Hope Solo vented pretty forcefully after the match that the decision by Greg Ryan was "wrong". I think she has an especially valid point that Ryan relied too much on the past. A lot of players should have been subbed more - and the young offensive talent of the team, Tarpley, Kai, etc, should have gotten more of a chance.
Solo should have kept her place. That was a strange and sad gamble.
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A friend wondered why Kai didn't see more action (only 5 minutes)earlier in the tournament so that she could be a factor in a match like this - to stretch the defense.
He would have brought off Lily at the half instead of Lopez and brought on Kai.
Can't necessarily argue with him.
JT, I think Kai would have been good, Tarpey would have been a good sub too. Hope Solo has a legitimate gripe, as do some of the others. Have to think Coach Ryan is going to walk the plank shortly. I guess when that 312 Chicago USSF Headquarters number comes through, he'll know it's over.
Good to see Hope not afraid to hold back. She's absolutely right on all counts.
yes, she's right on all counts but you do have to question the professionalism of making these remarks public. These are the sort of instances where a team's true character shows and perhaps it would have been better to vent privately as opposed to publicly. A team has to close ranks in times like these, especially with a game coming up.
I feel like the only one not upset at Greg Ryan for the goalkeeping decision. Scurry had proved herself against Brasil, and her style of goalkeeping was a better fit against Brasil. A GK doesn't give up 4 goals on her own...
I know Hope is upset about the benching and is just venting, but other than the second goal, I wonder which one of the goals she would have stopped? The first goal was a fluke and the third and forth goals were solid goals.
Jamesy come on, Scurry has only had 7 caps in the last 3 years for a reason. She is way out of her prime and like Solo said you its not 2004 anymore. Also Scurry stated before the game that Ryan had told her months or weeks in advance that she might see some playing time in this Cup. Seems like it was something between him and Scurry and they didn't bother to tel Solo or the rest of the team of their plans. They could have prepared the team to play a game with Scurry instead of shocking every a day before a semi-final.
As for the remarks about not being professional. I cut Solo a major break, as she is emotional after receiving a major stab wound in the back. You work 2 years as a starter (and your life as a player) to get to the semis and then all of a sudden the coach does this. It would have been forgiveable if Ryan had brought this up after her weak game against North Korea in the teams first match. After 3 straight shutouts this switch is completely unjustified.
Solo had every right to lay into Ryan's A$$ for what he did to her. An he was arrogant about it, when stating the day before that it doesn't matter what Solo thinks. Oh really? What do you say to her now Mr. Ryan? Who would you play in the Final if you had got there? Who do you play in the 3rd place match? If Ryan is the coach next summer and Solo says screw you who will take her place? How can players trust him after this? Solo was diplomatic enough before the match, but since the tourny is effectively over (who care about a 3rd place friendly match?), there is no need to hold back. Ryan needs to get a clue, but the best way to do that is by players giving him a piece of their mind both behind close doors and in public. He said he could take the criticism, we will see once his team tells him how he royally f@**up this one up.
Right on, Hope. The coach blew it and you have to call him out on it.
Quick question for you A.C., you think Hope will be the GK in the third place game, or will it be someone else?
-- Jaime
Yeah, I'm not sure if Hope didn't blow her chance at the third place game with her comments.
I'm not sure she cares, though. She was at the World Cup for the big prize.
I think of Germany, for example, and Klinsmann made his decision before the Cup to go with Lehmann. The third-place game went to Khan partly for being a "good soldier".
Solo didn't seem to be worried about that.
The worst part of Ryan's Folly is that he has worked for two years to build this starting team and at the last minute lost confidence in them. We all know team chemistry and cohesion is half that battle. So they started the game at a disadvantage.
True Brazil played some darn good soccer, and maybe we would know have made it of this round. But this mistake adds more dimension to the defeat.
And even worse, is for Scurry to be placed in the position...she has not had that much play time. Clearly the team was out of syn.
Go figure on the ref call. Are they held accountable for such game altering blunders?
Ryan blew it, he is a Freaking idiot (wanted to use the other F word for this idiot). How can you do that not only to your goal keeper who has been instrumental but to your team before a semifinal game. Just plain idiotic or just an imbecil. I'm glad Solo laid it on his punk behind. Good for you Solo. Ryan needs to go.
Solo was clearly furious when she made her remarks, fair enough, but she probably should have waited a bit. It was poor form to disparage one of her teammates in public -- and the claim that she would have saved all those goals was just silly. Criticizing the coach's decisions is always at the players' own risk, but to lay into a teammate after a loss like that -- especially the teammate that will be scapegoated for the loss -- is not right. (You do have to score in order to win and they didn't lose 4-1).
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