Women’s World Cup

[Bart]

I don't flollow women's soccer, but this story intigued me. The American team had been unbeaten in their last 51 games. They got whupped badly by the Brazillians. Seems that the coach decided to pull the goaltender and replace her with someone else before the match. The yanked girl was ticked off and said so, feeling the decision cost the team the victory. It seems a lot of folks are upset with her for speaking out, saying she is selfish and not a team player. From what i've read and heard on talk shows, she is being condemned.


I wondered if there was more to the story. I checked Yahoo for photos.It appearsthat the white girl was replaced by a black. Now, I'm sure if it was the other way around, the black girl would would be portrayed in a sypathetic light and andthe victim of racism.


Briana Scurry on the left. Hope Solo on the right.

 

[foreverfree]

Scurry was the goalie on the so-called 1999 "Girls of Summer" Women's WC champs. Reading about her replacing Solo in today's Wilmington, DE paper (via AP), I had hoped (no pun intended) the monkey girl had retired IYKWIM, as this was the first mention I had seen of Scurry in this year's tournament.

johnEdited by: foreverfree

 

[reclaimsocal]

I watched the highlights, and at a minimum 3 of the 4 goals would have been stopped by an average world cup level goalie. The fourth was an own goal that you would think she could have gotten as well if she was able to react quickly.

Basically, the coach made a horrible decision to go with Scurry, I don't think race was the motivation, but who knows in this day and age.

 

[guest301]

I have followed and watched every game the USA has played in this tournament. The decision to replace Solo with Scurry was the most asinine decision by a coach in the history of coaching. Solo had started the previous four games in the World Cup and had got us to the semifinals with stellar play and to have her replaced with a goalie who hadn't seen any action for three months is ludicrous. I respect Scurry and she is a legendary goalkeeper in women's soccer but she is also 36 and you don't replace a starting goalie who is playing well in the semifinals of a world cup. It was a distraction and a bad move. He will lose his job over this decision and rightly so. However Solo was wrong to throw her teammate under the bus like that with her post game comments about how she would have made all those saves. I can understand her anger at Coach Ryan but her anger with Scurry is misplaced.

 

[C Darwin]

I wish some white male athletes could grow Hope Solo's balls. Nice job Hope!

and guess what? she's benched for the consolation game. What a shock. The coach decided to play the weak goalie for their last game. Edited by: C Darwin

 

[Solomon Kane]

Yes, a bizarre decision by the coach. Scurry deserves honor for her 99 World cup performance..but this is now.

You dance with the one that brung ya...and Hope was on a roll.

I agree with 301 that there was a gracelessness in her remarks.

Still, she has a right to raise publicly the issue of why she was benched, since it lacked all reason.

And if this controversy raises the issue of favoritism toward blacks in sports, then that's all to the good.

 

[reclaimsocal]

I heard tonight on ESPN that Hope was dismissed from the team and of course they mentioned twice that the move was supported by all of her teammates.... I find that really difficult to believe.

As for calling out Scurry, its hard to say if it was the right thing to do. To be honest, Hope would probably have stopped at least 3 of the 4 goals, as they were pretty weak efforts. If she felt like Scurry had something to do with the coaches decision then I believe she has every right to call her on it. Nothing worse then someone trying to undermine your position on a team. On the other hand, if Scurry was a supportive back up then Hope was wrong to hang her out like that.

 

[Kaptain]

For all we know Scurry may have been playing the race card to pressure the coach into an unbelievably stupid decision. Hope even said that there was a lot people don't know about (behind the scenes). I personally am glad that she spoke out. Nobody would bat an eyelash if a black athlete complained about being benched - they would just talk about what a competitor they are. More white athletes need to do that. It was obviously a bad coaching move.

On the plus side, all-white Germany defeated Brazil. What great weekend for castefootballers. First Pavlik, now Germany, and hopefully Brian Leonard can top it all off with great performance today.

Edited by: Kaptain Poop

 

[guest301]

Good point Kaptain Poop..I also would like to know if Scurry was playing the race card or other manipulations behind the scene. I still think Solo is her own worst enemy here..if she had kept quiet, all the heat would have been on Coach Ryan and his stupid decision to bench her and start Scurry.
Great day for us at CF. Germany won 2-0 over the Brazil to capture the cup and no need to mention what PAVLIK did last night.

Edited by: guest301

 

[Matra1]

Poor Hope has been hung out to dry. Isolated by the team at the hotel and left out of the Third Place medal ceremony.

I've followed football/soccer for some thirty years and I can't recall a decision like this one made by Coach Greg Ryan. You are at a major tournament, you are winning, then when you get to the semi-finals you suddenly bench the goalie who got you there! Was Hope the weakest link in other matches? I've seen nothing to indicate such.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Hope will be back. People should write to her to support her...and yes I agree we should research this incident to see if Scurry or her supporters brought pressure to bear on the coach.

Isn't Scurry the only black on the team? Maybe they were afraid of the sistuhs looking insignicant in this years cup.

I don't think there is anything wrong with Hope publicly questioning the decision, but I agree w/301 that the way in which it was done was unwise.

Well, I'm glad Germany won on Sunday, at any rate.

 

[guest301]

Poor Hope has been hung out to dry. Isolated by the team at the hotel and left out of the Third Place medal ceremony.

I've followed football/soccer for some thirty years and I can't recall a decision like this one made by Coach Greg Ryan. You are at a major tournament, you are winning, then when you get to the semi-finals you suddenly bench the goalie who got you there! Was Hope the weakest link in other matches? I've seen nothing to indicate such.

There is no way in hell that Hope could be considered a weak link. She was playing great and there was no reason for the move. If Coach Ryan wanted to give Scurry some playing time, then playing her in the 3rd game against a very bad Nigeria team that was no threat to us at the time would have been the best move. If Hope had attacked Coach Ryan instead of Scurry there wouldn't have been so much heat on her and most of the blame would have been directed at Coach Ryan. I still predict he loses his job over this and there will be a new coach at the 2008 Olympics. I hope it's a female coach, don't think it's usually a good thing for a man to coach a all female team. Edited by: guest301

 

[Angelcynn]

At least Germany beat Brazil in the final 2-0.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Yes, congrats to die Frauleinen (sp.?), especially to "Kron" Prinz, whose total cup goals now tie Gerd "der bomber" Muller.

That's two in a row for an all-white team.

 

[Matra1]

I was reading in SI today that Hope was replaced by Scurry because the latter was better at saving certain types of shots (long distance?) and because her ATHLETICISM would be vital against Brazil in particular! Certainly worked out that way

 

[Solomon Kane]

typical caste slant...

re: the goals

The consensus seems to be that 3 of the 4 goals were very preventable.

 

[Matra1]

Coach Greg Ryan - YOU'RE FIRED! I just read that on the Rogers Sportnet (Canada) sport ticker. Now, what about getting Hope back onto the team?

 

[Solomon Kane]

Right On! Keep Hope Alive!

 

[Matra1]

I just heard on GolTV (a soccer channel) that Hope Solo has been recalled to the US team

She'll be heading back to China for some tournament. Presumably this gives her a chance of being on the Olympic team later this year.

 

[Solomon Kane]

Right on! Can you dig it?

 

[Bart]

I just heard on GolTV (a soccer channel) that Hope Solo has been recalled to the US team

She'll be heading back to China for some tournament. Presumably this gives her a chance of being on the Olympic team later this year.

Olympic Gold for the US team, largely DUE to Hope Solo!


http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/soccer/news;_ylt=Ap zqUuhUDwhQtXKVvnfkZavQ1Zl4?slug=ap-soc-us-brazil&prov=ap &type=lgns&print=1


On Thursday night, the U.S. women's soccer team stood as one, Olympic gold medals around their necks, champions once again.


"Vindicated? I feel great, I feel amazing. I just won a gold medal," said goalkeeper Hope Solo, whose banishment at last year's World Cup symbolizes the struggles these Americans have had and without whom they wouldn't have won this game.


Solo made save after save to keep the United States in the game, and Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of extra time to give the United States a 1-0 victory over Brazil and the gold medal for a third time in four Olympics.

 

[Maple Leaf]

I'm no American but this was great news. That f**kin' puke son of bitch coach desered what he got. Maybe he can go get himself married to Scurry now and have an athletic passle of brats

.