Hope Amelia Solo (born in July 30, 1981) is an American soccer
goalkeeper and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She has been
goalkeeping for the United States ladies’ national soccer group since
2000. In the wake of playing at the university level for the University
of Washington, she played professionally for the Philadelphia Charge in
the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA).
Over the past two years, Solo has had numerous run-ins with the law,
nearly all of which have involved alcohol. When asked if part of Solo's
program included an alcohol rehab facility, or if the team believed she
had an alcohol problem, Gulati said, "Neither one of us denied or
confirmed that. Hope has been given time to deal with some issues ...
and there are a number of things she is being asked to do."
Last week, the 33-year-old keeper
was suspended by U.S. Soccer for 30 days after her husband,
Jerramy Stevens, was pulled over for DUI while driving the team van. Solo was a passenger in the vehicle.
The incident came just one week after a Seattle judge
dismissed domestic violence charges against Solo.
When asked on a conference call if U.S. Soccer could envision a
scenario in which Solo -- a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the
team's starting keeper -- would be left off the squad, Gulati said,
"Sure."
Solo is viewed as one of the top goalkeepers on the planet and right now
imparts the U.s. record for most profession shutouts. She was the
beginning goalkeeper for most of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and
helped lead the U.s. national group to the elimination rounds having
surrendered just two objectives in four diversions, including three
continuous shutouts. After a questionable move made by head mentor Greg
Ryan to seat Solo for veteran goalkeeper Brianna Scurry for the
elimination round, in which the United States was vanquished 4–0 by
Brazil, Solo stood out as truly newsworthy with post-diversion comments
that brought about numerous partners disregarding her. She later bounced
back to help the United States win gold awards at the 2008 and 2012
Summer Olympics.