Hope Solo: Her Coach Takes the Low Road
Posted: September 29th, 2007 | Author: Catherine | Filed under: Uncategorized |Greg Ryan, the coach of the U.S. women’s soccer team, is engaging in some subtle character smearing. It is unnecessary and really quite nasty. Here is a sample of his comments about Hope Solo:
“…”I believe she is committed to the process, and it takes more than apology. It takes actions day by day, living right, being a good teammate.”
link: U.S. team dumps Solo
All of a sudden, Hope Solo does not “live right“? And this notion that she is not a “good teammate” is ridiculous. Someone should remind Greg Ryan about some of the statements that Briana Scurry made in 2004. Here is a segment from a 2004 Associated Press article from Greece:
“IRAKLION, Greece (AP) _ There’s no doubt in Briana Scurry’s mind. If she had been the starting goalkeeper four years ago in Sydney, the U.S. women’s soccer team would have won the gold medal.
“I put myself into that entire game,” she said. “And I’ve always felt — and I still feel — that if I were playing, we would have won.”
Instead, one of the heroes of the 1999 World Cup was an out-of-shape bench-warmer, having enjoyed too much the fruits of sudden fame. The torch had passed to Siri Mullinix, who played every minute of the 2000 Olympic tournament, and whose left hand couldn’t quite get all of Dagny Mellgren’s shot in sudden death overtime of the gold-medal game against Norway.”
link: U.S. goalkeeper Scurry out to make amends
Does this mean that Briana Scurry is not a “good teammate”? - Of course not! It means that Briana Scurry, like Hope Solo, has confidence in her abilities. Both are world class athletes and they are able to compete at the highest level of their chosen sport because of their self confidence. It is part of what makes them superb athletes. Their mind set is ‘I can win’.
Greg Ryan is starting Briana Scurry in goal for the consolation match in this World Cup competition. I think it was his right, as a coach, to select whichever goalkeeper he thought could win against Brazil in the semifinal match. He does not have the right to make moral or character statements about Hope Solo when his starting goalkeeper, in the next match, voiced almost the exact same sentiments about another U.S. goalkeeper. To me, Greg Ryan took the low road and this is egregious conduct for a coach. He did not afford the protection to Hope Solo that a coach is expected to provide. Quite simply, he has lost my support - and my respect.
Catherine Forsythe
Stop kisssing Hope’s ASS! She was wrong in publically critical remarks about her coach, her teammate, and disrespect about the past efforts of previous teams. She needs to understand their is no “I” in team and its not all about her. She should also understand that if she was so great, she would not have given up two goals to the Koreans.
Goals against Solo in WC: 2
Goals against Solo in 300 minutes prior to her benching: 0
Goals against Scurry after Solo’s benching: 5
The sad thing about this whole Solo vs. Ryan & Scurry controversy is I feel the Women’s National Team will suffer a drop in support. I know I will have a hard time making time to watch the WNT in the future. Knowing how widespread the double standard is after Scurry did the same thing to Siri Mullinex as was done to her by Solo is telling.
One other problem, I believe that ESPN is too close to the US WNT. By that, I mean who’s reporting, Julie Foudy, Heather Mitts, & former coach Tony DiChecho(?). It’s nice to have “insiders”, but they seemed too close to those involved to be objective, Foudy in particular.
10 Years ago, I walked away from baseball when I saw it becoming nothing but drug cheats, & I walked away from basketball for the showboating, dunk & taunt extravaganza it became. I’m close to walking from the US WNT, I see no real reason to care about 2 faced brats.