Hope Solo Suspended From World Cup? One Analyst Says Yes!

Hope Solo has long fulfilled the role of “bad girl” with Team USA Soccer, and ESPN analyst Keith Olbermann says enough is enough.

In fact, Olbermann went so far as to say that Hope Solo shouldn’t even be allowed to play in the 2015 FIFA World Cup, which is currently taking place in Canada.

Olbermann’s opinions stem from unresolved domestic violence charges which came about in June of 2014 after Solo allegedly struck her half-sister and her 17-year-old nephew. According to the police report, Hope Solo was “intoxicated and upset” at the time of the incident.

Hope Solo has repeatedly maintained that she’s innocent in the event, and that her nephew was actually the aggressor. The case has since been dismissed on procedural grounds, but prosecutors have filed an appeal which has yet to be resolved.

If Hope Solo played professionally in any other sport — for example, the National Football League — she wouldn’t be allowed to play with unresolved domestic violence charges in which Solo has not been cleared, Olbermann argues.

“If Hope Solo was a player in the National Football League, she’d be under suspension right now.”

Olbermann went on to cast blame on U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati and U.S. coach Jill Ellis for allowing Solo to play. Olbermann also noted that in most instances women are the victims of domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is at epidemic levels, the victims are usually women. The coach of the women’s national soccer team of this country is not only willfully ignoring unresolved domestic violence charges against her star goalie, but she also seems proud of ignoring them.”

Olbermann isn’t the only media personality questioning the decision to allow Solo to play. Eric Adelson of Yahoo! wrote about the situation as well, noting that the people concerned don’t seem to take the situation seriously.

The attitude of USA Soccer toward the entire situation signals a troubling trend, Adelson wrote:

“Ellis dismissed several questions about the report during her Sunday evening news conference, insisting, ‘That was a long time ago.’ That response would have a lot more credibility if Ellis and U.S. Soccer had fully investigated and disciplined Solo last year instead of taking the easy way out. If the coach had suspended Solo even for a half in 2014, she could have taken a stronger stand now, saying her organization had dealt with the matter. Yet it’s another upsetting surprise, another troubling glimpse at Solo’s problems and another non-soccer soccer story for a sport that really could use some favorable news.”

Solo, who plays goal for the United States, had a big performance in the first game of the 2015 FIFA World Cup. In fact, after the game, many fans and media personalities credited Solo with single-handedly holding on for the 3-1 defeat of Australia.

Olbermann doesn’t believe Solo’s performance should have any impact on whether or not she plays for Team USA, and he’s stated that he unequivocally believes that Solo should be suspended immediately.

What do you think? Should Hope Solo be allowed to play in the 2015 World Cup?

[Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images]