Hope Solo believes that her suspension and subsequent termination of her contract has more to do with her fight for equal pay than her “unsportsmanlike” conduct and issues off the field. In the final episode of the documentary Keeping Score, which followed Solo and teammates Megan Rapinoe and Crystal Dunn as the women’s team prepares for the Rio Olympics, an emotional Hope Solo is shown immediately after she’s been let go by U.S. Soccer coach Jill Ellis and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn.
After she was let go, Hope addressed the cameras:
“Literally 17 years on this team and then to be treated this way in the end is, (pause), not surprising from U.S. Soccer, to be honest,” she said. “… I feel like I’m being pushed out ‘cause it can’t be based off performance, my health. It can’t be based off anything but they don’t like me … because they know I’ve been fighting so hard for equal pay.”
“They’re going to use my comments as an excuse to get rid of me forever so that they don’t have to deal with such a strong voice and opposition to field conditions and playing conditions and pay,” she added. “I think I’m just a thorn in their side and it’s time for them to cut their losses.”
Megan Rapinoe concurred:
“As a member of the team and of the CBA group and of the PA (Players Association), I’m pretty unhappy with a sort of arbitrary six-month suspension for calling someone a coward,” Rapinoe said. “… I think that there’s probably some legal strategy going on with it all.”
There will likely be more questions and explanations from both sides before this is settled.
(Via FOX Sports)
