Hope Solo

At 42 years old, Hope Solo has this physical status:

Hope Amelia Solo (born July 30, 1981) is an American soccer goalkeeper.

She was a goalkeeper for the United States national soccer team from 2000 to 2016, and she is a World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

She played for the Philadelphia Charge in the Women's United Soccer Association, after playing at the University of Washington for the collegiate level (WUSA).

When the WUSA retired in her first season, she travelled to Europe to compete for the top division leagues in Sweden and France.

She competed in women's Professional Soccer (WPS) for Saint Louis Athletica, Atlanta Beat, and magicJack from 2009 to 2011.

She played for the Seattle Sounders in the W-League until the WPS stopped operations in early 2012.

She played for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States, for the first time. Solo is regarded as one of the best female goalkeepers in the country, and he currently holds the United States record for most career clean sheets.

She was the starting goalkeeper for the majority of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and helped guide the US national team to the semifinals after giving up only two goals in four games, including three consecutive shutouts.

Solo made headlines for her post-game remarks after head coach Greg Ryan's controversial decision to bench Solo in favour of veteran goalkeeper Briana Scurry for the semifinal, in which the United States was defeated 4–0 by Brazil.

She returned to help the United States win gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Her extraordinary talent was highlighted in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, particularly during a quarter-final match against Brazil, where the United States defeated Brazil on penalty kicks.

Despite the fact that the team lost to Japan on penalties, Solo received the Golden Glove award for her overall effort at the tournament as well as the Bronze Ball award for her overall effort at the tournament. Solo appeared on the television show Dancing with the Stars and posed for various publications, most notable the "Body Issue" of ESPN The Magazine, following her appearance at the 2011 World Cup.

Solo, the starting goalkeeper at the 2012 London Olympics, where she received her second Olympic gold medal, published her book Solo: A Memoir of Hope.

The final was the most watched soccer game in the United States, with wins (202), shutouts (161), and losses (102), as of August 6, 2016.

Early life

Solo was born in Richland, Washington, on July 30, 1981, to Judy Lynn (née Shaw) and Jeffrey Solo. Her father, an Italian-American Vietnam War soldier who was in and out of her life as a child and teen, taught her how to play soccer at a young age. When Solo was seven years old, her mother and her brother Marcus decided to go to a baseball game in Yakima's nearby city, but they ended up driving over three hours west to Seattle, where they stayed for many days in a hotel. At first, Solo described how it seemed to be a holiday, but it soon learned it wasn't. They were arrested at a downtown bank and arrested Jeffrey for allegedly kidnapping. Despite the fact that her parents divorced when she was six years old and she lived with her mother, Solo kept a close relationship with her father after reconnecting with him during her college years at the University of Washington. He remained a major figure in her life until his death in June 2007 from a heart attack.

Solo, a forward at Richland High School, earned 109 goals, leading her team to three straight league titles from 1996 to 1998, as well as a state championship during her senior year. She was twice voted a Parade All American. Solo also played in soccer for the Three Rivers Soccer Club in the Tri-Cities.

Solo attended the University of Washington from 1999 to 2002, where she concentrated on speech communications after being heavily recruited by several colleges around the country. She converted permanently to goalkeeper with the Huskies under the direction of head coach Lesle Gallimore and goalkeeper coach Amy Griffin, a former national team player and former national team player. "I had been the forward who had won games in high school," Solo wrote about the transition in her book. It was a massive psychological adjustment to find that my job was to save games. To figure out what was needed. The ball would land towards me before, and I'd use my athletic skills to make the save. However, I was becoming a much more effective tactical goalkeeper under Amy's tutelage and my time with the national team. I learned how to read my opponents' runs into goal, how to position my defenders, and how to analyze the angles. Goalkeeping was also made more interesting by the intellectual aspect. It wasn't just ninety minutes of waiting for my defense to make a mistake. It was ninety minutes of tactics and planning. "British people were born with tenacity and toughness" were two key strengths in the position.

Solo made her Pac-10 career as the top goalkeeper in the sport's all-time record (1931), saves (325), and goals against average (GAA) (1.02). She was a four-time All-Pac-10 pick, and she was named an NSCAA All-American as a sophomore, junior, and senior. Solo was named Pac-10 Player of the Year in her sophomore year, becoming the first Washingtonian and first goalkeeper to be honoured. She was the first goalkeeper nominated for the Hermann Trophy as a senior.

Personal life

Jerramy Stevens, a former American footballer, is married to Solo. Since Solo returned from the Olympics in mid-August 2012, they have been together. Following an altercation that left Solo wounded, Stevens was arrested on suspicion of assault on November 12, 2012. Stevens was released the following day after a judge found that there was not ample reason to arrest him. The couple were wed the next day. Solo and Stevens were expecting twins in December 2019. On March 4, 2020, the couple welcomed Vittorio Genghis and Lozen Orianna Stevens.

Solo was one of the victims of the iCloud photo leaks of celebrity images in 2014, when several nude snaps of her were leaked online. "This act goes beyond the boundaries of human decency," she expressed sympathy with the other women affected and criticized the perpetrators.

Solo was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault in the fourth degree on June 21, 2014; one against her half-sister and the other against her nephew. Hope Amelia Stevens, Stevens' married name, was booked under her married name. After pleaded not guilty, she was released the next day. Her trial was scheduled for November 4, 2014, but it was postponed until January 20, 2015. The judge ordered further depositions from the plaintiffs on December 30, 2014, postponing a decision on whether Solo charges against Solo would be dropped until January 6, 2015.

Solo missed one game for the Reign and the NWSL, which allowed her to continue playing soccer through the 2014 season. After Rice was seen in a previously undisclosed video assaulting his wife in a hotel elevator, a grand jury charged Peterson on felony child abuse, there was some controversy in the media about whether this fulfilled a double standard in professional American sports. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D – Conn.) sent President Richard Blumenthal (D – Conn.) a letter sent by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D – Conn.) chastising Solo for the World Cup roster after she was arrested and accused of inadequately handling domestic violence allegations.

The judge dismissed the charges against Solo on January 13, 2015, owing to a lack of cooperation from both suspected victims. Solo said she was shielding herself from a fetus by her nephew, who stands 6 foot 9 inches (206 cm). However, lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court of Washington. The trial was ruled in the Superior Court in October 2015, and the charges were reinstated. Solo's petition to hear the lawsuit was refused by the state appeals court in June 2016. All domestic violence charges against her against her were dismissed against her on May 24, 2018. The situation were "unlikely to recur," according to attorney Melissa Osman, who represents the city, and prosecution witnesses did not want to testify.

Jerramy Stevens, her husband, was arrested in Manhattan Beach, California, on January 19, 2015, for suspicion of DUI. Stevens was driving the United States Soccer team van. Solo was banned from the U.S. Soccer team for poor judgement in entering the car and arguing with the cops as a result of this incident. Stevens was sentenced to 30 days in prison and four years of probation for driving the United States soccer team van while inebriated. The judge also approved a two-year outpatient alcohol program. Stevens had refused a blood or breathalyzer test; officers had to obtain a search warrant in order to obtain a blood sample; his blood alcohol level was at least 0.1 percent.

Solo was arrested on March 31, 2022, for driving while inebriated, refusing arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse. When she was arrested in a Walmart parking garage in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her two-year-old twins were in her car.

Solo has signed endorsement contracts with Seiko, Simple Skincare, Nike, Boeing, Mac, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Gatorade. She signed a one-year contract with Bank of America in July 2011. She appeared in an EA Sports television commercial in September 2011, alongside professional basketball player Steve Nash, promoting FIFA 12. She co-starred with national teammate Alex Morgan in a television commercial for ESPN's SportsCenter this month. In 2014, she was featured in a Western Union promotional piece. In March 2014, Solo signed with LX Ventures, Inc., and Mobio as a "social media influencer." She joined Organically Raw in June 2016 to market their Shanti Bar line of energy and protein bars.

Solo is a representative of the Women's Sports Foundation, a Billie Jean King-founded group devoted to "advancing the lives of girls and women by engaging in sports and physical fitness." She has contributed her time and treasure to the Boys and Girls Club, as well as appearing at numerous charity functions. In August 2011, she joined Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach in a Bank of America charitable effort at the Chicago Marathon, raising $5,000 was donated to Seattle Humane Society on her behalf. Solo was one of 15 professional athletes in 2012, including Shaun Phillips, Tim Lincecum, Ray Rice, and others who participated in Popchips' Game Changers program. She appeared at several charity functions, and she was also donating to a local charity chosen by a volunteer.

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Club career

Solo was selected in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2003 WUSA Draft by the Philadelphia Charge following her college career. She spent the majority of her first professional season on the bench playing in eight games. Solo appeared in the last three games of the season and was denied her first professional shutout against the Atlanta Beat. Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, top scorers, also shutting down potential league champions, as the Washington Freedom led by top scorers. Solo moved to Göteborg, Sweden, just six days before the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the top division of women's soccer in Sweden, just six days before the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. She appeared in two games a week for ten months, totaling 19 appearances in goal for Göteborg in 2004. In 2005, she competed for Olympique Lyonnais in the French First Division. She made seven appearances for the French club. Solo shared her time in Europe, "I played in Europe and it was a great learning not just because of my teammates and the coaches we had, but also because of the people and the city itself – I played in Gothenburg and I played in Lyon and soccer was everywhere." It really jump-started my career and helped me discover myself as a leader and performer at that time in my life.

Solo was one of three national team players in the WPS allocated to the Saint Louis Athletica in the 2008 WPS Player Allocation, with the new league set to begin play in April 2009. Athletica got off to a slow 0–2–2 start in their first season with solo getting in six goals in the first four games. She missed eight goals in her next 13 games and ended the season with eight shutouts, leading the Athletica from the bottom of the standings to finish second place and securing a playoff spot.

Solo was named the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year after the 2009 season. She was also named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, the highest accolade given to a soccer player in the United States.

Tina Ellertson and Eniola Aluko, along with her St. Louis teammates, folded and solo signed with the WPS expansion team in May 2010. She wore 78 for the Beat as her previous jersey number was taken (1). Following Solo's 1–0 loss to Washington Freedom, she caused two separate scandals after accusing Boston Breakers supporters of offensive chanting and racial comments against a teammate. A $2,500 fine and a one-game suspension followed the second outburst, which culminated in a $2,500 fine and a one-game suspension.

Solo appeared in 22 WPS matches in 2010 for both the Athletica and Beat, and she was the league leader in saves with 104 points. The two-time WPS All-Star was also ranked among the top three in shutouts (6), wins (6), and goals against average (1.64). Solo underwent right shoulder surgery on September 22 after the 2010 season ended, and she recovered on September 22. "I want to make sure I'm giving my team and my country my best on the field for the next two years," Solo said. "I've been suffering with shoulder pains for a while, and for a goalkeeper, it's been difficult physically and mentally to function with this kind of injury, so it was time to get it fixed."

Solo signed for magicJack, the former Washington Freedom under new ownership, ahead of the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season. Solo missed a substantial portion of the season due to her shoulder surgery recovery, national team commitments, and preparations for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She made four appearances for the club, totaling 360 minutes. The team lost its franchise on October 25, 2011, the club's season came to an end. Due to legal and financial difficulties, the league later suspended operations in early 2012.

Solo had signed with the Seattle Sounders Women on February 14, 2012. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Sydney Leroux were among the national teammates who joined the team the year before. "Hope is unquestionably the best women's keeper in the game today," Sounders general manager Amy Carnell said of the signing. Her signing represents the best player Sounders Women's fans can imagine in 2012. We'll all remember the unique opportunity ahead of us as the landscape of women's soccer continues to change. Solo made three appearances for the team during the 2012 Summer Olympics, racking up to 261 minutes. Her average was 0.344, she made five saves and had one shutout. The Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at Starfire Stadium, with Solo and her national team teammates. The average attendance during league matches was four times higher than the second most watched team in the league.

Solo, along with Megan Rapinoe and Amy Rodriguez, were one of three members of the United States national team on the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League as part of the NWSL Player Allocation Program on January 19, 2013. It was announced two months earlier that she was undergoing wrist surgery and would miss about half the season due to recovery. The Reign announced that Amy Rodriguez will be out for the season due to breastfeeding and Megan Rapinoe would return mid-season after a six-month absence for Olympique Lyonnais. With Solo, Rapinoe's return and several other lineup changes made during the early summer, the Reign turned their regular season record around and finished the season in seventh place with a 5–14–3 record. Solo appeared in all 14 games in which she scored with a 1.357 goals against average. She made 81 saves and 1,260 minutes in goal.

Solo was linked to a move to Manchester City, England, in October 2013. Despite the fact that Solo played in the NWSL for 2014, Reign FC coach Laura Harvey expected Solo to return to the NWSL for 2014 to secure her spot in the national team.

Solo made the Reign of the 2014 season. During the first part of the season, the team set a new season-wide streak of 16 games. The Reign set a 13–0–3 record in 16 games. For the first time, the Reign finished first in the NWSL Shield, clinching the NWSL Shield for the first time. The Reign were defeated 2–1 by FC Kansas City in the championship final after defeating the Washington Spirit 2–1 in the playoff semifinals. Lauren Barnes and Stephanie Cox, both defenders with Solo and Reign, were selected to the Second XI team following the regular season. Solo made 65 saves in 20 games played and a.900 goals against average in the 2014 season.

Solo appeared on eight occasions for Seattle during the 2016 season before joining the national team in the Rio Olympics in 2016. After US Soccer suspended Solo and terminated her national team contract in August 2016 for saying that the Sweden women's national football team "played like cowards," she was given "personal leave" by the Reign for the remainder of the NWSL season. She ended the season with a 0.63 GAA and 81% save percentage, with five of them being clean sheets.

International career

Solo competed for U.S. junior national soccer teams before moving to the senior national team in 2000. In April 2000, she made her senior debut when beating Iceland 8–0 at Davidson, North Carolina. Solo played for in 2004, during Athens, as an alternate behind primary goalkeeper Briana Scurry and backup Kristin Luckenbill. Solo has been the team's first choice goalkeeper since 2005. With 55 games between March 7, 2002 and July 16, 2008, she tied for the longest undefeated streak as a goalkeeper.

In the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, Solo was the starting goalkeeper for the United States, giving up two goals in four games, including shutouts of Sweden, Nigeria, and England. Coach Greg Ryan sacked Solo in favour of 36-year-old veteran U.S. keeper Briana Scurry, who had a good record against the Brazilians but had not played a complete match in three months. The United States defeated Brazil 4–0, snapping a 51-game streak, although playing a significant part of the match with just 10 players after losing two yellow cards in the first half.

A clearly distraught Solo mocked Ryan's decision in an impromptu interview following the match. It was the wrong call, and I suspect anyone who knows anything about the game knows it." I have no doubt that I would have made those saves. The truth is that it is no longer 2004. It's not 2004. And since it's 2007, I think you must live in the present. And, of course, you can't live by famous names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter if someone participated in an Olympic gold medal game three years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think." Many viewed her remarks as dismissive of Scurry's results, but Solo released an apology note the next day claiming that it was not her intention. Solo will not be with the team and will not participate in the third-place match against Norway the following day, according to coach Greg Ryan, who revealed it on September 29, 2007. Kristine Lilly, the team's captain, said that the decision on Solo was made by the team as a team. The United States went on to defeat Norway 4–1.

Solo was selected to the United States women's national soccer team roster for the second time, but he did not attend the first workout against Mexico for the first game. Despite the fact that the players' deal stipulated that anyone on the World Cup roster had the right to participate in the tournament, Nicole Barnhart did not participate in any of the three games against Mexico, being substituted by Briana Scurry for the first and third matches and Nicole Barnhart for the second. On October 20, 2007, the third match against Mexico brought an end to the United States women's national team's 2007 season. In January 2008, the squad returned to begin preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Ryan left the team after his deal was not renewed in December 2007.

Solo was named starting goalkeeper for Beijing's 2008 Summer Olympics on June 23, 2008. Briana Scurry did not make the team despite being an alternate in a reversal of roles from the 2004 Olympics, but she was an alternate. The US women's team captured the gold medal by beating Brazil 1–0 in extra time on August 21, but in no small measure due to Solo's efforts as she put an ebullient Brazilian attack on hold after save. Solo appeared on NBC Today Show and claimed she was inebriated while on air in a 2012 article by ESPN The Magazine. "We got out of our dresses, stepped back into our stadium jackets, and, a little after midnight, went on the Today show inebriated."

Despite missing much of the qualifying season due to a shoulder injury, Solo was accepted into the United States roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. Solo conceded two goals in the 2–1 loss to Sweden, which condemned the Americans to second place in the group and a quarterfinal meeting with Brazil after keeping clean sheets in group C victories over North Korea and Colombia.

Since Abby Wambach, the game was tied at 2–2 in stoppage time at the end of extra time, the quarterfinal match between the United States and Brazil was turned into a penalty shootout. Solo saved the United States' third Brazil penalty kick by Daiane, assisting the US in securing a semifinal spot against France. Solo spoke about the team's results and spirit during the quarterfinal triumph, "Because we were a player down and a goal behind in extra time," Solo said, "the [team] kept fighting." You can't teach that. It's a feeling – and we play with it."

Solo became the twenty-seventh American woman and second goalkeeper to reach 100 caps in the 3–1 semifinal victory over France. Solo reflected on the tournament so far, saying, "It was a tough fight road [but here is what we wanted to be]. We've come this far, so we'd better go all the way."

After losing by 3–1 in a penalty shootout to Japan twice, the United States team took the lead in a final 2–2 draw. Solo expressed admiration for the Japanese team and extended her congratulatory. Solo received the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper and Bronze Ball for her overall effort. She was also included in the tournament's "All-Star" squad.

Solo received a public warning from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) leading up to the Summer Olympics after a urine sample revealed that the banned drug canrenone had been found on June 15. Solo said in a tweet that she had been prescribed a pre-menstrual cream and was unaware of any banned items. She collaborated with the USADA and gave them the correct information to show that it was a mistake. Her tale was checked out and she was given a public warning. Solo did not have to withdraw from any pre-Olympic matches because of the positive results.

France took the lead in 15 minutes in a 4–2 loss to France in the first match. Solo helped Alex Morgan in the 32nd minute to score and tie the match at 2–2 after Abby Wambach's corner kick, and Morgan advanced the ball to Morgan with a free kick over goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi into the goal.

Solo captured her second Olympic gold medal with the United States women's national soccer team on August 9, 2011 in Rio. Solo made many saves, including an 82nd-minute save of a shot from Mana Iwabuchi, which may have tied the game, in a 2–1 loss of Japan in the final match.

Solo kept three clean sheets, two of whom were in group stage against Colombia with 3–0, and Korea DPR with 1–0, and a 2–0 victory over New Zealand in the quarter-finals. In the aforementioned matches against France and Japan, she conceded 6 goals out of three. In the semi-finals over Canada, three goals were forfeited to Christine Sinclair, a 4–3 extra-time triumph. Solo, along with defender Chris Rampone and Kelley O'Hara, was one of three players on the United States team who played all 570 minutes during the team's six games.

Solo underwent surgery in March 2013 to fix a long-running injury in her left wrist, but she did not play for about three months. In June, she rejoined the national team for the first time. With 13 victories, the team finished undefeated in 16 games in 2013.

Solo set the US record for career shutouts with 71 after the team defeated France 1–0 in a friendly match in Tampa, Florida, on June 14, 2014. Briana Scurry, a former goalkeeper, had previously set the record. She set a new record with her 72nd shutout in a friendly match against Mexico that culminated in an 8–0 victory for the United States just a few months later on September 13. Solo was suspended by the national team for thirty days after an undisclosed incident at a training camp on January 21, 2015.

Solo was named by head coach Jill Ellis to the US roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada in April. In all seven of the US' games, Solo began and played all possible minutes (630), and the United States defeated the tournament with record-breaking television viewing numbers of over 750 million viewers. Solo made three vital saves in the same match where her team was "in the game" after giving up a goal in the 27th minute of her team's first group stage match against Australia. Her colleagues and mentor lauded her results. She had a 540-minute shutout streak, the second longest in tournament history, and had three goals throughout the tournament.

She used stalling tactics to try to bring the tournament's top scorer, Célia a.i., off her pace at a penalty kick during her semi-final match against top-ranked Germany. The penalty kick was missed, but the game was scoreless. It was the first time a German squad, whether male or female, missed a penalty in a World Cup. She earned the Golden Glove award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament with 177 international caps and the Golden Glove trophy.

Solo won her 100th international shutout and 197th cap in a friendly match against South Africa at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, on July 9, 2016. Solo was the first female goalkeeper to have 100 shutouts in international competition.

The United States defeated France 1–0, with Solo making "several fine saves" on the occasion of her 200th cap. Solo made two mistakes in the final group match against Colombia, earning them a 2–2 draw. Solo had been jeered by the Brazilian crowds, who also yelled "Zika" at her as she approached the ball in reaction to her pre-tournament role in the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic debate.

In the United States' quarter-final loss to Sweden, Solo caused more controversies. In an apparent act of gamesmanship, she caused an interruption of several minutes when switching her gloves before Sweden's final kick. Before converting the penalty to exclude the United States, Lisa Dahlkvist was seen laughing at Solo's antics. In reference to their ultra-defensive tactics, Solo called her opponents "a bunch of cowards" after the match. In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Grant Wahl made the remark. Solo's remarks were "disappointing," according to the International Olympic Committee, but she was unlikely to face discipline because "people are free to say such things." We certainly wouldn't stop them from expressing themselves within their boundaries. Pia Sundhage, Sweden's coach, was more direct in her assessment: "I don't give a crap." "I'm going to Rio; she's going home" later said, "I think she was just anxious and that she didn't really mean it." Lotta Schelin, Lisa Dahlkvist, and Kosovare Asllani, all Swedish players, expressed sympathy for Solo, despite the fact that she was caught up in the heat of the moment.

Solo was suspended for six months and ended her national team deal, marking her second suspension from the USWNT. Solo's previous conduct had influence on the governing body, according to the body. Solo retaliated angrily, saying that her remarks had been used as a pretext to compel her out due to her prominent presence in the national team's fight for equal pay. Solo's dismissal, according to teammate Megan Rapinoe, was "probably some administrative decision" on the part of US Soccer. The players' counsel Rich Nichols announced a court challenge to US Soccer's proceedings, saying it was "excessive, unprecedented, disproportionate, and a violation of Ms. Solo's First Amendment rights."

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