Hope Solo disappoints International Olympic Committee with her ‘bunch of cowards’ rant

I’m very proud of this team.

National pride is at the forefront of everything the Americans do, so it was rare to see the Stars and Stripes turn on one of their own in the middle of this global sporting event. They didn’t want to open the game. Often called the “female Neymar”, the 30-year-old has won five FIFA Player of the Year awards. “I am going to Rio, she’s going home”. “I strongly and firmly believe that”. “We would not stop them expressing their opinion within boundaries”.

“I thought that we played a courageous game”, Solo reportedly said. Morgan was kept mostly quiet, and any time Mallory Pugh or Lloyd had sights at goal, it was from distance and the Swedes crowded them out quickly.

“I think we showed a lot of heart”. “I thought we had many opportunities on goal”.

The frenetic finishes in the swimming pool capped a day that included a big escape by the US men’s basketball team and a stunning loss by the women’s soccer squad.

The locals did not find her posts amusing and heckled her with chants of “Zika!” That led crowds in Brazil to chant, “Zika, Zika”, every time she touched the ball in matches.

Solo, who has faced domestic violence charges, was also kicked off the team at the 2007 World Cup after publicly criticising the decision to replace her for the semi-final defeat to Brazil. Things don’t generally go the way you need them to.

Even before the Olympics began, Solo had alienated herself from the Brazilian people by posting photos of herself wearing an elaborate mosquito mask and also a photo with dozens of bottles and cans of insect repellant with the caption #zikaproof #roadtoRio.

Then Friday, just before Sweden’s final penalty kick, Solo chose to play mental games with Lisa Dahlkvist, who had just stepped up to take the kick.

A minute later, she scored.

With Anthony Ervin winning the men’s 50 freestyle and Maya DiRado taking gold in the women’s 200 backstroke, the Americans would have had a clean sweep were it not for the silver by Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.

Solo was angered by Sweden’s defensive style and branded the team a “bunch of cowards”. It was a combative game.

“Sweden dropped back”, she said.

Told of Solo’s comments in her postgame news conference, Sundhage retorted: “It is okay to be a coward if you win”. It sent the game to penalty kicks, which figured to favor the US with Solo in front of the net and two of the game’s top scorers in Morgan and Lloyd, the reigning world player of the year, taking its shots. “They look at their personnel and they determine a game plan based on that”.

“And they’re winning all the time. The U.S. played better in the attack, we played better in the defense”.

She said her countrywoman’s rant was “ridiculous and classless, and it really doesn’t represent the house that we built with the U.S. team”.

Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl saved a shot by Alex Morgan and Christen Press sent her shot over the crossbar to sink the Americans. USA played better in the attack, we played better in the defense. But Dahlkvist beat Solo easily and it was over. This team is not going to crumble. We returned from an objective down, I’m exceptionally glad for this group.