Friday, October 12, 2007

After the fall

Here's my take on the main issues the U.S. women are grappling with now.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

GOOD GOD!!!

Is there not a single player who says "I feel bad about our reaction"? Not one who says "We overreacted there - it was wrong" No one?!?!?!

Shameful.

It's really disgusting.

Anonymous said...

Interesting quote by Lopez:

"To be a part of that bench cheering them, as painful as it is to see them, to see your team losing; to really learn what it is to be a good teammate, and not to feel sorry for myself and that I played poorly in the first half, but just to be an encouragement to my team," Lopez said. "I know that that is a huge life lesson that I can take off the field."

Perhaps this is a subtle criticism of Hope, who appeared to be more pouty than supportive during the Brazil game. She was even caught looking down and disinterested in the game by the t.v. camera until Natasha Kai noticed that the was on the screen and nudged her.

Maybe it was this attitude and her comments against Scurry that led to her being suspended by the team for the Norway game.

And for all of you morally outraged on how the team has treated Hope, do you carry the same outrage for the way Hope treated Brianna Scurry? Brianna did nothing wrong and was put into a difficult situation by Ryan. Yet Hope publically threw her under the bus. Doesn't that make her a bad teammate to Brianna? So, let's not forget that Hope is not completely innocent in this whole situation.

Anonymous said...

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/7327540

Scurry not starting and solo missed practice.

this team is lost and i think there is no hope for recovery


Some on Scurry
"Scurry, who has no plans to retire, said there's no shame in losing to Brazil.

That day was just their day, that's sports for you," Scurry said. "Moving forward, we're just going to have to continue to do what we've done well, and hopefully we can put it together for the Olympics.""

Some on Ryan
""Relationships you've had, tell the truth, they're a process," he said. "Do you see progress? You know what, the fact you're together and looking eyeball to eyeball is progress."

Asked whether he had doubts whether to include Solo on the roster, Ryan said: "Those thoughts I'm going to keep to myself."

He believes he made the right call, although he wouldn't commit to giving Solo any playing time in the Mexico series. There also are games Oct. 17 in Portland, Ore., and Oct. 20 in Albuquerque, N.M.""

(Me)um he didnt make the call she was contracted.

god im gonna be sick

Anonymous said...

"And for all of you morally outraged on how the team has treated Hope, do you carry the same outrage for the way Hope treated Brianna Scurry? Brianna did nothing wrong and was put into a difficult situation by Ryan. Yet Hope publically threw her under the bus. Doesn't that make her a bad teammate to Brianna? So, let's not forget that Hope is not completely innocent in this whole situation."
______________________

Hope did some bad things but our reaction to the team's reaction is complicated by the fact that no one knows how much of it sincere and how much of it was orchestrated by their nimrod coach to cover his sorry ***. Besides, Lori Chalupnay said that they all knew Hope was a competitor and that her moping around and all that was no big deal. They understood that she just wanted to play. Apparently this was said after the change was announced and before the Solo quotes came out.

Also Scurry did the same thing to Siri Mullinix, in a far more calculated way, since it came a few years after the fact and had to be well thought out(Solo just lost her head for 30 seconds), so she can dish it out but she can't take it. I have no sympathy for Scurry on that issue.

Look, no one denies Hope did a bad thing and she should be punished but the punishment seems to be way out of proportion and it is only making the punishers look even worse. The other thing that no one can deny is that this coach is incompetent and Hope's biggest sin is that her big mouth has deflected heat away from the feckless performance of this nincompoop dolt.

We will never get the real scoop here because if you want to play top level women's soccer in the US the USWNT is the only game in town and the players know it. If that sort of tyranny turns you on then I don't know what to tell you.

Unknown said...

I dunno, that seemed kind of kid-glovey to me.

Surely they must have some small idea of how vilifying their actions and subsequent comments are to the team? Are they all so blissfully unaware?

Of course, Solo skipping practice does nothing for her case.

Players, team, coach, fans... it seems like no one's going to win in this one.

Anonymous said...

"This isn't a made for Hollywood love story, this is a real story, and we're all working at that."

Quote from soon-to-be ex-coach Ryan (gets down on knees & prays!).

You finally figured that one out Coach? Thing is, you've made such a soap opera out of this that it WILL be a Hollywood Movie, likely BEFORE the Olympic Games nest summer too.

Where do you think Hope is tonight? She's going to be the main star, playing herself.

Coach, go watch this video, it may help you evaluate your 2007 talent, which apparently is a challenged due to the flashbacks of 2004 that keep popping in your head!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGmNE6G-TlU

Seriously folks, this is a Great video!

A.C. said...

To the third Anon - Scurry is starting, according to the report from Fox. Solo had an excused absence from the first practice (the reason was not detailed).

Anonymous said...

To "anonymous" 1 -
I can forgive and understand a thirty-second, uncoached, spontaneous post-game rant much more easily than I can forgive considered and systematic maltreatment over an extended period of time.

Hope apologized to Scurry and the team, in public and private.

But yes - Lopez, like Ryan, was digging at Hope, in the same way, too: passive-aggressively and dishonestly.

I'm not necessarily a huge Hope fan, but you don't ban a player from a medal ceremony when she played on the team that won the medal.

Also, if you can't be understanding of someone being emotional - and potentially bitchy - in the year after they lose a parent... then you're no friend and you're no teammate. And you're certainly no coach.

Anonymous said...

It takes a big person to apologize, an even bigger person to accept an apology, no matter how you choose to interpret the apology.

Conclusion:

Hope Solo = BIG person

Coach Ryan = VERY SMALL person

Teammates = just can't tell due to the "Fear Factor"

Coach Ryan MUST be fired!

Anonymous said...

"Her courage to speak out and stay composed despite appearing to choke back tears has made Hope Solo an even bigger star and name in U.S households."

Stay strong Hope Solo!

Most of us LOVE and SUPPORT you!

Anonymous said...

"Her courage to speak out and stay composed despite appearing to choke back tears has made Hope Solo an even bigger star and name in U.S households."

Stay strong Hope Solo!

Most of us LOVE and SUPPORT you!

ghostwriter said...

It sure looks like Hope's toast.

If I were her agent I'd have been a very busy person lately trying to line up a new gig with a club team ASAP. She should have no trouble getting a spot with the new US league in '09. I'd be shocked if DiCicco wouldn't love to have her on his Breakers side.

In the end, Hope Solo doesn't need USWNT any more than they, apparently, believe they need her. She's a big, fast, agile, goalkeeper who's great with the ball at her feet, has a tremendous kicking leg (either side I'm told), and terrific marketability. If the USWNT wants Bri Scurry they can have her.

I say to the devil with these childish submissive twits on the WNT and good riddence.

Anonymous said...

Ghostwriter:

I agree.

In fact, I think Hope should give up on these clowns, move to Sweden and play there, get her citizenship and play for them in the Olympics and shut out the U.S. Women's Sorority Team.

Then, when asked to comment, just laugh - loud and hard and all the way to the gold medal platform!

Anonymous said...

Correction:

US 4 - 1 over Norway in 3rd place game, not 3-0, but overall a great article A.C.

We must keep the heat where it needs to be, on Coach Ryan.

Anonymous said...

"Even going into these three games where we should be celebrating with our fans, instead of the media being based on the team, it's being based on this one thing," said Boxx. "It's a little disappointing."

Ms. Boxx, would that not be the fault of Coach Ryan and it's "Team Leaders" ??

If handled properly, the focus would have been on the Team and Coach Ryan's decisions, which is where it belongs.