Hope Solo gets punished... (1 Viewer)

[44slayer]

I don't pay much attention to Soccer, much less women's soccer. I didn't watch any soccer during the Olympics. Can someone enlighten me why she called the Sweden team Cowards?

They basically "parked the bus" in the US attacking half. That means they played a defensive game to prevent the US from scoring and only counter attacked. Most of the match the Swedes had all 11 players in the US final third, clogging up all the passing lanes. All that matters is Sweden won, their coach also used to be the US's coach and knew how to play them.

 

[FullMonte]

They basically "parked the bus" in the US attacking half. That means they played a defensive game to prevent the US from scoring and only counter attacked. Most of the match the Swedes had all 11 players in the US final third, clogging up all the passing lanes. All that matters is Sweden won, their coach also used to be the US's coach and knew how to play them.

Exactly....basically, it would be like an NFL team getting a small lead on the Saints, and going to a very slow running game, using up as much of the play clock as possible to keep the ball out of Drew's hands.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I don't pay much attention to Soccer, much less women's soccer. I didn't watch any soccer during the Olympics. Can someone enlighten me why she called the Sweden team Cowards?

think of "rope-a-dope" - the 'defensive' team brings most of their players toward the goal and just tries to absorb all the attacks and then look for that opening to counter-punch

 

[bigdaddysaints]

so they got out coached, and she was butt hurt. nothing like a sore loser.

 

[itztime]

Would have been awesome instead of exchanging words like she did but shown that starfish of hers to the Swedes that she is evidently so proud of.

 

[Galbreath34]

so they got out coached, and she was butt hurt. nothing like a sore loser.

A little bit, but the better analogy is to a "Four Corners" game in basketball before the shot clock. Everyone in the game thought anyone doing it was an *******, and eventually you had the shot clock introduced because there were always coaches or teams who'd do it because they could. Nobody would call that out coaching.

There are a lot of ties in soccer, and there are conservative moments, but to sit on the ball from the beginning as the weaker team without even trying really is frowned upon and hated. The US men doing this against Brazil or Germany would get crucified by the world press.

I think being mad about it wasn't the issue, it was just that fans and sportswriters not players are supposed to do the calling out.

 

[Brad Mojo]

If Sweden was killing the clock with a small lead, then I wouldn't have a problem at all. But they were tied and Sweden was killing the clock with the intention of ending in a tie and forcing the game to be decided by penalty kicks. In my opinion that WAS cowardly (although Solo should have kept the comments to herself). Nobody wants a soccer (or hockey) game to be decided on penalty shots. And to play with the objective of tying is unsportsmanlike.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

Much ado about nothing. So, she mouthed off. Who cares. Renaldo does it all the time. There are just many in the media that do not like her. She is still a very good goalie at 35.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

... there is Ashlyn Harris waiting to take her place, and Harris is much more marketable.

Harris would be a short-term fill in at best. She is already 31, so I am not sure she will be super marketable. I would think Alyssa Naeher could be the future (and she is younger). There also are a handful of promising young players who could emerge.

 

[FootballLady]

Much ado about nothing. So, she mouthed off. Who cares. Renaldo does it all the time. There are just many in the media that do not like her. She is still a very good goalie at 35.

That and her history of domestic abuse.

 

[BreesusSaves]

If Sweden was killing the clock with a small lead, then I wouldn't have a problem at all. But they were tied and Sweden was killing the clock with the intention of ending in a tie and forcing the game to be decided by penalty kicks. In my opinion that WAS cowardly (although Solo should have kept the comments to herself). Nobody wants a soccer (or hockey) game to be decided on penalty shots. And to play with the objective of tying is unsportsmanlike.

Offensively, nobody wants to get into a shoot-out with the Saints. Even when the Saints defense is record setting bad, the prospect of having to go touchdown-for-touchdown with Drew Brees is NOT on any coach's to-do list. Look at the teams that have given the Saints fits the last 10 years... all defensive run first teams.

The USWNT has one of the most talented offenses in the world. If you let them get in sync, you're not going to stop them, and it is a tall order to stay with them on the scoreboard. Sweden doesn't have the offensive talent of the USWNT, and trying to go lick for lick with them in goals in regulation/extras is suicidal.

It was a smart gameplan. No, it's not how people enjoy watching soccer, but at the end of the day it kept the USWNT out of sync and gave Sweden the chance to win, which they did.

Final note: Team USA dominated in shots taken (26-3) and T.O.P. (64%). Sweden wasn't playing keep away, they rarely had the ball to begin with. This is nothing like four corners in basketball.

 

[Galbreath34]

Nah, it's different in soccer than American football. Comparison to sitting on the ball in basketball or the delaying in hockey that led to icing rules, etc, is more like it.

It's something soccer still hasn't dealt with by rule, but it's still considered borderline cheating and scummy practice. Not at all like running the ball to control a clock in the NFL. It'd be like not having a play clock in the NFL and just sitting there and letting an entire half go by while you sat in the huddle without even approaching the line of scrimmage.

That still doesn't mean they accept the player calling a team out for it, though.

 

[Goatman Saint]

She's a mess and she has a loud mouth without a filter. She treats everyone like garbage, and it is nothing new. That's who she is. If she was a guy playing linebacker in the 50s she would be the stuff of legends.

However, she's not really wrong when she complained about the way They played the game. As I said before, there is no one coming up who is on her level. Neither Ashlyn or Alyssa is capable of doing what Solo does. That's why they have to be careful. She isn't easily replaceable, and if she got too mad I wouldn't doubt she would quit playing out of spite


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[DaveXA]

Would have been awesome instead of exchanging words like she did but shown that starfish of hers to the Swedes that she is evidently so proud of.

Starfish and roast beef...ahemmm....ok. lol.

 

[JLaneSaints]

What the hell. 3 pages on a thread about Hope Solo and no pics...

What is the world coming to?????