No Hope for Team USA in Women's World Cup

The United States has no Hope entering Sunday's third-place game against Norway.

Goalkeeper Hope Solo was kicked off the team by USA Women's Coach Greg Ryan. Ryan's decision had the support of the remaining 20 players. The decision came after Solo appeared to criticize Coach Ryan, saying the Coach made "the wrong decision" replacing her with veteran goalkeeeper Briana Scurry.

Solo hadn't allowed a goal for almost 300 minutes when she was benched. Ryan chose the smaller, quicker Scurry, who led the U.S. to its last World Cup title in 1999 and held off Brazil in the 2004 Olympic final.

Captain Kristine Lilly and star striker Abby Wambach said Solo apologized at a team meeting. On her myspace page, Solo wrote that she didn't intend to criticize Scurry. She maintained, however, that Ryan's decision was wrong.

After Team USA lost 3-0 to Brazil on Thursday, Solo said of her benching: "It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. ... You have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past."

Quite Frankly, it doesn't matter whether Brianna Scurry was in goal for the United Staes or Hope Solo. The United States would have lost anyway. I can't believe this actually came as a suprise to people. Brazil eats, drinks, and lives soccer. They have the best male and female soccer players in the world. Marta scored two of the four goals for Brazil in that game. I think what Hope Solo said was just a player mad that their team lost after they were benched. Solo had not allowed a goal in over 200 minutes. Her streak would have ended in that loss to Brazil, but that's irrelevant. Here's a quick recap of Brianna Scurry for all of you non-soccer fans out there. Brianna Scurry was a member of the 1999 World Cup team that defeated China in Penalty Kicks. Scurry, Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm, and Kristine Lilly were the key players for Team USA in 1999. Scurry, Lilly, Chastain, and Hamm were together from 1999 until 2004 when Team USA was able to win the gold. The only two remaining players from the 1999 World Cup team are Christine Lilly and Brandi Chastain. Brandi was not able to stop the Brazillians from scoring four goals against Team USA.

Hope Solo was only trying to say her coach was wrong in taking her out. She wasn't trying to put down Brandi Chastain.