The most controversial story coming out of the U.S. women's 4-0 loss to Brazil in the World Cup semis was coach Greg Ryan's decision to bench goalie Hope Solo in favor of veteran Briana Scurry. Hope was 4 and 0 coming into the match with 3 shutouts, but Ryan felt Scurry's 12-0 past record against Brazil was enough to give her the start.
In the end their loss has made people question Ryan's decision, and no one was more vocal than Solo. "It was the wrong decision, and anyone who knows anything about the game knows that," Solo said. "There's no doubt in my mind that I would have made those saves."
While it may not have been the best idea to speak ill of her coach and teammate, it was refreshing to see Solo speak her mind on the matter. Much like Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's outburst probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation, it was impressive to see him so strongly defend his players. Hope Solo voiced her opinion about what happened, instead of giving some cookie cutter comments about how the team played well and gave it their all. Her response wasn't politally correct, and it was a nice change. It might not have been handled in the manner it should have, and was a little selfish, but it also took a lot to step up and speak her mind and express how she felt.
