After being arrested in June for allegedly assaulting her sister and her nephew, and in light of the recent events involving domestic abuse and the National Football League, you would think that goalie Hope Solo would at the very least be watching her U.S. women's national soccer team from the bench.
But instead, as Cindy Boren notes in her recent piece for The Washington Post, "the official count shows that Hope Solo extended her shutout record to 73 games as the U.S. women's national team beat Mexico 4-0 in a friendly Thursday night in Rochester, N.Y."
Solo was originally arrested after a party at her home got out of hand and police arrived to find her half-sister and teenage nephew with visible injuries allegedly inflicted by Solo.
"There was a big party going on at her house. It was an out-of-control situation," Kirkland police Lt. Mike Murray said.
At the time, the Seattle Reign, for whom Solo plays, said in a statement: "We are aware of the situation regarding Hope Solo and are currently gathering information. We have no further comments at this time."
Solo, who pleaded not guilty to the two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence that stemmed from the incident, continues to play alongside her national team counterparts despite the lingering charges.
As the NFL continues to do damage control amid domestic violence allegations against stars Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Adrian Peterson, Jonathan Dwyer and possibly Ray McDonald, Solo "quietly goes about her business of keeping soccer balls from going into the net," Boren writes.
Nike, a major sponsor who dropped Peterson after he faced domestic violence charges, has remained silent on the Solo front.
If we're going to criticize #NFL teams for their handling of domestic violence, how do we feel about #USWMNT letting Hope Solo play?
— Robert Flores (@RoFloESPN) September 18, 2014
The folks at @nike dropped @adrianpeterson but they’ve said not a peep about @hopesolo and domestic violence. This makes no sense. — rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) September 19, 2014
Solo, meanwhile, recently set a record with her 72nd shutout with the U.S. national team during a victory over Mexico at Rio Tinto stadium.
"It's been a long journey. A lot of tears, a lot of blood, a lot of sweat. Some heartaches, Some incredible moments," Solo said afterward. "It's crazy to think it's been close to 15 years."
U.S. women's soccer is on the cusp of a big year, with qualifying for next summer's World Cup looming.
"We are aware that Hope is handling a personal situation at the moment," Neil Buethe, U.S. Soccer director of communications, told USA Today's Christine Brennan. "At the same time, she has an opportunity to set a significant record that speaks to her hard work and dedication over the years with the National Team. While considering all factors involved, we believe that we should recognize that in the proper way."
The question remains, where is the media attention, and why is Solo allowed to continue playing even though she is alleged to have committed the same crime as the male athletes?
