Hope Solo could be left off U.S. World Cup soccer roster
Goalkeeper Hope Solo faces the possibility of being left off the American roster for this year’s Women’s World Cup if she fails to complete tasks set for her by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which may include alcohol counseling.
The 33-year-old was suspended for 30 days last Wednesday for what the U.S. Soccer Federation called “an incident that occurred during the current WNT training camp” in Carson, California.
Asked whether she could be omitted from the team’s World Cup roster, USSF president Sunil Gulati said: “Look, that’s possible. We hope that’s not the case. We hope she’s making progress and joins the team. That’s … the goal hers and ours.”
Gulati would not go into specifics on the “tasks.”
Jerramy Stevens, Solo’s husband, was driving a team vehicle when he was arrested last week on suspicion of driving under the influence, a person familiar with details of the arrest told the Associated Press last week.
Solo was ordered to refrain from drinking alcohol last June after she was arrested on domestic violence charges at her sister’s home in Kirkland, Washington. The charge was dropped this month.
Speaking on a conference call with U.S. coach Jill Ellis, Gulati said he had to speak carefully because of the involvement of “health-related issues.” Asked whether Solo had been asked to undergo alcohol counseling, Gulati said “I think neither of us denied or confirmed that.”
“She’s been given time to deal with some issues, and we think that in this period she’ll certainly start that process, and we’ll evaluate,” he said.
Gulati said the length of the suspension was determined during conversations he had with Ellis and USSF Secretary General Dan Flynn.