U.S. Coach Gary Ryan has kicked star goalkeeper Hope Solo off the team, citing her critical comments regarding his starting of Briana Scurry in the Brazil semi-final game of the Womens' World Cup in China. In comments published just this morning, Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly have spoken out in favor of Ryan's decision. Both indicated it was the right move in their minds to restore some semblance of good chemistry on the team.
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They may be right. It was indelicate of Solo to publicly criticize the decision to bench her (despite her incredible performance to that date in the WWC and the highly questionable nature of Coach Ryan's decision). In the emotion of such a heart-wrenching loss, I'm sure the team struggled to keep it together in the 24 to 48 hours after the match. Whether Wambach's and Lilly's comments were simply their best efforts to make good of a troubling decision, or revealed a deep seated need for conformity, I certainly don't know. Personally, I think it's a classic sign of the "Stockholm Syndrome". Both are great performers, and they seem to be rallying around their coach, despite his boneheaded decision to bench Solo for the Brazil game (come on, there can be no denying it was at the very least a highly risky move - the comment made by another blogger comparing it to leaving Pedro Martinez in game seven after he was clearly spent was spot-on, and to have sprung it on the team hours before the match - ... stupifyingly stupid).
So out o####ame characterized by at least two glaring instances of incompetence, the person suffering the greatest (only?) penalty is the indelicate and spurned US goalkeeper. The fact that FIFA had once again placed grotesquely incompetent Swiss referee Petignat in one more high profile tournament game skates by without any real penalty. And, at least so far, Coach Ryan's decision to bench Solo only has contributed to the outcome of a US loss to Brazil and the dismissal from the team and humiliation of their best goalkeeper, he has not yet been held accountable for his poor performance as coach of the team for this game.
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Indisputably incompetent referee Petignat is free to continue to ruin every match she touches (which FIFA exec is she sleeping with? she has ruined nearly every match she has refereed in the last World
Cup, the last Olympics, and now this World Cup - yet she continues to
draw top assignments - how does this continue to happen? - there is simply NO excuse for such continued blindness to her inability to properly adjudicate big matches). And Coach Ryan is left to continue to coach the women's team (will he pull Scurry this Sunday and place Michelle Akers in goal?). Maybe it was the right decision, in the context of preparing his team for the upcoming consolation match, to remove Solo from the team. But it also has the appearance of making her the sacrificial lamb. What a waste.
Life don't make sense some times.
p.s. - Brazil's play in the WC pretty much solidifies the ruination of the game. Although highly skilled, they are bringing that most disgusting of soccer antics to top levels of the women's game: DIVING. The Brazilians took a number of dives in this match, with the Boxx red-card incident the most costly (as incompetent as she is, Petignat actually caught a penalty area dive early in the first half, although let Cristiane skate by motioning her to get up - NOT giving her a YC). Although not unknown in the women's game, it has not become the plague that has tainted men's world soccer until now. If this indeed marks a sea change in women's soccer, it's a sad day - they will have lost their primary redeeming quality - the relatively pure nature of their game, the focus on the display of skills vs. the panty-waisted theatrics/cheating so common in the men's game).
Ryan reminds me a lot of the company for which I work - it talks a good game about openness, transparency, valuing its 'most important resource' (its employees), etc.; but, when push comes to shove, all that really matters is that those with power are allowed to exercise that power without regard to the culture in which it is wielded. Ryan created this situation all on his own.
He made it clear for quite some time that Hope was his Keeper. In fact, when she struggled in the first game of the Cup, Ryan made a point of reaffirming his faith in her. Then, he replaced her for the game against Brazil without having the decency to meet with her face-to-face and allowing her to defend herself against the change. She had allowed no further goals after her first-game struggle and Ryan's affirmation of her. Why would she not be shocked by being benched for that game?
Further, knowing Hope had dedicated this Cup to her deceased father, why would he not have been sensitive to the potential for conflict or emotional outburst? How could he have not been aware of the change in chemistry HE was about to create for a team whose success has often been attributed to focusing on itself, rather than its opponent? He, essentially, broke his own rules - violated what he claimed to be of utmost importance - and, then, punished one of his players for no apparent reason.
Now, he 'has no regrets'? Why would he? So far, he has not had to pay for his unbelievable move; only Hope (and the rest of the team) have paid the price.
Last edited by NotPoliticallyCorrect on September 30th at 5:01 AM.
Upon his return to the US, though, I hope Ryan is treated to the same sensitivity he has demonstrated. In fact, I would like to see him subjected to the same consideration Tony Dungee would receive for benching a healthy Peyton Manning (in favor of his back-up, who played a good game a few months ago) for the AFC Championship game . . .
Earth to Ryan: YOU JUST DON'T FIX WHAT AINT BROKE!!!
Last edited by NotPoliticallyCorrect on September 30th at 5:02 AM.
Nice points all. I'm guessing they're living in an insular FIFA/USSF world over there right now, but the #### will hit the fan when they return.
It's time for the USSF to give the women's team a coach they deserve, a coach who will help the finest assemblage of women's soccer talent in the world get better, not allow them to bumble along rudderless (or, when a rudder is applied, it's purpose is only to f#ck things up). The sky's the limit - no more settling for the fifth or sixth guy on the coach shopping list.
Who has the e-mail address for coach Ryan because I want to tell him directly what an #### I think he is. His benching of Hope Solo in the Brazil game was his first mistake. His lame #### cover-up after the fact was petty and immature. To essentially kick your leading goalkeeper of the team because of comments made in the heat of competition is just ridiculous. And to name Scury the Captain for the last game was just bush. Fire Ryan NOW!
I figure there HAS to be some behind-the-scenes stuff regarding Solo. Otherwise, this is about as low as it gets, including Wambach and Lilly's statements supporting the booting of Solo. Solo had apologized to the team for her remarks - reportedly very sincerely. Yet she is still unceremoniously dumped and treated as a pariah.
VERY bad form. Unimpressive behavior by all parties involved, including Lilly and Wambach (and including Solo's controversial comments too).
Last edited by Dave_in_Indy on September 30th at 9:32 AM.
Has anyone considered that maybe Ryan threw the game for some form of compensation? What else could possibly explain his giggling when his team was down 3-0 and for his thoughtless substitutions, let alone the travesty that has ensued with Solo. Come on, allowing an emotional team to remove a player whose tiff was solely with the coach?
When you have been around the footballing world a little longer you will understand that the goalie is not the team, and if the second string was good enough to make the team she was good enough to play. If you lost 1-0 or 2-1 I could understand but 4-0. As a former goalie I can tell you that when the opposition can get behind the defense and score four times it is an indication that the TEAM not the goalie was beaten
players speak out about their coaches all the time. She has been great in goal all games.
What I ask you Dave cause I dont get see much or hear about it is this. Has he bench other great players during his coaching time with the team. Lets face it, the goal keeper has to hold such greatness for every single game if not they get bench. I guess IWONDER says it well about the defence.
When you got other players not hussling after lose balls and not staying with their player on deffence and yet they stay in the game.
Nice job covering it.
Last edited by Forensic2 on September 30th at 1:56 PM.
What you say is true. However, my point - and, I believe, the point others have made - is that the distraction from which Team USA suffered was one of Ryan's making, not Solo's.
Scurry was never the issue. The issue was, and still is, why replace the Keeper you have proclaimed your starter, especially when that decision is based on (Scurry's) past performance rather than (Solo's) current performance?
And, then, when it was obvious goals were needed, why would your substitutions be defensive, not offensive? Ryan has a great deal for which to answer. And, hopefully, the USSF will hold him to at least as high a level of accountability as that which he imposed upon his mistreated player.
I assume you're a euro - and that you are also assuming you have superior knowledge of soccer/football to any US poster. You may or may not be correct. However, you are basing your statement on the incorrect argument that we have said the US lost due to Scurry being in goal. That is NOT AT ALL WHAT WE HAVE SAID.
We are saying that Ryan is an inferior coach, not worthy of his important position. His late hour decision to replace Solo with Scurry, his track record with this team over the year, and his treatment of Solo after the loss (and her comments) are but a few supportive arguments behind that claim.
Stop making straw man arguments based entirely on an assumption that we haven't "been around the footballing world" long enough in comparison to you to be able to make judgments about the performance of a team, a player, or a coach.
Last edited by Dave_in_Indy on September 30th at 2:30 PM.
So, the coach benches the starting goalie, who's performed superbly and now the coach wants a cookie.
It's the coach that should go, for being out of his mind. Gut feelings with starting players should be treated as indegestion.
Solo misbehaved and didn't burn bridges with her fellow players. Let the kittens join together and talk it through.
When I first heard Solo would ride the pine, I wondered in coach took a payoff.
Congrats to the Frauleins of Deutschland for their championships.
Also to iwonder:
I had the same feeling about the 94 world cup when Bora kept 10 players behind the ball with a man advantage also USA against Brazil. Perhaps the ref was involved as well. When you play Brazil history shows you spot them at least a PK and maybe a man advantage as well.
I guess getting to the semis is just not good enough. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose maybe the U.S.A. needs a new coach but the whole team will still have to show up. I'm not a Euro just an island boy. Cheers
Diving is pathetic really. NZ has a team in the A-League (the Wellington Phoenix) and one of their Brazilian imports has got 4 yellow cards (and at least 3 have been for diving) and we've only had 4 games in the season....so he misses next weeks game now *rolls eyes*
on a side note, congratulations to Germany for winning the WWC.
Greg Ryan should be fired. Period. His meltdown was complete when he decided to BAN Hope Solo from the Norway game. Kristine Lilly and Abby Wambach have disappointed me even more. Rather than uniting against one of the worst coaching decisions in recent history, they piled on Hope Solo. I hope they are proud of themselves.
Please visit another WNT discussion thread via the above link. I was going to paste my comment from a few minutes ago, but then decided other entries have as much validity as my own.
A quick summary, however: I agree with skyeapril, which will be apparent if you follow the link above . . .
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