Who is the No. 2 goalkeeper on the United States Women's National Soccer Team? Whoever she is, she must be feeling pretty low, right now.
Hope Solo has been the U.S. goalkeeper for the past decade. In that time, Solo has established herself, clearly, as one of the best in the world, if not, the very best in the world at her position.
Also during that time, she's established herself as this country's most polarizing female athlete. There are a lot of little girls and grown men walking around wearing Hope Solo soccer jerseys. I won't lie. I priced them online myself.
I like watching the woman play. She's the best goalkeeper I've ever seen. I'll put that into some perspective by acknowledging, I've only watched soccer since about 1999. And, I don't watch men's soccer.
Still,she's very good at her job. But, it's not just her play that keeps my attention. Certainly, her appearance doesn't turn my stomach. Her attitude, though, has always made me smile. She's a bad girl who knows she's a bad girl. She knows she's hated by a large number of people. And, she doesn't care.
I like that.
But, after awhile, the act gets old. Her latest transgression, a charge of domestic violence against her half-sister and nephew, puts her in the same category as Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. Hardy was released by Carolina and picked up by the Cowboys, where he faces a suspension this upcoming NFL season. Rice, who was caught knocking out his then-fiancee on an elevator camera, is currently unemployed after getting dumped by Baltimore.
Hope Solo still faces criminal charges but has not been convicted. Her 30-day suspension earlier in the year was for an unrelated incident involving alcohol and her husband. She is on the roster and will likely start tonight in the U.S. World Cup opener against Australia.
Talking heads on ESPN call it a double standard. They want to know why Hardy is suspended and Rice is unemployed, yet Hope Solo is still proudly wearing the red, white and blue.
I'll answer that with a question. Who is the No. 2 goalkeeper on the U.S. National Team?
I don't know who she is but she ain't Hope Solo. If the United States' roster of players included anyone with comparable skills to Solo, Solo would be So Long. If you think Hope Solo's teammates and coaches like her, you're not really listening when they answer questions about her.
They loathe her. And, they need her ... desperately.
If you think about it, that's the same reason Hardy has a job and Rice doesn't. Hardy can make a difference on the field. Rice is a run-of-the-mill running back, not worth the distractions.
People who want Hope Solo kicked off the U.S. soccer team don't give a damn about the team's success or failure. Get rid of Solo and you flush away Abby Wambach's last chance at a World Cup title.
At this point, even I realize that Hope Solo is crazy. She's nuts. She's a felony waiting to happen. She could explode at any moment. But, she can do one thing better than anybody else in this country. She can keep the ball out of the United States' net.
That's why she has a job. Until someone comes along who does it better, she'll always have a job.
Go USA!
