U.S. Women's Keeper Suspended 30 Days

[Webster]

Reuters: U.S. Women's Keeper Suspended 30 Days

United States women's team goalkeeper Hope Solo has been suspended for 30 days by U.S Soccer following an incident during a training camp. Solo's husband, former Seattle Seahawks NFL player Jerramy Stevens, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles in the early hours of Monday morning.

Media reports stated Solo was in the car but was not cited in the incident by Manhattan Beach police officials. "The suspension stems from an incident that occurred during the current WNT (Women's National Team) training camp being held in Carson, California," U.S. Soccer said in a statement.

Solo has been released from the camp and will miss friendly matches in France on Feb. 8 and England five days later. "During our current National Team camp, Hope made a poor decision that has resulted in a negative impact on U.S. Soccer and her team mates," head coach Jill Ellis added in a statement. "We feel at this time it is best for her to step away from the team."

Solo responded on social media, saying she accepted the decision. "I apologise for disappointing my team mates, coaches and the Federation who have always supported me," she said on her verified Twitter account on Wednesday. "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 suspension comes a week after charges against Solo in a domestic violence case were dropped by a judge in Washington state.

The U.S are preparing for the World Cup in Canada in June, where they will be aiming to win a third title following victories in 1991 and 1999. Ellis has three other goalkeepers currently in the training camp: Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris and Alyssa Naeher. Barnhart deputized for Solo in 2010 and 2011 when she was recovering from a shoulder injury.

 

[DrLeftover]

It would seem there's a bit more to what's going on than was in that story.

TMZ: Hope Solo 'belligerent' in DUII stop for hubbie Stevens
http://www.kgw.com/story/sports/soccer/2015/01/21/hope-solo-uswnt-goalie-jerramy-stevens-duii-tmz/22114661/

 

[Webster]

...just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for the USWNT's No.1 keeper....well:

(NBC ProSoccerTalk) As difficult as it may be, try to imagine the U.S. women’s national team at this summer’s World Cup without goalkeeper Hope Solo. Now, try to imagine the USWNT without Solo, not because of an injury preventing arguably the world’s best female shot-stopper from playing, but because she was cut her from the team.

According to U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, the above scenario could play itself out at this year’s tournament in Canada. Speaking to the media via conference call on Monday, when asked if he could envision Solo being left off the team’s World Cup roster, Gulati said, “Sure.”

Solo once again came under scrutiny when her husband, with whom she was in the car, was arrested for DUI while driving a team van. For he role, Solo was suspended 30 days. That incident came little more than a week after domestic violence charges against Solo were dismissed.

Gulati continued: “We’ve asked her to do a number of things, and she’s going to have to do those things and make progress in those areas. That’s possible. We hope that’s not the case. We hope she’s making progress and joins the team. That’s certainly the goal — hers and ours.”

Gulati wouldn’t go in detail about what the “number of things” Solo has been to do were, but nearly every one of Solo’s past two years’ worth of run-ins with the law have been alcohol-related. It wouldn’t be a far leap to surmise some sort of alcohol-abuse treatment was requested by the federation before Solo’s reinstatement is granted.

Solo will miss both of the USWNT’s next two games, which are friendlies scheduled for Feb. 8 against France, in Lorient (noon ET), and Feb. 13 against England, in Milton Keynes (3 pm ET), before having her reinstatement considered a week later.