At first glance, it appears that Hope Solo received a six month suspension and the termination of her contract for the comments she made after the U.S. was eliminated from the Olympics. Solo epitomized the “sore loser” label by calling Sweden “a bunch of cowards,” due to the conservative, defensive style they played to achieve that victory.
It’s not cowardly if it’s legal, it works, and you know it’s coming and yet you still can’t stop it. It’s also not uncommon for Olympic athletes to trash their competition in a manner as harsh as Solo did. It’s ridiculously bad form, but it does happen and it’s not the real reason that US Soccer dropped the hammer on Hope Solo today.
The statement, by U.S. Soccer from their corporate headquarters in Chicago reads:
U.S. Soccer has suspended goalkeeper Hope Solo from the U.S. Women’s National Team for six months for conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles.
The suspension for Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, is effective immediately.
“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.”
As a result of the suspension, Solo would not be eligible for selection to the U.S. Women’s National Team until February of 2017.
Hope Solo also saw her USWNT contract terminated today. She responded to her suspension thusly:
“I apologize for disappointing my teammates, coaches and the Federation who have always supported me. 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.”
The US Soccer statement itself tells you what this is really about with the phrase “Taking into consideration the past incidents…”
She was obviously working with US Soccer under some kind of zero tolerance/probationary kind of arrangement, and she didn’t adhere to it. We previously chronicled all those past incidents for you in this article, but hell, why not, let’s run through them all again.
Then there’s 2013, when she lashed out at USWNT legend Julie Foudy over a perceived slight.
In other words, “off-the-pitch issues” have been a very persistent pattern with Solo, and today saw us reach “a bridge too far” for US Soccer. Now it’s “the final straw” for Hope Solo.
Her harsh punishments today aren’t about just her latest transgression, but a build-up. This is a “make up call” for the team going way too light on her in the past. It’s like a reverse “lifetime achievement award.”
It’s also a clear signal that the USWNT is realizing that they need to move on to life after Hope Solo. Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris, get ready, your time may be coming.
Today’s statement and actions by the USSF show that they won’t tolerate malfeasant conduct (sort of). You can’t give them any real moral high ground. She’s 35-years-old right now. She’ll be just about 38 when the next World Cup starts, 39 for the next Olympics.
This harsh disciplinarian transaction by US Soccer comes at a time very convenient to them.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.