In the middle of the Olympics and just before Ryan Lochte’s shenanigans sucked all of the air out of the room, American soccer player Hope Solo stepped in international dog s—t. Team USA was going for the gold in women’s soccer/football, and considering the American ladies won the World Cup last year, many thought the women would at least be a medal contender. Not so much, as it turned out. Team Sweden beat Team USA and the loss was crushing for the Americans. So crushing that Hope Solo said many stupid words after the game. Instead of just saying, “This loss hurts like hell, but well played, Sweden,” Solo decided to say that Sweden played like “cowards” because… they had a better strategy than Team USA.
While there was an immediate backlash to Solo’s comments online and across the board, many didn’t believe that Solo would face any kind of formal punishment. They were wrong!
Hope Solo has been suspended for six months for what U.S. Soccer termed conduct “counter to the organization’s principles.” The Associated Press reports that the U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper’s suspension is effective immediately.
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said the comments Solo made after Sweden beat the U.S. at the Rio Olympics were “unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players.”
Solo made the comment when speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl saying: “I thought that we played a courageous game,” adding: “But I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today.”
Solo was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct and will not be eligible for selection to the national team until February.
I didn’t realize it before now, but Solo is 35 years old. While she’s still a young woman in the grand scheme of things, she’s nearing retirement age for professional soccer players. Team USA has several 30-something players, so I don’t think retirement (forced or otherwise) would even be on the table if Solo had been gracious in defeat. But with this suspension… yeah, it sounds like US Soccer is trying to tell Solo that she might just want to call it a day. Still, the U.S. women’s national team’s players’ association lawyer is already telling media outlets that there are plans to file a grievance based on Solo’s First Amendment right to show unsportsmanlike behavior. Sure.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Solo’s social media.
She is such a sore loser and a toxic person. It sends a very bad message that she was not punished for her domestic abuse case but for badmouthing the other team? I also heard her US Soccer contract was terminated, so she may no longer play for the US anymore.
This! I can’t believe they didn’t punish her back then. I mean, Phelps was suspended after his DUI, but she didn’t get anything that I recall.
I wonder if there have been other incidents, quiet ones, and this is just the excuse they wanted to get finally rid of her. Her domestic violence was the bigger issue, but if they gave her that second chance and she didn’t see it as anything but permission to keep being a jackhole, then maybe this was just the final straw, not the real reason.
I mean, her timing was unwise. Once her team was done at the Olympics — and without much glory — there’s suddenly soooooo much less incentive for anyone to put up with her BS.
Her statement on this matter told me she still doesn’t get it – “I couldn’t be the player I am without being the person I am.”
What a disrespectful sore loser she is.
This woman isn’t worth the attention she’s getting. It’s not that hard to be a little gracious and well mannered.
I admit I don’t follow women soccer but I do have a question : is it because she said this during the Olympics?
Because the mens soccer has said / done things over the years and I don’t recall men being raked over the coals for their comments or actions.
Do I like Hope? Not so much but I am so sick of women not being allowed to act the same as men and we get in trouble for it, are held to higher standard.
I don’t think she’s held to a higher standard. I think this was the last straw in a career filled with petulant and sometimes criminal behavior. She really wasn’t punished for her domestic assault issues. Had she been in the post-Ray Rice NFL, she would’ve been suspended.
Yes-she made the US look bad by being a sore, classless loser during a major international sporting event. I think if the US had won, they would have done little to nothing except make her issue an apology, but she was on the losing side so this is how they make it look like they’re taking action. It just makes the US look foolish.
They did NOTHING when she was involved with beating up on her family of course, but I guess at least she has THAT in common with other US athletes. :/
For real she’s an embarrassment! I wish the US Olympic Committee would do some kind of psych eval on these high-profile athletes if they are going to represent the U.S. We don’t need people with personality disorders or bona fide sociopathy representing the U.S. in such a public way!
I wonder if they were like, well she’s a giant POS, but shes hot so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Get a Maxim cover and they’ll forgive tons.
I think yes, it has to do with the Olympics and how “Olympic spirit” is held in high regard. In that context, calling others cowards is quite bad. In another context it wouldn’t matter as much.
+1
They didn’t just suspend her–they also terminated her contract. Once it’s done, she’s done. And since she’s suspended now, it’s unlikely she’ll play for them again.
I think there has to be more than just the comments she made–her behind the scenes behavior, perhaps. Otherwise, like you said, she’s being held to a standard that other athletes aren’t, and it’s not fair.
Luis Suarez bit an opponent for the third time during a match and was finally suspended for a few months. Then, everyone began protesting and trying to get him reinstated. And he tried to claim the 3rd time he bit was an accident. Hope says and does some dumb things, but women players endure lesser conditions, less pay, and harsher standards. It’s a fact. Ryan Lochte just straight up lied about being robbed in the Olympics. Was he suspended?
Suarez was suspended in the middle of the World Cup, thus crushing Uruguay’s chances. He was suspended from the sport for months. The fact that Barcelona decided to buy him lies on them alone. Suarez couldn’t even play for his national team and Barcelona had to wait months for him to be released from the ban.
Hope Solo was deemed unworthy of a contract.
Ryan Lochte had already said he was retiring. He lost his ability to make money when his endorsments kicked him to the curb.
Not to mention soccer and swimming have two completely different governing bodies, so you can’t really compare them.
TBH, I don’t care about sports, nor Hope Solo. The point is more feminist: Ryan Lochte did more to embarrass the US than anyone else. He falsely reported a robbery. How are some moronic remarks worse than that? Yet, no one made a move to suspend him. Or fire him. Or allow him to be extradited. Not sure what happened to the teammates who were with him. Luis Suarez was suspended for 4 months after the THIRD bite, which he then tried to claim was an accident. It was literally 4 months for BITING SOMEONE DURING A MATCH. For the third time. Hope Solo has also spoken about the disparity in salary, and in playing conditions for women. You have to wonder about the connection to a suspension of six months for comments. Just saying.
Jenn, this is an excellent point, and much more telling than trying to equate her with Lochte.
@jenn12 — Ryan Lochte was hit with a 3 year ban by the USOC.
Ryan Lochte doesn’t have an entire decade’s worth of documented behavioral and legal issues, including being publicly sent home from the Women’s World Cup for making obnoxious public remarks – and that one was because her teammates voted to boot her. Nor was this the second time this year that Lochte was suspended – Solo only got a slap on the wrist for her and her husband’s drunk joyride.
Lochte may not have a history of anything, but it’s pretty serious to make a false police report, because you don’t want to admit you’re a drunken liar. I’m glad he was hit with a 3 year ban, but he still should face the well deserved charges in Brazil. I was just saying: people are saying she embarrassed the US, and I certainly didn’t agree with what she said. But I find Lochte’s lying and false report much worse. Remember all the criticisms Gabby Douglas faced when Michael Phelps was allowed to behave in much the same manner without being vilified? It’s not about the sport; it’s about the discrimination against women and POC. I would say maybe this is the first time Ryan was CAUGHT.
@jenn – he didn’t file a police report. His mom made public statements based on what he told her, then he followed up with interviews, but he never went to the police.
Lochte is, by other accounts, a dopey overgrown frat guy but a nice one. Hope Solo is an all around awful human being who has made everyone around her miserable and has a long history of transgressions and run-ins with the law. Nice try making this one into a case of sexism, but you’re totally off base.
I guess it’s a matter of opinion. Hope came off looking bad, and so did Ryan Lochte and his teammates. The difference is that people are acting like she’s getting what she deserved, but Ryan is some dumb frat guy who screwed up. He didn’t screw up. He came in, a privileged American, and did public damage and urinated on someone’s place of business. Then he started running his mouth about having a gun pointed at his head and being robbed, playing off the image Brazil has. We could go back and forth, but my opinion is that women get ripped apart for doing the same kind of thing male counterparts do.
She hasn’t even come close to getting what she deserves. And if you don’t even know why folks think she had this coming to her, perhaps you should read up on her before you’re so quick to make any judgements. She’s also married to an alleged rapist (only alleged because it turns out it’s hard to get a rape conviction against a college football player) whom she says “we just don’t understand what happened”. Woman, people SAW him.
But sure. Ryan Lochte LIED.
That’s the thing about opinions: you’re entitled to your own. I’ve read up on Hope, but perhaps what I’ve read is more sympathetic than what you’ve read. I read that her husband was violent towards her, but didn’t read about the rape. I will look for more on that. My point is and was that people insulted Gabby Douglas for being “crabby and rude”, while excusing Michael Phelps’ similar behavior. Hope said some really dumb stuff, and didn’t make the US proud, but neither am I feeling proud to be represented by Ryan Lochte, who vandalized someone’s property and tried to hide it by lying about a robbery that had been falsely reported to the police. I don’t agree that it’s dumb frat boy behavior. It’s the behavior of a narcissistic brat in his 30s who got caught and called out, and I don’t get why anyone would think he’s still a good guy.
1) it was in the middle of the Olympics
2) Solo has a very long track record of behavioral problems and run-in with the law. This isn’t even the first time she’s been in trouble for bad sportsmanship – she got into a lot of trouble after making crappy comments at the women’s world cup a couple of cycles ago and her teammates voted to send her home. If Team USA could find another goalie, Solo would be long gone
And 3) for good measure: I will never forgive her for marrying Jerremy Stevens, an alleged rapist (and only alleged because of the way the University bent over backwards to accommodate a football player, the evidence against him was really strong) and she says “we just don’t understand what happened”.
I don’t care much about Hope Solo, and won’t deny she’s made some stupid remarks and done some idiotic things. But I’m less embarrassed by sour grapes remarks than by Ryan Lochte claiming he was robbed when he wasn’t, drawing his teammates into it, and then blithely flying home, unscathed. When you make a false report to the police, you’re supposed to be arrested. He doesn’t even admit to lying. And several of Ryan’s teammates were with him. What happens to them? Because you can find Ryan doing damage control on the cover of this week’s People magazine, still lying through his teeth.
Ryan Lochte embarrassed the hell out of Team USA, but Hope Solo has been an embarrassment for almost a decade, including being in and out of legal trouble for years. Don’t forget her domestic violence charge, her suspension for her and her husband driving a Team USA van under the influence, or the fact that she knowingly married an alleged rapist. Hell yeah I’ll take Lochte and his stupid frat boy behavior.
Oh, and don’t forget when Solo publicly alleged that her DWTS partner slapped her in the face. How about that for some public lying?
I don’t follow that show, so I don’t feel like I can comment. She does some stupid s–t, but so does he. One being a jerk doesn’t cancel out the other lying and insulting the Olympics’ host country.
Lochte committed a minor crime that blew up into an avalanche of bad publicity. Solo has committed actual, serious crimes.
Maybe Jenn, just maybe they’re BOTH people who have done terrible things and are both being punished for it within the context of their career? They have different governing bodies, different public profiles and different standings within their teams and organisations. Literally the only equivalency you can draw is that they’re Olympians and behaved badly, anything else is reaching.
jenn12: I agree. He’s still lying… He hired Bieber’s publicist and now he is doing damage control. His PR team is leaving comments on some sites. It’s ridiculous.
Her statement is just another example of what a horrible person she is. She is truly awful and really she should retire. A huge part of the loss was on her shoulders and the team has a bunch of fresh blood which they need.
Also when are people going to learn that the first amendment ONLY protects you from government prosecution of whatever you say. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences idiots!! Geez
I’m Canadian and I know and understand the American First Amendment is. It is mind boggling that so many Americans don’t. And that lawyer is not one I would trust to defend my right, since he has no clue.
As usual, they don’t make a move when they should-you know, when sh was busted for beating up on her family- and instead wait for something, while childish and bitter, only embarrasses the US reputation in the sports arena ( for lack of a better phrase). Once again, priorities are totally screwed.
But since major sports routinely excuses domestic violence, drunk driving etc but punish stuff like players getting high, it is hardly surprising.
And also when they don’t need her anymore – she’s unlikely to play a major tournament again because of her age (Buffon-types are rare).
How were Sweden unsportsmanlike? Because they played defensively? That’s all within the rules of the game. Hope just has a bad attitude and deserves time out. Saying that I wish men in their various team sports were given the same kind of discipline as Hope got, as we’ve seen far worse behaviour from sportsmen over the years.
Dang, just another story about a professional athlete not appreciating how blessed they are to be in their position. Usually we hear stories about pro basketball and football players behaving like 8 year olds, but I guess it crosses all pro sports and genders!
However, unlike so many male pro athletes (cough Tom Brady, LeBron cough), the country seems to forgive them and move on. I doubt that will happen with this female athlete.
But that said, this lady really did step in it.
She seems like she’s not a very nice person, and her comments were awful. She should have apologised for them, and paid a fine and that should have been in. Suspending her for six months for making (nasty) comments shortly after a loss is a huge overreaction.
In comparison, Lochte broke multiple laws and he’s going to be on Dancing with the Stars.
Exactly.
I think Hope Solo was already on DWTS.
She was already on DWTS.
…and she displayed the same bad attitude and petulant childish demeanor. Afterwards, she accused Max of abusing her.
I’m with HadleyB – men say this kind of stuff all the time – in football, hockey, boxing – why do girls always have to be “nice”? She only called them cowards. I don’t consider that despicable by any measure in the world of sports. I’m 100% against any and all violence, familial or otherwise, but her statement has nothing to do with any of that. And before someone says “this points to what kind of a person she is”, just going to say again – football players, hockey players, boxers…This had to be a result of unsportsmanlike behavior at the Olympics specifically that would have affected a male as well, right? Right??? Is Lochte suspended? That’s not sarcastic (yet), I’m seriously asking – is he?
He will be. And it will be ugly. Maybe a year or more.
When? He should be extradited to Brazil for making a false police report. He doesn’t even admit to wrongdoing. And what of the other players who were with him?
@jenn
It was Jimmy Feigen who filed the police report, not Lochte.
If she had apologized and tried to make amends, they probably would not have suspended her, but she did not and made it worse.
Didn’t Lochte make an attempt at an apology and stupid as he was, did he insult other swimmers?
Different types of offense, handled differently.
Wrong, he broke laws.
better late than never.
Her prima donna sense of herself and negative Nellie attitude will follow her and blow any chances of endorsements. Americans forgive and forget, but she’s really pushing it. After her bitchiness on DWTS, I wrote her off. I truly believe people with her sense of privilege don’t think they’re in the wrong. She will learn……Hopefully…..see lady, you have hope in your name, so use it.
She’s a garbage bag.
Not intellectual, but it’s all I got.
Good. This chick has some serious issues.
LOL Good Riddance Bad Rubbish.. this lady is really f*cking Obnoxious and like I said Before : THE WORST
She is a horrible person. Awful.
I will say this every single time: she is a horrible person married to an alleged rapist. I truly detest this woman.
For some reason I thought she was a lesbian.
Nope. And in fact she recently was suspended from Team USA for her and her husband taking out a Team USA van and driving it around while both were drunk. She is the worst.
It is VERY clear from the full US Soccer statement that this suspension is not just for her Sweden comments: “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.”
http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/08/24/22/42/160824-wnt-hope-solo-suspended-from-uswnt-for-six-months
Six months SOUNDS harsh, but if anything it’s a bit too little, to late from US Soccer. She’s shown repetitive bad behaviour, but they were happy to keep her playing over the past year and a half because it was the part of the four-year cycle with the WWC and Olympic tournaments.. Now that her form has slipped a bit (she was NOT great overall at the Olympics) and there are no meaningful games for the next six months, she gets the suspension.
If they had a replacement, Solo would have been gone years ago.
This.
Absolutely. Having her healthy, available and still in good form for the 2019 WWC and 2020 Olympics was nowhere near a guarantee and this is the optimal time for US Soccer to groom one of the backup keepers.
Just a shame that all the articles about this are titled things like “Solo Suspended for Comments About Sweden” when it goes so much deeper – for people who don’t know all the background, it does look like she’s being suspended just for the type of comments that are in poor taste but male players make all the time (eg: Cristiano Ronaldo at the Euros).
Thanks lolabean, that makes more sense. Because even though I’m a Swede myself I thought that was a bit too harsh of a punishment for her comments about our team. By being such a sore loser she just made herself look bad, so as a Swede i wasn’t overly offended, but I would have been more upset at her if I’d been an American, for being such a bad representative of her country. I also agree taking all her other bad behavior, esp the domestic violence charges, into account it’s too little too late. She’s a truly despicable person.
Not that long ago she was just suspended for 30 days for her and her husband drunkenly taking out a Team USA van (he actually got a DUI). This woman is awful.
I think of that old clip of Lauren Conrad from The Hills when I hear new things about Solo. “[She’s] a sucky person! [She’s] a sucky person!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLsxmy1CNf0
She’s a terrible human being, so good.
I’ve disliked her since her piss poor attitude on DWTS. Sorry she’s a sore loser.