Hope Solo: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

USA's goalkeeper Hope Solo saves a penalty kick shot by Brazil's defender Daiane (not in picture) during the quarter-final match of the FIFA women's football World Cup Brazil vs USA on July 10, 2011 in Dresden, eastern Germany. The USA won the match after a penalty shoot-out. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Hope Solo is a fantastic goalie. There is no question about that. After all, it is difficult to argue with a record-setting shutout mark and a career that includes an Olympic gold medal and, at least one, appearance in the World Cup championship match.

Hope Solo is good at what she does and she’s already done a phenomenal job of keeping the USWNT in games during pool play of this summer’s World Cup. Solo also drawn attention for what she’s done off the field though, particularly a 2014 domestic violence arrest that was thrust back into the spotlight after a recent ESPN “Outside the Lines” investigation went public.

Solo, and US soccer, have both drawn criticism for their lack of a response to the incident and even drew an open letter from Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal chastising the organization.

Here’s what you need to know about the polarizing USWNT standout:


1. Solo Was Arrested & Charged With Two Counts of Domestic-Violence Assault in 2014

during the United States Women's World Cup Media Day at Marriott Marquis Hotel on May 27, 2015 in New York City.

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Solo was arrested on June 21, 2014 after being accused of hitting her sister and 17-year-old nephew, according to a statement released by the Kirkland police department, a small town outside of Seattle. She was charged with two counts of fourth-degree domestic-violence assault.

According to the police report, officers were called  to Solo’s home in Kirkland just before 1 a.m. because of a noise disturbance after a male caller stated that a woman was “hitting people.”  USA Today reported that when officers arrived, Solo appeared intoxicated and there were “visible injuries” to both her sister and 17-year-old nephew.

Solo entered a not guilty plea following her arrest and was released without bail two days after the initial incident. Her attorney, Todd Maybrown, claimed Solo was a victim in the family argument and had actually been hit in the head with a broom handle during the scrum.

Solo’s pro team, Seattle Reign FC, released a statement following the arrest, saying, “We are aware of the situation regarding Hope Solo and are currently gathering information. We have no further comments at this time.” U.S. Soccer echoed the sentiment, saying, “We are aware of the situation. At this point, we don’t have any further comments.”

The charges were dismissed in January by a Kirkland Municipal Court judge.


2. ESPN’s Outside the Lines Released a New Report on the Arrest This June

WINNIPEG, MB - JUNE 08:  Goalkeeper Hope Solo #1 of United States looks on against Australia in the first half during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 Group D match at Winnipeg Stadium on June 8, 2015 in Winnipeg, Canada.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Solo’s actions last June were thrust back into the spotlight recently after ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” released a brand-new investigation into the night, the charges and even U.S. Soccer’s response, or lack thereof.

The report does not paint Solo in a good light. In fact, it doesn’t paint her in much light at all. It  begins by saying that Solo was so belligerent at the time of her arrest that officers had to force her to the ground and she started screaming at them, yelling, “You’re such a b—-. You’re scared of me because you know that if the handcuffs were off, I’d kick your ass.”

The OTL story runs in stark contrast to a story published in the most recent issue of ESPN The Magazine. Solo, once again, denies any kind of assault and is even described as breaking down in tears after saying, “From here on out, no matter what happens, I’ll forever be associated with domestic violence.”

This most recent investigation into Solo’s actions that night last summer have sparked a brand-new wave of criticism for the long-time USWNT goalie and even for U.S. soccer as a whole.


3. U.S. Soccer Has Been Under Fire for Not Fully Investigating Solo’s Arrest

SANDY, UT - SEPTEMBER 13: Goalie Hope Solo #1 of the United States signs autographs after a game against Mexico during at an international friendly soccer game September 13, 2014 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The Unites States beat Mexico 8-0. Solo set a U.S. woman's soccer record with 72 career shutouts. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

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U.S. soccer’s non-response to Solo’s situation has created a firestorm for the organization throughout these early stages of the World Cup and even drawn comparisons to the NFL’s less-than-stellar response to domestic violence.

Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal became the face of the criticism earlier this month after he sent a letter to U.S. Soccer president Suni Gulati, chastising the group for its “failure to take adequate action to investigate” Solo’s 2014 arrest. ESPN’s recently released report from “Outside the Lines” claimed that U.S. Soccer did not interview Solo’s half-sister or nephew, the alleged victims of the domestic violence, following the event.

Gulati responded to the senator this week, writing:

The Federation chose not to request interviews of the complaining witnesses, Ms. Solo’s half-sister and her sister’s son. Based on the public reports of the incident and the partial police report, we understood that the complaining witnesses would likely contradict Ms. Solo’s version of events with equal vehemence. Further, based on an internal review of the partial police report the Federation received, we noted (as did the court) inconsistencies in the statements of the complaining witnesses. Thus, the Federation knew it would be faced with a “he said, she said” situation where the credibility of the witnesses would be determinative.


4. Solo Currently Holds the Record for Most Career Shutouts

DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 08:  Hope Solo #1 of Team USA makes a save during the second half of the game against China at Ford Field on December 8, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. USA defeated China 2-0.  (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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Solo joined the USWNT team in 2000 and made her senior debut came in an 8-0 victory over Iceland that April. She became the team’s starting goal tender since 2005 and, since then, has been nothing short of dominant in net.

Solo is a two-time Olympic medalist and won the 2011 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove award. She also has more shutouts than any goalkeeper in U.S. history.


5. She’s Also a Popular Pop-Culture Figure & Competed on Dancing With the Stars

Solo competed in season 13 of the popular ABC show “Dancing With the Stars” and partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. It wasn’t a perfect experience for the USWNT standout though, not by a long shot.

In fact, Solo claimed that the reality show was rigged, writing in her recently published memoir:

Maks later told me that he had argued with the judges because he had been told we were going to be eliminated, that there was some secret memo going around that said who would be ousted each week,” Solo wrote. “He explained that he wanted to cause some drama on the live portion of the show so that they wouldn’t be able to resist keeping us around, hoping for more fireworks. It seems to have worked – we weren’t eliminated that week.

Solo is also a frequent photography subject. She’s posed for ESPN the Magazine’s Body Issue and has also signed endorsement deals with everything from Nike, Gatorade and even Bank of America.