Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s Olympic soccer team, has seen her fair share of controversy throughout her career. During the recently concluded Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, on multiple occasions, Solo’s words and actions brought about even more controversy.
The games concluded Sunday and the U.S. led all countries in total medals with 121. Though the U.S. dominated, there were still some letdowns, one of which involved the women’s soccer team. The gold medal-favored U.S. lost in the quarterfinal round to Sweden in penalty kicks 4-3 after a 1-1 draw in regulation.
Since Team USA was the heavy favorite, the Sweden team utilized a defensive strategy that has often been employed by underdogs. The strategy involves staying back and playing it safe defensively, then taking opportunities to counter as they arise. Clearly, this strategy is a smart and effective one, as Sweden overcame Team USA.
Solo, however, found this strategy to be weak. Instead of congratulating Team Sweden and showing respect after the game, she made unprofessional comments that made her look like a sore loser and a crybaby.
“I thought that we played a courageous game,” Solo said during her interview with Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated. “I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The better team did not win today … Sweden dropped off. They didn’t want to open play. They didn’t want to pass the ball. They didn’t want to play great soccer … I don’t think they’re going to make it far in the tournament. I think it was very cowardly. But they won. They’re moving on, and we’re going home.”
Sweden went on to win the silver medal as it lost to Germany 2-1 in the final match. So much for not making it far in the tournament. As expected, Solo caught some backlash for her comments as Julie Foudy, former captain for Team USA, called her comments “ridiculous” and “classless.”
“It really doesn’t represent the house that we built with the U.S. team,” Foudy said on ESPN. Others took to social media to attack Solo for her crybaby attitude.
This wasn’t the first issue involving Solo during the Olympics. Before the women’s soccer team’s Olympic opener, Solo posted a photo on Instagram with a caption that read “Not sharing this!!! Get your own! #zikaproof #RoadToRio.” In the photo was Solo dressed in what appeared to be a bee keeper’s mask while holding a large bottle of insect repellent. She also posted another photo of her bed littered with bottles of insect spray. The Brazilian natives didn’t take this very well as they bombarded her with boos and chants of “Zika! Zika!” during her team’s opener against New Zealand.
If Solo’s goal for the Olympics was to try to make as many people as mad as possible, whether from Rio or America, she certainly succeeded. How is one able to make the natives of the host country angry before even stepping foot on a playing field, and then make her own country angry at her before even returning home?
For someone who plays to represent America, Solo’s actions, ironically, often seem to be un-American. Don’t think we’ve forgotten about your 2014 arrest for domestic violence, Hope Solo. While America is the land of second chances, you appear to be receiving your umpteenth chance. You’ve dropped the ball once again, and if you had dropped a soccer ball as many times as you’ve dropped this metaphorical ball, you’d have lost your goalie job by now.
Because of her comments, U.S. soccer suspended Hope Solo from the national team for six months, it announced Wednesday night. Perhaps karma is finally catching up to her, as this is not the first incident she has had in the public eye.
