Perspectives on the beautiful game of soccer; fueled by enormous amounts of coffee
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
More from Zeigler
Another stellar column from the Union-Tribune's Mark Zeigler on Hope Solo and the USWNT.
12 comments:
Anonymous
said...
This is another great article. I am glad they pointed out that Scurry basically said the smae thing in 2003. I don't know if it will happen, but Solo's teammates need to apologize to her for putting her through all this garbage. She's probably too good to get Debbie Kellered, but she can't feel comfortable around teammates that so easily stabbed her in the back. I think a lot of the blame, as far as the team reaction, lies with Lilly. Instead of skewering Solo, she should have supported her. I guess she isn't much of a captain.
Blistering and accurate. My only question is whether Sunil Gulati will do what needs to be done, or muddle along with Ryan and business as usual. In my mind, even an Olympic Gold Medal would not restore the luster to the USWNT, should Ryan remain in charge. He's got to go, and the sooner the better.
Can someone explain why US Soccer has yet to comment. are they planning a statement after them Mexico series. I think they need to be pressured to speak out about what they plan to do about this mess.
Did anyone read Greg Ryan's smug comments about Hope after the first Mexico game? It sickens me that Hope has to kiss ass to get back in the team's good graces.
Sadly, I think that US Soccer is behind the public "statement" by Solo and that that is their weak attempt at dealing with the situation. If you want to make an impact on US Soccer, I think you have to go beyond Sunil Gulati. Contact the entire Board of Directors. Contact the advertisers that fund them (Nike, etc.)...when they start feeling it on those levels, you will see a lot more action.
Meant to include this womderful Ryan quote in the previous comment.
"We've all been young, we've all made mistakes," Ryan said after the team trained Monday afternoon at Nike's campus near Beaverton. "She's making good calls on this. And she's gonna earn her way back in."
OMG, I really want some of what this dude is taking!
zeigler is fastly becoming one of my favorite reporters. ryan comes off as rude to me. along with his worthless decisions, i'd like to see him gone soon.
"Who knows what's next for goalie Hope Solo and the U.S. national women's soccer team? Solo pitched three consecutive shutouts in the recent Women's World Cup, only to be benched for the semifinals against Brazil in favor of Brianna Scurry, who hadn't played a full match in three months.
Had mainstream media cared a whit about women's soccer, coach Greg Ryan would have been fricasseed in the public square for the most bone-headed coaching move since Grady Little's Pedro Martinez brain cramp. Scurry played poorly, the U.S. lost 4-0, and Solo ripped Ryan to the media.
Debate the propriety of Solo venting publicly all you'd like, but there's no denying the compelling theater of her tantrum, and all the other madness we've enjoyed this fall."
jt, I'm going to go out on a limb here. Albeit I believe a fairly thick one.
I say Ryan is riding this one out but that there will be a new Coach come January. I also believe Hope believes this too (or already knows this?) and is the primary reason she is hanging in there and issuing further public apologies that she really should not have been expected to make.
Hey, maybe even Ryan has been told this already too?
The absence of any comment from Gulati since he was quoted as saying "the analysis has already started" after the semi-fianl game is what leads me to this limb.
But I've been wrong before. Once or twice, I think? :)
12 comments:
This is another great article. I am glad they pointed out that Scurry basically said the smae thing in 2003. I don't know if it will happen, but Solo's teammates need to apologize to her for putting her through all this garbage. She's probably too good to get Debbie Kellered, but she can't feel comfortable around teammates that so easily stabbed her in the back. I think a lot of the blame, as far as the team reaction, lies with Lilly. Instead of skewering Solo, she should have supported her. I guess she isn't much of a captain.
Blistering and accurate. My only question is whether Sunil Gulati will do what needs to be done, or muddle along with Ryan and business as usual. In my mind, even an Olympic Gold Medal would not restore the luster to the USWNT, should Ryan remain in charge. He's got to go, and the sooner the better.
Can someone explain why US Soccer has yet to comment. are they planning a statement after them Mexico series. I think they need to be pressured to speak out about what they plan to do about this mess.
Did anyone read Greg Ryan's smug comments about Hope after the first Mexico game? It sickens me that Hope has to kiss ass to get back in the team's good graces.
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_3047424.html
Sadly, I think that US Soccer is behind the public "statement" by Solo and that that is their weak attempt at dealing with the situation.
If you want to make an impact on US Soccer, I think you have to go beyond Sunil Gulati. Contact the entire Board of Directors. Contact the advertisers that fund them (Nike, etc.)...when they start feeling it on those levels, you will see a lot more action.
I do find it interesting that Nike was quick to point to Hope being back on the roster in their 360 blog
http://inside.nikesoccer.com/zine/article/one-more-go-round/
Superb article Mr. Zeigler.
I just read another AMAZING quote from the esteemed Coach Ryan.
"Adversity, if you handle it properly, makes a stronger team"
Note, USSF, NIKE & all sponsors, the "if you handle it properly" part.
Hope, you have not won this battle (yet) but regardless, you WILL indeed win the war!
Your Fans will see to it.
C.
Meant to include this womderful Ryan quote in the previous comment.
"We've all been young, we've all made mistakes," Ryan said after the team trained Monday afternoon at Nike's campus near Beaverton. "She's making good calls on this. And she's gonna earn her way back in."
OMG, I really want some of what this dude is taking!
C.
zeigler is fastly becoming one of my favorite reporters. ryan comes off as rude to me. along with his worthless decisions, i'd like to see him gone soon.
This sums it up quite well:
"Who knows what's next for goalie Hope Solo and the U.S. national women's soccer team? Solo pitched three consecutive shutouts in the recent Women's World Cup, only to be benched for the semifinals against Brazil in favor of Brianna Scurry, who hadn't played a full match in three months.
Had mainstream media cared a whit about women's soccer, coach Greg Ryan would have been fricasseed in the public square for the most bone-headed coaching move since Grady Little's Pedro Martinez brain cramp. Scurry played poorly, the U.S. lost 4-0, and Solo ripped Ryan to the media.
Debate the propriety of Solo venting publicly all you'd like, but there's no denying the compelling theater of her tantrum, and all the other madness we've enjoyed this fall."
Keep the Hope, Hope Solo.
10,000 was the announced attendance for Portland's match. Barnhart got the start in goal.
Back to normal service with another 4-0 win. Guess Ryan will ride this out and get ready for 2008.
jt, I'm going to go out on a limb here. Albeit I believe a fairly thick one.
I say Ryan is riding this one out but that there will be a new Coach come January. I also believe Hope believes this too (or already knows this?) and is the primary reason she is hanging in there and issuing further public apologies that she really should not have been expected to make.
Hey, maybe even Ryan has been told this already too?
The absence of any comment from Gulati since he was quoted as saying "the analysis has already started" after the semi-fianl game is what leads me to this limb.
But I've been wrong before. Once or twice, I think? :)
C.
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