Hope Solo Spoke Candidly

After being eliminated from World Cup championship contention by Brazil, Hope Solo spoke candidly. She did not play. The U.S. coach, Greg Ryan, had replaced Hope Solo with veteran goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The following are Ms Solo’s comments, after the defeat:

“…”It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that,” she said. “There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it’s not 2004 anymore…”

link: Brazil Shuts Out US at Women’s World Cup

Hope Solo will be trashed in the media for those comments. It has started already. Some call her comments ’sour grapes’. Some have called her a poor team mate.

I disagree. - I think that these were heart felt, honest comments from Ms Solo. Perhaps the media is surprised when an athlete does not speak in clichés. Ms Solo is a world class athlete who has confidence and pride in her abilities. One would not expect Tiger Woods to say something like ‘That golf course was so tough that I would have shot high numbers like everyone else’. Tiger Woods would not say anything like that. He would not think that. One would not expect Michael Jordan to say something like ‘There is no way we could have beaten that team’. Even if one leg was in a cast, Michael Jordan would never let thoughts like that walk through his mind. It just would not happen.

So, Hope Solo thinks that she could have stopped Brazil. And she is confident enough to say it. - Good for her. Hope Solo is someone I would want on my team.

Catherine