Hope Solo has been suspended by U.S. Soccer for six months in light of the comments she made about her opponents following the USWNT's loss to Sweden at the Olympics in Rio. "We played a bunch of cowards," Solo said, after her team got eliminated from tournament play in penalty kicks. "The best team did not win today. I strongly, firmly believe that." Unsurprisingly, Solo received immediate backlash from those on social media, and even her own teammates spoke up and criticized her post-game remarks.
"The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions."
Gulati indicated that "past incidents involving Hope" and private discussions led to the six-month suspension being deemed as the "appropriate disciplinary action." Prior to the Games, Solo cracked some incredibly insensitive jokes on Twitter with the hashtag #zikaproof. Last year, the 35-year-old goalkeeper received a 30-day suspension after she was charged with domestic violence following an incident involving her half-sister and nephew.
Solo will not be eligible to return to the U.S. Women's National Team until February 2017.
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