U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo rails against NBC's Chastain
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — U.S. goaltender Hope Solo went on a Twitter rant against former player Brandi Chastain on Saturday for comments made during the broadcast of the Americans' 3-0 win over Colombia at the Olympics.
Solo was apparently unhappy with Chastain's criticism of U.S. defender Rachel Buehler during the NBC telecast.
At one point, Chastain pointed out that a defender's responsibilities are: "Defend. Win the ball. And then keep possession. And that's something that Rachel Buehler actually needs to, I think, improve on in this tournament."
After the game, Seattle's Solo rattled off four tweets about Chastain. Among them: "Its 2 bad we cant have commentators who better represents the team&knows more about the game."
Solo also told Chastain to "lay off commentating about defending" and goalkeeping "until you get more educated" and "the game has changed from a decade ago."
"I feel bad 4 our fans that have 2 push mute," tweeted Solo, adding that she likes NBC soccer announcer Arlo White.
Chastain is one of the top all-time defenders for the U.S. team. She played in 192 international games from 1988-2004 and is best known for taking off her jersey to celebrate the decisive penalty kick in the landmark shootout victory over China in the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in 1999.
A spokesman for NBC said the network would have no comment and that Chastain was unavailable for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. team also declined comment and said Solo would address the matter the next time she meets with reporters. He said Solo would not be made available Sunday.
Solo is one of the most outspoken players on the U.S. team. She was essentially kicked off the squad at the 2007 World Cup and sent home from China separately from the rest of the players after she criticized coach Greg Ryan for benching her for the semifinals.
Fences were mended, and she made her way back onto the team to become arguably the best goalkeeper in team history, anchoring the gold-medal run at the 2008 Olympics and winning the golden glove award for top goalie at last year's World Cup in Germany.
Solo capitalized on the groundswell of support from last year's World Cup run and appeared on "Dancing With the Stars," finishing in fourth place. Three weeks ago, she had what is believed to be the first positive drug test in the history of the U.S. women's soccer program, receiving a warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
She called the doping episode an "honest mistake" and said the positive test — for the banned substance Canrenone — resulted from a premenstrual medication prescribed by her doctor.
Solo was also one of several athletes quoted in an ESPN The Magazine story about sex in the athletes' village during the Beijing Olympics. She said, among other things, that: "On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty."
Solo has also been promoting her book "A Memoir of Hope," scheduled for release two days after the end of the London Olympics.
Solo was apparently unhappy with Chastain's criticism of U.S. defender Rachel Buehler during the NBC telecast.
At one point, Chastain pointed out that a defender's responsibilities are: "Defend. Win the ball. And then keep possession. And that's something that Rachel Buehler actually needs to, I think, improve on in this tournament."
After the game, Seattle's Solo rattled off four tweets about Chastain. Among them: "Its 2 bad we cant have commentators who better represents the team&knows more about the game."
Solo also told Chastain to "lay off commentating about defending" and goalkeeping "until you get more educated" and "the game has changed from a decade ago."
"I feel bad 4 our fans that have 2 push mute," tweeted Solo, adding that she likes NBC soccer announcer Arlo White.
Chastain is one of the top all-time defenders for the U.S. team. She played in 192 international games from 1988-2004 and is best known for taking off her jersey to celebrate the decisive penalty kick in the landmark shootout victory over China in the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in 1999.
A spokesman for NBC said the network would have no comment and that Chastain was unavailable for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. team also declined comment and said Solo would address the matter the next time she meets with reporters. He said Solo would not be made available Sunday.
Solo is one of the most outspoken players on the U.S. team. She was essentially kicked off the squad at the 2007 World Cup and sent home from China separately from the rest of the players after she criticized coach Greg Ryan for benching her for the semifinals.
Fences were mended, and she made her way back onto the team to become arguably the best goalkeeper in team history, anchoring the gold-medal run at the 2008 Olympics and winning the golden glove award for top goalie at last year's World Cup in Germany.
Solo capitalized on the groundswell of support from last year's World Cup run and appeared on "Dancing With the Stars," finishing in fourth place. Three weeks ago, she had what is believed to be the first positive drug test in the history of the U.S. women's soccer program, receiving a warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
She called the doping episode an "honest mistake" and said the positive test — for the banned substance Canrenone — resulted from a premenstrual medication prescribed by her doctor.
Solo was also one of several athletes quoted in an ESPN The Magazine story about sex in the athletes' village during the Beijing Olympics. She said, among other things, that: "On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty."
Solo has also been promoting her book "A Memoir of Hope," scheduled for release two days after the end of the London Olympics.
Meeaooowww... Hssss...
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Juveniles in adult bodies. Take a lesson from the US crew team.
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Go Huskies!
I dislike like both Brandi and Hope. They have huge egos and aren't afraid to tell you about it. Both would do better to learn humility and to stop acting like bullies.Â
Hope and NBC now have both managed to turn the Olympics into reality TV. What a sad commentary on our society.
"Chastain is one of the top all-time defenders for the U.S. team. She played in 192 international games from 1988-2004 and is best known for taking off her jersey to celebrate the decisive penalty kick in the landmark shootout victory over China in the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in 1999."
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Um, sounds to me like she knows quite a bit about the game. Perhaps instead of getting her Adidas in a knot and being a twit on Twitter, Ms. Solo should be rallying her team and encouraging them to step up.
Disagree with me or not, but I have to say Hope is right on the money with this one. Â Just because she has the guts to say it doesn't make her a bad person. Â Watching the first USWNT game against France all I could say to myself was "Shut up Brandi, Shut up Brandi" she was the MOST annoying commentator ever. Â I would love to have muted the TV, but Arlo White is spectacular with the play by plays when he could get a word in edge wise. Â
Ol' Thunder Thighs should just concentrate on the task at hand and skip all the drama.
Good Lord Hope, give me a break. That is the job of a commentator to access how a team played and give critique or praise. It is not her job to be a cheerleader for you.Â
 @whoareyou:Â
You must have missed the women's basketball game, then. Last week, playing the same team, the US trounced them 55-0. In today's game, it was a slug fest, each team scoring right after the other, trading 3 pointers as fast as they could return the ball to the other end. It was an AMAZING first half!
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So, then comes half time. And what happens? Some blathering talking head idiot going on & on about the men's team, and what a great player LaBron James was, and practically drooling all over himself praising the mens team. Not a SINGLE WORD about the AMAZING game taking place right under his nose with the USA Women's team!
 @LocalLady Nope...never miss any women's games (we actually prefer the women over the men in my house). I am a Storm season ticket holder. I have a daughter who can tell you every player who is any good throughout the world. The women's game is pure basketball, none of the flashy, self indulgent garbage of the men's. The men's team is fun to watch this year, but they lost a little luster in my book when Kobe said they could beat the original Dream Team. I too get sick of how little notoriety the women's game gets, but it is definetely better than it was a few decades ago and I am glad that there are opportunities for my daughter. Some of my happiest memories with her have been cheering in the Key for Sue and Lauren. She put Lauren carrying the Aussie flag on her FB profile this week. The one thing that is cool is that the women's game is so international (the men's is getting that way too). Internationally they love women's basketball and Sue, Lauren, Diana Taurasi and others make 1 million a season playing in Russia and Turkey, then come back to the US just for pride, where the top player can only make 100,000 a season. Diana Taurasi actually talked about sitting out the WNBA because she is a goddess in Turkey and makes nearly a million a season over there. I wish that more men would start following women's basketball in the US. Until they do it will always be at about where it is now.
 @LocalLady That was an outstanding basketball game, way to belittle someone's efforts by gushing over LaBron James while the USA women's team creamed their opponent. NBC's commentators have their head so far up there culo it's a wonder they have the ability to even talk.
NEVER mind players criticizing one another . . . it's NBC's "coverage" of the Olympics is what's Abominable. I couldn't loathe their crappy advertisement-filled coverage more. Will watch LIVE on-line instead.Â
 @alexcrowley Nothing like seeing Lochte-Phelps like 12 hours later........all in the name of "prime-time". Wish I still got CBC.
 @SandyBeach I agree wholeheartedly it's infuriating knowing and reading the results in detail and watching NBC show it over half a day later grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Phelps swimming is one of the major highlights I was looking forward to seeing only to know the details before I even saw it. I couldn't be more disappointed with frikken NBC.
Overrated both on and off the field.
So!
I like Hope, really do, but her job is to ensure Team USA slips through the group stage with clean sheets, not to criticize the commentators
She should be railing on nbc's pathetic coverage of the Olympics, it's a joke!
 @Cooter_Brown she should be reflecting on her own comments over the last 4 years.
take some time to google her interviews.
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 @Cooter_Brown The "coverage" isnt the joke. The OLYMPICS is the joke. It is no longer "amateurs", when you have professionals on your teams.
Solo says things have changed since 10 years ago. Yes it has. The Olympics are a joke. Amateurs? BS! PROFESSIONALS playing in the Olympics ruins the spirit of the game.
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Hope is just one of those "know it all" know NOTHINGS. Go back home, or shut the hell up, before you look even more the IDIOT that you are. You're not that important.
 @Nuclearian It'd be hard to make it 100 percent amateur. Even track athletes get paid anymore---I doubt anybody wants to watch somebody win the Olympic 100 in like 13 flat.......Its a sign of the times--you know, money???
Solo loves to see her name in the news
 @Joe And she IS seeing her name in the news, and coming across as a Jackass.
NBC sure has really been screwing themselves over. From the Tape Delayed coverage, to forcing us to watch Phelps lose in primetime. I won't even bother watching primetime. You don't watch primetime, their ratings will suffer. Happens for a week, advertisers won't be too happy.