Hope Solo Says She Cried Before Game - It’s your standard Hollywood ending: Athlete celebrates her years of struggle, effort and achievement as she cries on the podium with the national anthem swelling in the background and a gold medal hanging from her neck.But goalkeeper Hope Solo says she cried before Thursday’s match against Japan.
She told “Today” that she sat in the back of the bus with her U.S.
teammates and shed tears in “gratitude to have the opportunity to fulfill my dream” and for teammates like Heather Mitts, who played in her last game Thursday.
But Solo says she had no time for crying after the U.S. victory. “Afterward, there were no tears, just pure joy and happiness.”
Solo deflected praise about the saves she made in the game, including one in the 83 minute that sealed the victory. Instead, she marveled at the positioning of her teammates as she watched a replay of the save for the first time.
It’s been an eventful Olympics for Solo, a former University of Washington player. Early on, she took to Twitter to criticize the commentary of Brandi Chastain, a former U.S. player, after she remarked about improvements that were needed in the U.S. defense. That became a Twitter turmoil with huffy sports columnists telling her to shut up.
She didn’t step back into that spat on “Today.” She did say she had her opinions. Indeed she does. And she knows that the acclaim she is receiving today can turn to boos at the next bad outing on the pitch. “A goalkeeper’s life is incredibly difficult. You’re either the hero or you’re the goat.”
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