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Report: Hope Solo’s husband drove U.S. Soccer van in DUI arrest

Hope Solo 2 (USA Today Sports Images)

By CAITLIN MURRAY

The circumstances surrounding U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo’s suspension are now a bit clearer.

According to TMZ, which broke the news of Solo’s encounter with police this week, Jerramy Stevens, Solo’s husband, was driving a U.S. Soccer van at the time of his drunken driving arrest.

Stevens, a former NFL tight end, was reportedly pulled over while driving a USWNT team van around 2 a.m. Monday with Solo riding as a passenger. Both allegedly appeared to be intoxicated and he was arrested for DUI. The incident happened in Manhattan Beach, near where Solo was with the USWNT for a training camp in Carson, California.

This latest report sheds some light on U.S. Soccer’s decision late Wednesday to suspend Solo from the USWNT for 30 days.

U.S. Soccer did not specify the incident that led to Solo’s suspension, but coach Jill Ellis said Solo “made a poor decision that has resulted in a negative impact on U.S. Soccer and her teammates” during the ongoing camp.

After the 30-day suspension is served, Solo’s return will be subject to approval from U.S. Soccer and Ellis. Solo will be forced to sit out the team’s first two matches of the year, a friendly in France on Feb. 8 and one in England five days later.

According to a report from the New York Times, U.S. Soccer personnel learned of the incident from TMZ.

The incident happened just a week after criminal assault charges against her had been dropped. Solo, 33, had been charged with two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault, but the case was dismissed due to the alleged victims, her nephew and sister, refusing to cooperate with legal proceedings.

Solo’s club, the Seattle Reign, said they would let U.S. Soccer handle the matter while Solo was contrite in a statement and accepted the suspension.

“I accept and respect the Federation’s decision, and more importantly, I apologize for disappointing my teammates, coaches and the Federation who have always supported me,” Solo said in a statement late Wednesday. “I think it’s best for me to take a break, decompress from the stress of the last several months, and come back mentally and physically ready to positively contribute to the team.”

Comments

  1. Why does she even have keys to the van?..
    Was the van stolen?….
    Does she not have a car?….
    Does Jeremy Steven’s have a job?…
    Why does Hope Solo like losers?…

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  2. Jerramy: “I’m drunk. Let’s take the team van.”

    Hope Solo: “I see no problem with this.”

    Han Solo: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

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  3. Stupid, stupid, and irresponsible, and might I add STUPID behavior.
    I am reminded of the choices made by a young man, whose nickname is CD9 – Tuesday October 13th in Washington, DC just before the 2010 WC.
    You are lucky to be alive Hope.
    What were you thinking?!!!

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  4. “Stevens, a former NFL tight end, was reportedly pulled over while driving a USWNT team van around 2 a.m. Monday”

    “U.S. Soccer personnel learned of the incident from TMZ.”

    “Solo’s return will be subject to approval from U.S. Soccer and Ellis.”

    3 sentences. Whole story reminds me of advice from my HS football coach: “If y’all can somehow manage to be at home between 1-5am each night, the likelihood of you getting in real trouble and my phone ringing in the middle of the night just … plummets.”

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  5. Okay this has now become a shambolic embarrassment. Who is the bozo who decided to give Hope Solo control over the team van in the first place? Is this high school? Did she make sure to load the mesh jerseys and cones into the back before handing over the keys to a totally reliable guy like Jerramy Stevens?

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  6. Did the van get impounded ? Must have if he was DUI ‘ed

    Good goalie but won’t forget the easy goal she let in against Japan in last wc in OT

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  7. Now that more facts are coming out, let me be clear. If Hope Solo ever wears a US jersey again, I will let the US Soccer Federation know my displeasure with my pocketbook. I am a fan that travels around the world to see them, and buy every jersey…home and away.

    30 days is not enough. Period!

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  8. In my best Mister Rodgers voice — “Can you say Charlie Davies? I thought you could. . . . ”

    As Ron White says, “You can’t fix stupid.”

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  9. Can we just take a moment to acknowledge that TMZ is caring about soccer? That’s assuming they didn’t just smell a trainwreck and came running…

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  10. Let’s not go crazy here, she was the passenger in a DUI incident. I get the suspension because she and her husband did this in a US Soccer van but kicking her off the team would be way over the top. I think the suspension is fair and hopefully she stays out of the media for a while.

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    • While it is true she wasn’t driving, still terrible judgement on multiple levels. Would her husband have been making better decisions had he been a passenger and let her drive drunk instead? I think not. “Borrowing” a team vehicle and letting your spouse drive drunk while you are drunk also is some poor decision making even if technically not illegal (unless they literally stole it and US Soccer wants to grow a pair and prosecute … but we don’t usually do that with our entitled athlete/star class).

      Also heard she pulled the belligerent drunk Mel Gibson / Reese Whitherspoon move and started getting in the faces of the police with “Do you even know who I am?”.

      Loser with an alcohol problem. Hot mess, yes, but a mess. Next!

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  11. How could she only have gotten a 30-day suspension for that? What in the world does one have to do to earn a more serious penalty?

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    • I mean, she’s only the greatest female goalkeeper in the world. USSF is not a charity organization though. They’re in the business of winning. Might as well do it now before Canada 2015.

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      • Greatest female GK in the world? Questionable. How many times has she won FIFA player of the year? Has been in the final 10 what, once?

        Lets not confuse country with world. Some argue even country is (or at least was) questionable.

      • Correct. Just last year and a keeper who is still playing.

        You then agree that Solo is the best in the world and is better than Angerer then?

        I was just pointing out the ignorance of the comment that she was “the greatest female goalkeeper in the world” which is debatable at best, wrong at worst.

      • LOL ignorant? Just because you disagree with a comment doesn’t make it ignorant. I think you’re ignorant AND naive to think that someone winning Player of the Year automatically puts them at ultimate contention that they are the best at their position, no questions asked. Why not have a healthy debate about it? Unless you’re just a naive sheep following what FIFA says. As Johan Cruyff says, top player of the year is just a popularity contest who vote for their friends.

        Nadine is a two-time World Cup champion. Hope is a two-time gold medal Olympian. I’ve seen both players play at London 2012 and at friendlies. IMO I believe Solo is the greatest female goalkeeper in the world IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE, not awards.

        Think before you throw the word “ignorant” around.

      • Yes because Johan Cruyff is never wrong. Plus all the voters are definitely friends with the winner or looking to curry favour.
        Also, winning WORLD Player of the year DOES automatically put a player as the best (arguably) in the world at his/her position. Is anyone doubting Messi or CRonaldo’s place as the best in the world at their positions?
        If Neuer were to win WPOY would anyone have an argument that he wasn’t the best at his position?
        You made all Ramone’s points for him. Yes you saw both keepers play live but unfortunately for you the performance stats AND awards combined seem to skew in Angerer’s favor. Decent argument but not worth it.

      • “You then agree that Solo is the best in the world and is better than Angerer then?”

        No, because I don’t care. I think it’s a silly debate. Both are obviously good enough to be considered for “greatest”—which is what matters about Nico’s original comment: Frank questioned why Solo is still with the team; Nico pointed out that it has to do with Solo’s greatness. Whether or not Solo definitively owns the intangible title “The Greatest” is beside the point.

        “I was just pointing out the ignorance of the comment that she was “the greatest female goalkeeper in the world” which is debatable at best, wrong at worst.”

        No, you challenged an opinion by using a very poor rubric that, if applied to other goalkeepers (male or female) at any time period, would rule out all but one. That’s clearly nonsensical: “Who is the greatest male goalkeeper today?” “Hmm, well, none of them won Ballon d’Or, so I guess none of them are great.”

  12. Solo already had enough personal demons to deal with…her decision to shack up with noted loser Jerramy Stevens has only exacerbated them.

    You start to wonder when, what should be a haven of support, being in camp with the national team, turns into this.

    U.S. Soccer has to serious consider moving on at this point. It’s not as if they’re aren’t other competent options.

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      • Not to go too pop psychological here, but woman who are taking up with losers are usually suffering from low self esteem which results from either an abusive or uncaring upbringing. I have seen a number of smart, educated and even successful women who take up with losers.

      • They both have issues. As point out the women are so suffering from some form off dysfunction and most likely so are the “losers” why you feel it appropriate to denigrate one and praise the other is beyond me however.

    • This was probably not the way I would go about celebrating getting my charges dropped.

      Yeah, baby, let’s take a US Soccer van out for a joyride while lit up! Whoo!

      I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

      Reply

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