Seemingly lost in all this is that Ryan isn't the only one who faulted her for her comments. Her teammates weren't pleased either, and they have said as much.
- would the ideal preparation/coaching mix for women's teams be funding along the US model, skills training from South America coupled with tactics and fitness expertise from Europe? Ah, but that would put a lot of drill-running coaches out of service. Not that that's a bad thing. Certainly, the futbol de salo approach for young players is being pursued in countries where the big boot and the hard tackle traditionally reigns supreme. The ideal preparation, though, is a US professional league with the money to attract foreign playing and coaching talent while sustaining the best of the college output. On the wider point: you have ESPN which, having broadcast all 32 matches, feels compelled to put its regular daytime blowhards in to opine on a sport they do not understand. And of course, they make all manner of bad analogies to the sports they do (more or less) understand, because even if they did watch the match, they didn't appreciate how totally outplayed the US team was, everywhere on the park. The actual analysts don't help much in this regard, because two of them are basically running off between broadcasts to email their mates in China, leading to an emphasis on squad politics in their coverage. It also doesn't help that there is never any analysis of things other than goals on ESPN, given the need to pack in lots of commercials around the actual play. (Compare the BBC's Match of the Day if you can nab it online.) Again, in a decade's time the analysts will be calling up replays from open play and telestrating moves and positional issues. For the moment, we can say that the women's international game grew up in China. That's more significant than any snit over who played in goal for the USA.
There is a saying 'down South': "Don't air your dirty laundry in the front yard." In other words, Solo had the right to say what she did, but not in a public forum. That lacked class. If she wants to air a grievance against Ryan, do so in his office, locker room, to his bosses, etc.; not in front of the world press.
FenGu: you're a thread late for that discussion.
I'm tired of the unwritten law of who can say what and when. Solo was right, so she can say whatever she wants as long as she's willing to bare her naughty bits for a men's magazine in a few years. The coach is a douchenozzle and needs to shut it before I send my dog to his house to shit on his pillow.
Once again the Owlhouse shows his wisdom. I agree wholeheartedly with your analysis of the game. As an American soccer fan of almost half a century I sometimes try to find the easiest explanation of a US failure on the pitch. Blaming the goalie change for the loss was just that easy. In hindsight and after reading comments by others (etagloh for one) it becomes obvious there was so much more to that loss than just the goalie change. Yes Ryan should loose his job but dismissing Solo from the team for the last game was all he could do at this point. Like it or not he had the blessing of the other 20 players on this one. Hope, im sure has done quite a bit of growing up in China in regards to what makes a good team mate. 'least I hope so.
I just that if Hope ever has a son she names him "Han." That would be cool.
Greg Ryan is a world class jackass. His comments about the situation to the press was: "Hope is a young person, she's made a mistake and she knows that. You just want to see her grow from this." Then his next comments were about how he may never let her back on the team. I guess that is how he is planning on helping her grow. No player needs a spineless dickhead like him in charge of their future. When his contract is up Dec. 31, or before that, Ryan will no longer have a job with the National team and Solo will be back.
Going to the effort to post "who cares" in a thread has a certain level of stupidity. Picking the second well-represented thread on a subject in two days for your insightful words is taking it to a whole new level. So well done.
"For all of whom I disappointed I am truly sorry. There is a fine line of being a professional and being yourself. I can only do what I feel is right, and then hope that my true meaning is understood." I don't understand her true meaning.
Can I just register that I don't care what sportnut thinks about who cares about women's soccer?
Sportsnut is Greg Ryan's boyfriend, give him a break.
WHO REALLY CARES. Comment icon posted by sportnut at 7:25 AM CDT on October 1 A few more than care about a retired ice hockey player being stalked by his neighbors.
I was not putting down womens soccer, I was making a general statement about soccer. I guess I'm one of those sports guys that think soccer period is BORING. Most of the kids (males) who play soccer in the US play because their parents won't let them play football. Oh by the way, I would bet Gordie Howe has many more adult followers nation wide than the most boring game on earth. Curling may be more boring. WOW I bet all you soccer people are going to get your panties in a wad after you read this. Again, WHO REALLY CARES. The game will never be a major spectator sport in the US no matter what sissy they bring over from Europe to try and promote the sport.
The game will never be a major spectator sport in the US You're probably right, but regardless of whether you are or not, it remains the most popular sport in the world no matter what the US thinks about it. You find it boring - that's your privilege - but there's no need to come into a soccer thread and start shouting the odds about what you think of the game as a whole. No one in here stomps all over your threads about pig-wrestling or whatever it is that floats your sporting boat, so why would you feel the need to stomp all over this one? Luckily for you, just because something isn't popular, doesn't mean it isn't valid.
What JJ said!!!!111!!
JJ, You are right. I apolgize.
The amazing thing is, this is all a media creation. I was astounded when all the media reporting revolved around Solo "throwing a team member under the bus". I watched video of what she said and I read a transcript of it as well. Her statement was a criticizing of a coaching decicision. She was ppointing out an error in judgement on the coach's part and why it was a bad decision. Somehow, in the desire to get a story, it was twisted to be Solo vs. Scurry. This poor girl got the shaft. Just another media manipulation by the team to deflect the fact that they got drilled by an opponent and the coach is a bonehead!
Her statement was a criticizing of a coaching decicision. She said that she would have made those goals. She said it's not 2004 anymore (you know, when Brianna Scurry was the goalkeeper and they won.) And, you can't live in the past. Regardless of the truth of those statements, they are direct shots at her teammate. That's why the team leaders thought she shouldn't be on the team for the consolation game. The media didn't make their decision for them against their own teammate.
This poor girl got the shaft. Any "shaft" she got was brought on by Solo herself. Any sport/athlete has issues such as this where a player, upset and emotional, shoots their mouth off when they shouldn't. You bash the coach and a teammate who has a rich history of success in the sport, in a clip played all over the air, then you take what comes with it. The coach is still the coach, and he had no choice but to keep Solo away from the team in the consolation game. I admire Solo's apparent fire and determination, but if there's a next time I bet she chooses her words more carefully when the microphones are in her face. Soccer, and women's soccer in particular, want people to follow the sport in this country and jump on the bandwagon, so a player can't complain when her words are made into a big deal by the media.
The coach is still the coach, and he had no choice but to keep Solo away from the team in the consolation game. Come now. He has plenty of choices. He's made some bad ones and I feel that this is compounding them. He's not even letting her sit on the bench, forgodsake -- not even as a backup, which, y'know, he might end up needing. That makes it seem like nothing but a fit of spleen.
Let's tell it like it is. Greg Ryan was bowing to the race card. Do you think he would have made that change had Scurry been the "hot" goalie? Of course not. Greg Ryan is a spineless jellyfish hiding behind a young woman's skirt while letting his coach's pets deflect the criticism away from him and onto Hope Solo.
What I don't understand is, in regards to the comments about Scurry, what was so BAD about them to be considered "throwing her under the bus" or "taking direct shots at her teammate"? "It's not 2004 anymore" How is that a slam? Its not saying "Scurry hasn't been good since 2004", it's saying "you can't make a decision based on how someone played in 2004". That's not a SLAM on Scurry. "you can't live by big names. you have to live in the present". Again, simply stating you can't make a decision based on what someone has done in the past. It doesn't scream out that she is slamming Scurry. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. While this is the most direct putdown on her teammate (basically saying that she is a better goalie than scurry), what athelete wouldn't say this? I can't imagine someone like TO being benched and his replacement dropping balls and TO not saying "I would have made those catches". That's just what they believe. Remember Kordell clapping when Tomzack replaced him and threw an INT? There's been far worse displays of "team" than this. Now she definitely threw the coach "under the bus", but I didn't see where her comments about Scurry were so far out of line. She probably didn't word them as well as she should, but athletes should have a thick enough skin to take comments like that in stride.
you use by what got you their in the first place
iam a new soccer fan i follow english league for about a year it took me a long time to understand that you dont need to be scoring all the time to have a good game..as far as being rough if you have ever seen some of the tackles they make and the other physical play, i dont think anyone would want be in there. as far as this sport becoming a major draw over some of the other sports i dont think it will happen but they will draw a lot more than people think..what is going to happen is more and more international players are going to come here and with the influx of foreign people coming into the country soccer will become some what popular.. does anyone have a idea what happen to brazil? they didnt look like the same team, that move that marta made on the usa most men couldnt make it
While this is the most direct putdown on her teammate (basically saying that she is a better goalie than scurry), what athelete wouldn't say this? Athletes never say that, even if they are thinking it. They really just don't. If you are a backup and you get a chance to come in the game, you say that you are glad to help. If things don't work out, you say it is unfortunate the way it worked out. You never blame a particular teammate for losing a game without suffering major criticism for it (like TO when he said McNabb choked in the Super Bowl, which was also probably true). Oddly, the criticism for Solo for her comments have been rather muted.
He's not even letting her sit on the bench, forgodsake -- not even as a backup, which, y'know, he might end up needing. they had 3 keepers with them for the tournament, so losing one wouldn't be a big deal in terms of having a backup covered. the decision to boot Solo for the final game sounds like it came from (or was suggested by) the veteran players (and if you believe this rumor, so did the decision to play Scurry).
The amazing thing is, this is all a media creation. I was astounded when all the media reporting revolved around Solo "throwing a team member under the bus". I don't know how accurate that is, but I did notice this weekend that ESPN seems intent on turning her into an all-time villain for what amounts to one unconsidered statement to the press.
I do not believe that rumor. The Washington Post had the story before the Brazil game and Wambach said the team and herself couldn't believe that they were making a keeper change when they were getting a rythm going. She also feared that it may disrupt team chemistry. Those comments were made BEFORE the Brazil fiasco. In the same story Ryan was quoted as saying that he had promised Scurry months ago that he would get her a game during the Cup. So I also do not believe it was a tactical decision as Ryan still contends.
Here is the Washington Post Story before the Brazil game
"Bri's ready," Ryan said. "Just wait and see." What a moron. We all saw it Coach and she was not ready.
The Washington Post had the story before the Brazil game and Wambach said the team and herself couldn't believe that they were making a keeper change when they were getting a rythm going. She also feared that it may disrupt team chemistry. where do you see that quote? she says, "At this point in the tournament, yeah, you do want to get a more solidified starting 11, but we do want to put the best team on the field for every individual team we face. . . . Our whole team, we all trust [Scurry] is going to get the job done." that doesn't sound too surprised to me. and she's says nothing of disrupting chemistry. look, i'm not saying these rumors are at all true, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there is some sort of old guard vs. new guard rift on that team.
Fair enough goddam. I was going by memory and reading a bit between the lines. Sounded to me like Wambach was surprised but also did not want to undermine the coach on the eve of the game. I agree that there is probably a bit of old guard v. new guard rift, after all soccer is the most political sport I can think of.
Greg Ryan was bowing to the race card. I very much doubt it, but you get bonus points for a charmingly mixed metaphor.
No, I read it online: he's into some weird Tarot sect. He really does bow to weird cards.
No excuses for Solo, but being a competitive athlete sometimes emotions are expressed at the wrong time and at the wrong place. She is/was the #1 goalkeeper for the USA team. She proved herself. I think Greg Ryan made the decision to let her go just to keep the media busy on a different subject rather than himself.
Ryan had to be thrilled when Solo mouthed off. It just deflected all the criticism away from him. They weren't prepared properly, and used the wrong strategy against Brazil, a team they normally can beat. His fault, nobody elses'. Solo is the #1 keeper, she shouldn't be benched for a world cup game, any game for that matter. Ryan will be a former coach within a few weeks, and hopefully the US team can put this whole thing behind them.
Some terrific comments and debate going on here. It's good to see so many comments from Americans as well. Apologies if I happen to repeat what someone else has written, but it seems Ryan was using Scurry as a relief pitcher, bringing her into the game to face one opponent. It's been said a million times, but you don't do that in soccer. The decision to make the change to a 'keeper who's played 7 games in two years is naive at best. I admire Hope Solo for what she's said and of course there's a First Amendment stamp all over this. However, coaches aren't required to follow the Bill of Rights; they follow team rules set forth in advance. I don't know if the suspension of a player for speaking out to the press is in their rulebook, but it probably is. If Hope knew the consequences, she should have no complaints about the suspension. That doesn't mean Ryan had to come out with his I'll-show-you statement about fighting on with 20 committed players and all that crap. That was childish, absolutely unnecessary and has only made the matter worse. Flat out - this team wasn't good enough and was built to beat Germany, like I mentioned in another thread after the N. Korea game. Skilled technical teams were always going to rip us up: enter Brasil. Ryan should be fired. Hope should be back between the sticks.
