Hope Solo Pleads Guilty to DWI; Misdemeanor Child Abuse Among Charges Dismissed
Jul 26, 2022
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2016, file photo, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo takes the ball during a women's Olympic football tournament match against New Zealand in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Solo has been suspended form the team for six months for what U.S. Soccer termed conduct "counter to the organization's principles." The suspension is effective immediately. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Wednesday, Aug. 24, that comments Solo made after the U.S. lost to Sweden during the Rio Olympics were "unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players." (AP Photo/Eugenio Savio, File)
Former United States women's national
team goalkeeper Hope Solo pleaded guilty to driving while impaired
and surrendered her driver's license Monday in North Carolina.
Michael Hewlett of the Winston-Salem
Journal reported Solo, who in March was found passed out behind the
wheel of a vehicle with her two children in the back seat, had two
other charges voluntarily dismissed: misdemeanor child abuse and
resisting a public officer.
Solo received a suspended sentence of
24 months in prison and an active sentence of 30 days, which was
credited as time served based on her time at an in-patient
rehabilitation facility, per Hewlett. Her sentence also included
$3,100 in fines and fees.
The 40-year-old Washington native must
go through a substance abuse assessment and complete the recommended
treatment to satisfy the requirements of the sentence.
Solo posted a statement, saying she'd "underestimated what a destructive part of my life alcohol had
become."
She also thanked those who supported
her throughout the situation.
"I continue to be a student of the
greatest school called life and I will continue to learn and grow
from these experiences," Solo wrote. "I will continue to gain
empathy, knowledge and stories to share."
In April, Solo requested her induction
into the National Soccer Hall of Fame be delayed until 2023. The NSHOF accepted the request, saying it "fully
supports her decision and looks forward to honoring her and her
historic achievements at next year's induction ceremony."
Solo made 202 appearances for the USWNT
between 2000 and 2016. She helped the national team win two Olympic
gold medals (2008 and 2012) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World
Cup along with numerous other tournaments. She won the Golden Glove as the top goalkeeper at the 2011 and
2015 World Cups.
She also played club soccer in the U.S., Sweden and France.
U.S. Soccer Agrees to New CBA with Top Men's, Women's Players Guaranteeing Equal Pay
May 18, 2022
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - JULY 30: Rose Lavelle #16, Alex Morgan #13, Christen Press #11 and Megan Rapinoe #15 of Team United States celebrate following their team's victory in the penalty shoot out after the Women's Quarter Final match between Netherlands and United States on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at International Stadium Yokohama on July 30, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
U.S. Soccer will provide equal pay to
members of its men's and women's national teams after an agreement on
new collective bargaining agreements was reached Wednesday.
Andrew Das of the New York Times
reported the USMNT and USWNT agreed to place all of their earnings
into a single pool, including a "notable concession" from the
men's side to include the money from the lucrative men's FIFA World
Cup, that will then be divided equally among all players who take part in international matches.
"No other country has ever done
this," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said. "I think
everyone should be really proud of what we've accomplished here. It
really, truly is historic."
The new CBA contracts run through 2028, and initial projections suggest full-time national team players can
expect annual payments from U.S. Soccer around $450,000, a figure
that could more than double in years where one of the teams makes a "successful" World Cup run, per Das.
At least some financial windfall is
guaranteed for the next two men's World Cups. The USMNT qualified for
the 2022 event in Qatar and will automatically be included in the
2026 field as a co-host alongside North American neighbors Canada and
Mexico.
The USWNT is also a virtual lock to
make the 2023 and 2027 women's World Cups as the top-ranked team in
the FIFA rankings.
Meanwhile, it's estimated 90 percent of
the money U.S. Soccer receives from FIFA for World Cup participation will go toward the new
contracts, and the governing body also agreed to split commercial
revenue with the players.
Cone said questions about whether U.S.
Soccer can continue to handle its core purpose of growing the sport
nationwide are fair in wake of the agreements, per Das.
"There's no denying that money that
we have to pay our national teams is money that's not reinvested in
the game," she said. "And people can take that perspective. But
the way I look at it is that our job is to try to figure out how all
three groups can work together to grow the pie so that everyone is
benefiting."
The contracts to guarantee equal pay
come after U.S. Soccer and prominent members of the USWNT settled a
class action equal-pay lawsuit in February that included a $24 million payment to the
players.
Megan Rapinoe, one of the driving
forces in the equal-pay push by the women's team, said on ABC's Good Morning America at the time that the settlement was a major turning point for their efforts.
"This is a huge win for all
women," Rapinoe said. "I think we're going to
see that in the coming days and hopefully this will be a day we look
back on in a number of years when we're a little bit older and say
that's the moment that everything changed."
The USMNT's union backed the
women's effort to secure equal pay during the lawsuit.
USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman said Wednesday that internal negotiations among men's players "wasn't
always the smoothest" process, but they ultimately came to the
realization there was "no other way to get this done" other than
splitting the World Cup revenue, per Das.
"Trying to voice what you believe
should happen, what is possible, what is right—those conversations
are difficult," Zimmerman said. "But at the end you have a group
of players both on the men's and women's side who came together and
got it done."
The men's team's preparations for the 2022 World Cup will continue in June with a total of four matches—two friendlies against Morocco and Uruguay and two CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador.
The women's next matches are also in June, when they play Colombia in two friendlies prior to the finals of the CONCACAF Women's Championship in July.
Sophia Smith Scores 3 Goals as USWNT Beats Uzbekistan in 2022 Friendly
Apr 9, 2022
COLUMBUS, OHIO - APRIL 09: Sophia Smith #11 of the United States celebrates her goal during the first half of an International Friendly against Uzbekistan at Lower.com Field on April 09, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The United States women's national team defeated Uzbekistan 9-1 on Saturday at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, in what was their first friendly since the SheBelieves Cup in February.
It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams, which will meet again Tuesday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The U.S. roster featured 17 players who helped the team win the SheBelieves Cup. Veterans Abby Dahlkemper and Lindsey Horan also returned to the roster after missing the tournament, but it was the younger players who carried the team to victory.
Andi Sullivan, who made her 26th appearance for the national team, started things with a goal in the 26th minute off a corner kick to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. Mallory Pugh added a goal a minute later off the kickoff to double the U.S. lead.
The Americans continued to pile onto their lead when Sophia Smith scored the first of her three goals in the 33rd minute. She put the finishing touch on a pass from Pugh into a wide-open net to give the USWNT a 3-0 lead.
The Americans wasted no time in the second half as Catarino Macario scored in the 46th minute to put the U.S. women up 5-0. Smith then netted her third goal of the evening, which marked her first hat trick for the USWNT, in the 56th minute.
Uzbekistan goalkeeper Laylo Tilovova tried to grab a long pass into the penalty area, but Pugh raced to the ball, dribbled around her and set Smith up for a goal in front of a wide-open net.
The goals continued to come in the final 30 minutes of the game as Jae Howell, Ashley Hatch and Ashley Sanchez found the back of the net to put the Americans ahead 9-1.
Uzbekistan's Aziza Norboeva also found the back of the net off a corner kick for the country's only goal of the evening in the 70th minute.
It was an incredibly impressive evening for the young U.S. players, though Uzbekistan is far from being one of the best teams in the world. Regardless, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski should be pleased with how his team performed, especially on offense.
With qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2024 Summer Olympics just three months away, these matches are important for Andonovski to get a look at the younger players who might help fill out his roster this summer.
USWNT Players Wear 'Protect Trans Kids' Wristbands in Protest of Texas Gov.'s Letter
Feb 24, 2022
FRISCO, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Catarina Macario #20 of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal during a game between Iceland and USWNT at Toyota Stadium on February 23, 2022 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
The United States women's national soccer team showed their support for transgender children during Wednesday's 5-0 win over Iceland in the SheBelieves Cup in response to a letter issued by Texas governor Greg Abbott.
According to ESPN.com, several players on the team were wearing "Protect Trans Kids" wristbands on the pitch at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
"With the platform we have, we really wanted to show why this team is different and why we do things that are much bigger than just the game," Catarina Macario told reporters.
Abbott's letter included a directive calling on "licensed professionals" and "members of the general public" to report parents to state authorities to investigate children undergoing gender-affirming medical care under the pretense of trying to prevent "child abuse under existing Texas law."
Per Meg Linehan of The Athletic, Macario said the idea to wear the wristbands was prompted by a message from Megan Rapinoe.
After scoring her second goal of the match late in the first half, Macario found a television camera to show her wristband in order to "make sure everyone was able to see it, and it wasn't just another thing getting (swept) under the rug."
In addition to the on-field response from the USWNT, Becky Sauerbrunn issued a response on Twitter to Abbott's letter:
To deny gender-affirming resources to trans kids and to threaten their parents and guardians with claims of child abuse is MONSTROUS.
The U.S. women's national team has frequently been at the fore of igniting conversations on political and societal issues.
In a July 2019 interview with David Marchese of the New York Times, Rapinoe said she wanted to use her "platform to unify people."
Rapinoe spoke at the White House in March 2021 to voice her support for the trans community.
"As someone who has played sports with someone who is trans, I can assure you all is well, nothing is spontaneously combusting," she said.
Rapinoe, Macario, Kristie Mewis, Margaret Purce and Andi Sullivan were among those pictured wearing the wristbands during Tuesday's game.
USWNT Players to Get $22M After Agreement With U.S. Soccer to End Equal Pay Dispute
Feb 22, 2022
United States forward Alex Morgan (13) plays the field during an international friendly soccer match against Paraguay, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, in Cincinnati. The United States won 8-0. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
The United States women's soccer team and U.S. Soccer agreed to settle their equal pay lawsuit Tuesday.
According to a press release detailing the settlement, the women will receive $22 million in back pay, along with an additional $2 million put into an account supporting their post-career charitable endeavors. Each woman can receive up to $50,000 from the latter fund.
The agreement also promised equal pay for the men's and women's teams moving forward, pending a new collective bargaining agreement.
The USWNT has been entrenched in an equal-pay battle with the sport's governing body for the last six years.
The two sides released a joint statement:
“We are pleased to announce that, contingent on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, we will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer. Getting to this day has not been easy.
The U.S. Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes. Today, we recognize the legacy of the past USWNT leaders who helped to make this day possible, as well as all of the women and girls who will follow. Together, we dedicate this moment to them. We look forward to continuing to work together to grow women’s soccer and advance opportunities for young girls and women in the United States and across the globe.”
The settlement serves as tacit acknowledgment that women were underpaid in comparison to the men's national team over the course of several years. This was despite the USWNT finding massive success on the international circuit, winning gold medals in the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
The chances of an agreement previously appeared to take a hit when a federal judge dismissed the key components of the USWNT players' lawsuit in May 2020. While an appeal was ongoing, it was far from a guarantee that the women would receive any damages.
The deal hinging on a new collective bargaining agreement could be a complicated matter. U.S. Soccer is looking to complete a singular CBA for the men's and women's teams, which would require the men to relinquish some of the prize money for their World Cup performance.
Trinity Rodman Exits USWNT's SheBelieves Cup Win Over New Zealand With Leg Injury
Feb 20, 2022
CARSON, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Trinity Rodman #2 of United States leaves the match due to injury and is attended by medical personnel during a match between New Zealand and United States as part of SheBelieves Cup 2022 at Dignity Health Sports Park on February 20, 2022 in Carson, California. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Trinity Rodman had an injury scare in the second half of Team USA's 5-0 win over New Zealand in the 2022 SheBelieves Cup on Sunday.
Rodman was clipped in the ankle by New Zealand defender Ria Percival in the 62nd minute, but she stayed in the game until the 82nd minute.
After the game, U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters Rodman will be evaluated, but he isn't too concerned it's a serious injury.
When the incident occurred, Rodman had to be helped off the pitch with a limp. She did some stretching exercises out of bounds for a short period of time and stayed in the game.
Rodman entered the game in the 56th minute, replacing Margaret Purce. She immediately had a shot attempt, but her header attempt on a pass from Jaelin Howell went to the right of the goal.
The 19-year-old was a late addition to the official U.S. roster for the tournament. She was originally set to be a training player, but a back injury prevented Abby Dahlkemper from playing.
U.S. Soccer announced Feb. 7 that Rodman was added to the 23-woman roster. She made her debut for the national team Thursday against the Czech Republic. Andonovski subbed her in for Mallory Pugh in the second half.
Rodman has already made history in the National Women's Soccer League. She was the youngest player to be drafted into the league when the Washington Spirit selected her with the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 at 18 years old.
The Spirit made Rodman the highest-paid player in league history earlier this month by signing her to a four-year, $1.1 million contract extension, per Emily Caron of Sportico. She scored seven goals in 25 appearances between the regular season and playoffs as a rookie last year.
Depending on the severity of her injury, Rodman will look to take part in Team USA's final game of the SheBelieves Cup. They play Iceland on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.
Mallory Pugh, USWNT Rout New Zealand in 2022 SheBelieves Cup Behind 3 Own Goals
Feb 20, 2022
CARSON, CA - FEBRUARY 20: United States players celebrate a second own goal in their favor during a match between New Zealand and United States as part of SheBelieves Cup 2022 at Dignity Health Sports Park on February 20, 2022 in Carson, California. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Coming off a draw in its opening game of the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, the United States women's national team had no problems in a 5-0win over New Zealand on Sunday.
New Zealand did everything in its power to make things easy on Team USA. Meikayla Moore scored a hat trick of own goals in the first half, including two in the first six minutes of the game, to put her squad in a hole it couldn't dig out of.
The third own goal came in the 36th minute when Margaret Purce was attempting to pass the ball to Catarina Macario, but Moore got her left foot out to deflect the ball past goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
The Americans didn't score their first goal against Nayler until the 51st minute. Ashley Hatch, who subbed in for Macario to start the second half, used her head on a pass from Sofia Huerta to put the U.S. up 4-0 in the 51st minute.
Mallory Pugh put the cherry on top of the victory with a goal in the 93rd minute. It's her 19th goal in 69 career appearances for the national team. It was also her first goal in international competition since Oct. 3, 2019, against South Korea.
The goals for Hatch and Pugh were two of only four shots on goal for Team USA, though they did finish with 19 shots total.
There was a moment of concern for the United States midway through the second half. Trinity Rodman was limping and had to be helped up in the 62nd minute when Ria Percival clipped her leg.
However, Rodman remained on the pitch until the 82nd minute. The 19-year-old managed to get a shot off in the 71st minute, but her attempt from the left box was blocked.
The USWNT's defense has been fantastic through two games in the tournament. The Americans have allowed a combined 12 shots (two on goal) against the Czech Republic and New Zealand.
Team USA head coach Vlatko Andonovski is using the SheBelieves Cup to evaluate the roster for the future. Stars like Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, Christen Press and Sam Mewis aren't with the squad.
Rodman, Alana Cook, Sophia Smith and Ashley Sanchez are expected to be the key players for women's soccer in America for years to come. Their performance on this stage is a good first test to see where they are and what they have to work on.
The United States moved into first place in the tournament standings with Sunday's win. It has four total points and a plus-five goal differential through two games.
Iceland (1-0-0) can move ahead of the U.S. with a win over Czech Republic in the second match of the day.
What's Next?
The USWNT will play Iceland in the final game of the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan Left off USWNT Roster for SheBelieves Cup
Feb 3, 2022
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Megan Rapinoe #15 and Alex Morgan #13 of the United States celebrate winning the SheBelieves Cup at Exploria Stadium on February 24, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
As the United States women's national team looks toward the future, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan won't be on the squad for the SheBelieves Cup.
Head coach Vlatko Andonovski named Sophia Smith and Ashley Sanchez to the roster for the upcoming tournament:
Trinity Rodman, the 19-year-old who signed the richest contract in National Women's Soccer League history (four years, $1.1 million) with the Washington Spirit, also isn't on the roster.
The decision to not include Rapinoe and Morgan doesn't come as a total surprise.
Andonovski didn't include Rapinoe, Morgan, Christen Press and Tobin Heath on the team's camp roster last month because they have long established their credentials.
Speaking to Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer in November, Andonovski explained he wanted to use the run up to the 2023 World Cup qualifiers as a way to find the next wave of stars who can lead the American squad.
"In the next chapter up until the qualifiers, the main goal is to identify the players that we believe will help us in the qualifiers, first and foremost, and then will hopefully help us in the World Cup," he said.
More than half of the 22-woman roster who played in two friendlies against Australia in November weren't on the Olympic squad that won the bronze medal in Tokyo over the summer.
Carli Lloyd, who had been on the U.S. team since 2005, announced her retirement from national competition after the Olympics. Rapinoe said after the United States' bronze-medal win at the 2020 Games she is considering retirement, but has yet to make a final decision.
Per ESPN's Caitlin Murray, 11 players on the SheBelieves Cup roster have 25 or fewer caps in their careers.
Murray noted that Rodman is with the team as a training player leading up to the start of the SheBelieves Cup.
This will mark the seventh year of the SheBelieves Cup. Team USA has won this tournament in four of the past six years, including back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021.
The 2022 SheBelieves Cup will run from Feb. 17-23. The United States will be competing in the round-robin tournament against Iceland, New Zealand and the Czech Republic.
USWNT Play Australia to 1-1 Draw in 2021 Friendly; Ashley Hatch Scores Goal
Nov 30, 2021
Matilda's Courtney Nevin , left, and United States' Ashley Hatch battle for the ball as Matilda's Emily van Egmond, right, watches during the international women's soccer match between the United States and Australia in Newcastle, Australia, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
The United States Women's National Soccer Team played Australia to a 1-1 draw Tuesday in a friendly at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Australia.
The match was the USWNT's final one of 2021, and it saw Australia bounce back from a 3-0 loss suffered at the hands of the Americans on Friday.
Team USA seemed poised for another convincing victory Tuesday, as Ashley Hatch scored in the fourth minute to give the USWNT a 1-0 lead:
The United States kept knocking on the door throughout and largely carried the play with 16 shots toward the net and seven shots on goal compared to just eight overall shots and two shots on frame for Australia.
The Matildas managed to hang in there long enough to net an equalizer, however, as a shot by Kyah Simon in the 88th minute deflected off Team USA's Becky Sauerbrunn and past goalkeeper Casey Murphy, much to the delight of the crowd:
Despite how late Simon's game-tying goal was scored, the USWNT nearly managed to steal the match in stoppage time when Lindsey Horan put the ball in the back of the net. However, she was ruled to be offside:
While the United States had no shortage of talent in the lineup Tuesday, the Americans were still without many of their biggest stars.
Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Christen Press were just a few of the players who weren't available against Australia.
With the draw, the USWNT extended its unbeaten streak to seven matches. Its most recent loss came in the semifinals of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo against Canada by a 1-0 score.
The United States went on to beat Australia 4-3 to win the bronze medal, though, and the Americans now own a 2-0-2 record over the Aussies this year.
Overall, the USWNT went 18-2-4 in 2021, earning an Olympic bronze medal and winning the SheBelieves Cup for the second year in a row and fourth time in six years.
Team USA has no matches scheduled for 2022 as of yet, but preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will begin to ramp up during the new year.
