Brazil blasts USA in Women's World Cup semis (Hope Solo sounds off)

Marta scored two goals to lead Brazil past the U.S. women's national team in the World Cup semifinals. The story of the match was U.S. coach Greg Ryan's decision to start Brianna Scurry in goal ahead of Hope Solo. Scurry looked old and slow in net today, with at least two of Brazil's shots coming close enough to save only to have Scurry fail to make the stop.

Ryan was already going to face the heat for his decision but Solo hasn't made things any easier after blasting Ryan's decision in post-match interviews. I don't have a link to her comments yet but I'm sure they will hit the web soon. Keep an eye out and get ready for some raw anger from Solo, who has every right to be upset about Ryan's ridiculous decision.

Would Solo in net have helped the Americans win? I'm not sure about that one, but I do doubt the score is a blowout with her in goal.

What do you think of today's events in China? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[kpugs]

Any of the nutcases from yesterday's post care to sound off about how wrong they were?

[Joe in ND]

It was a ridiculous decision by the head coach.

Hope Solo has every right to be angry, as do the rest of the team. Changing keepers around upsets team balance/confidence.

No one can really say what the score would have been with Solo in net, but it's still a stupid decision. A decision like this would lead to a sacking in some teams and some countries.

[kpugs]

Well I'll start. I thought the decision was ridiculous, you can't change keepers before the semifinal of the biggest tournament on earth for the women's game.

One of two things will happen, U.S. soccer will let it slide because they like Ryan's independence and his pretty good coatching record. Otherwise he'll get canned for his stupidity. The fact that it was a blowout and embarrassment doesn't help his cause either.

[Lawrence]

Ryan should be fired, not just for this, but because he coached them awfully. It was the most awful style of soccer i have ever seen. I'm glad Brazil has raised the bar for the level of skill and style of play.

That red card on box was almost as angering as that BS call against Ghana.

[Tom]

A great example of what not to do as a coach, very unprofessional.

Ryan should get booted. No one can say for sure that the US would have won; but last minute changes like this ruin team chemistry and disrupt the defensive cohesion.

Foolish, very foolish. Maybe if Ryan had spent more time on preparing his team, rather than presupposing how a keeper could win him a match against Brazil, things might have come out differently.

[Tom]

Looks like a classic case of over-coaching. Cheeky move based on history trumped fielding the better player it seems. Too bad for the ladies, they looked strong going into the WC.

I read a quote from coach Ryan in the Soccer Insider yesterday regarding Solo's mental state about the switch.

"Asked if he thought the decision would affect Solo's confidence (the 2 year starting GK), Ryan said: "That's not our concern. We came here to try to win a world championship. ... We're not looking at long term; long term Hope is going to be fantastic, she's had a great tournament, she might be back in, who knows?"

Ryan's a nimrod and hopefully choking on his own hubris. I'm not saying the US would've won, but the coach is a real numbskull for his move and attitude before hand. Put the best players on the field dumbass.

Give him hell Solo.

[Chris]

Agree on all accounts. Terrible decision. Other teams should be making adjustments to play the #1 team in the world, not the other way around. The message to his players by making the switch was subtle, but well received.

[Tom]

The US woman are starting to look like our men.
Pedestrian and workmanlike.

When the US had the great advantages initially with quantity of player and physical prowess we rolled.

They will continue to be a froce because the woman's game is so small overall, but you can see the diffrences techinically.
N Korea, Brazil, Germany, China, even freaking England who passed much more fluidly and were better tactically than us IMO. They just need a few more players.

We like creativity, tactical brains and experienced coaches.

Sound famaliar?

[jdog]

yeah, it was certainly over-coaching, but last time I checked you need to score in order to win. Someone mentioned an "okay" coaching record. The man's team hasn't lost in like 40 matches. Dumb decision, yes, but I'm just trying to play devil's advocate. The chemistry component was certainly overlooked, I'm sure there was a disconnect between the back line and the keeper. Anyways, I'm note sure Ryan was planning on coming back after the world cup anyways. We'll see

[Sandro]

Hope Solo was really upset after the game. She kept mentioning that it wasn't "2004" in reference to Brianna Scurry performance against Brazil during the 2004 olympics. I like Brianna and she has been great for the US team but it sure looks like it is time to pass the baton.

The US was playing very good and given this change it sure didn't look like it helped the US. You do have to give credit to the Brazilians who came out to play very loose, samba soccer.

[eastlachiva]

Hope Solo, how fitting. She might have been our only hope.

The USSF is probably gonna spin this as a team lost.

We always have Mexico to beat on.

[Adam]

the worst night in American women's soccer history

Yikes!

And then Hope Solo after the game on TV with tears in her eyes:

"It was the wrong decision and anyone who knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves."

Helllllllooooo!!!!

[Tom]

Man, Ryan sure set her up to be the perfect scorned victim here.

Couldn't have written it better for her.

Feel sorry for her, but in the long run she is gonna be famous for this.

[Peter Bering]

This "Hope Solo"(!) seems pathetic. Quoting Adam 12:44:

And then Hope Solo after the game on TV with tears in her eyes:

"It was the wrong decision and anyone who knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves."

[Peter Bering]

Well, the US and Norway were thoroughly outplayed by Brazil and Germany. It shows that women's football has finally passed the stage of feminist pioneering. Good.

This was not about this or that goalkeeper. Although Scurry was not exactly stellar, Solo did not seem so either. The whole tournament had pathetic goalkeeping. It was about Brazil playing better football than it ever played before, no longer being so naive and completely blasting the limited US team. Germany did almost the same to Norway. The final will perhaps be worth seeing. It is only natural that the countries with great men's teams now improve the most.

[Frank]

You need to score to win. I hate this Solo b__ch. It is very unprofessional to blame your teamates. Maybe they would have lost 2-0 instead of 4-0. I have been watching all the games and knew Brazil would win this one. They had looked better throughout and have only given up 2 goals.

[Juan Carlos Gutierrez]

Solo is hot...!

[Tony M]

I posted on the other thread that I was wrong. I’m not a big Hope Solo fan, and I don’t think she would have made the difference, but clearly Ryan screwed with his team’s head and it showed.

I still think the primary problem is that aside from Abby, this is an ordinary team. Ryan has the team play solid, but uninspired football while waiting for Abby to knock in a goal. That’s fine playing also rans in warm ups. It’s not enough in a World Cup semi. Ryan is a disaster of a coach, and in my opinion it started before this decision.

[Max]

This day was coming.
US Soccer needs to recognize that a divided federation cannot win. Creativity, best talent, and effort was displayed by Brazil through diversity.
Skill, teamwork, and effort start from hungry players that want to play Sunday not wondering who is in goal
Sound like excuses to me.

[ag nigrin]

Greg Ryan WC07 = Steve Sampson WC98... not the right stuff.. nuf said...

[doug]

but you just have to wonder about a coach who cracked under the pressure. He can say the GK switch didnt matter as much as the early own goal or the red card, but going into that game you cannot tell me that the USWNT wasnt going into that game with the same psyche as when the beat ENG 3-0. The team put in their best performance against ENG and this guy within a matter of 12 hours kills that whole vibe and unsettles a team who finally looked like they had settled in.

Im sure Julie Foudy was speaking for Lilly and the other veterans during her stinging commentary on Ryan during the game

[doug]

Im sure Julie Foudy was speaking for Lilly and the other veterans during her stinging commentary on Ryan during the game

All in all this completes a disaterous summer/fall for all US national team programs involved in international competition, Copa America disaster, U-20s Men failure in Toronto, U-17s Men horrible in Korea, and now this debacle in China. You have to feel bad for the players who were basically sandbagged by a coach who basically cracked under the slightest bit of pressure

But hey with that Gold Cup victory v Mexico we are the best team in North America, allegedly

[Matt]

Yikes. I can understand how Solo could be very upset, but that's pretty unprofessional, at least at this point, with the third-place game still to be played.

[Max]

This day was coming.
US Soccer needs to recognize that a divided federation cannot win. Creativity, best talent, and effort was displayed by Brazil through diversity.
Skill, teamwork, and effort start from hungry players that want to play Sunday not wondering who is in goal
Sound like excuses to me.

[Solo for President]

The own goal might have been avoided with Solo too since she had been playing with the defenders lately and would have communicated. She definitely would have made the other two saves. Worst coaching decision in recent memory. Brazil was better...but at least it is a game with Solo playing.