached her 100 match shutouts. I see this suspension as just some grandstanding by U. S. Soccer. They simply want to pacify any country who felt offended by Hope’s remarks. No biggee!!!!!

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  13. After his 3rd offense for biting someone in a game, the last time during the World Cup, Luis Suarez was suspended for 4 months. So, Solo got a 50% longer suspension for using the word coward than Suarez got for a physical assault that could have led to jail time had it occurred in ordinary society. I don’t see any equivalency or fairness here.

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    • Gary Page you are the voice of reason once again. I think this whole episode is silly. So we are suspending players for “name calling” now, I mean are we in preschool? We need to grow a pair as a society and culture and toughen up our skin a bit if this is a big deal it says more about how sissified our culture is than anything about Hope. As far as punishment goes in today’s world you get punished more severely for not being PC or saying something mean than physically assaulting someone as in Suarez’s case. Name calling now gets a six month suspension.

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  14. Racism and sexism should be punished harshly but this seems like overkill for some silly comments dropped in the heat of the moment.

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    • No, this is not overboard. She has has multiple missteps in the past. As an employee (she is an employee) these things accumulate and cannot be viewed independently. USSF has given Hope much more leeway than most employers, which they probably should given that these employees are highly skilled. However, at some point, you have to say, no more.

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  15. While what Hope said shouldn’t have been said, she has a right to express her opinion.

    “the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect” Ha! They pay lip service to the idea of “fair play and respect”, just like FIFA and FIA and every other silly international sporting body.

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