A former goalkeeper for the United States national soccer team, Hope Amelia Stevens (née Solo) was born on July 30, 1981. She won the World Cup and two Olympic gold medals while playing goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s soccer team from 2000 to 2016. After a collegiate career at Washington, she took her game to the WUSA and the Philadelphia Charge (WUSA).
After her rookie year with the WUSA ended, she left for Europe, where she played professionally for the top Swedish and French divisions. She was a WPS star for Saint Louis Athletica, Atlanta Beat, and magicJack from 2009 to 2011. She moved to the W-League with the Seattle Sounders after the WPS folded in the early 2012 season. She most recently suited up for Seattle Reign FC of the NWSL (the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States).
A look at the life of the most beloved goalie in the United States.
1. Hope the Forward Solo Was a Parade All-American
Hope Solo was not a one-trick pony. She attended Richland High School, where she earned two Parade All-America honours. When she travelled to Washington, she finally had the chance to play goalkeeper. Solo led her high school team to the state title with 109 goals during her senior year.
2. He Was Named to The All-American Team Three Times
Taking up the role of keeper was a breeze for Solo. She took to the role of goalie immediately and eventually won three consecutive All-American honours. She had a record-breaking freshman year at Washington, where she also made the All-Pac-10 team each of the four years she played.
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3. She Had No Interest in Playing the Role of Goalkeeper
As a kid, Solo was a forward for her school’s soccer and basketball teams. She found great fulfilment in it, and it ultimately helped her achieve great success. Her high school squad, which she captained to a title, went undefeated under her direction.
Unfortunately, her time as a forward for the soccer team didn’t last very long. While auditioning for the national squad, she was requested to try out as a goalkeeper, where her skills shone. She actually excelled at goaltender, which was the role they deemed most suitable for her.
We’ve been keeping up with Solo ever since as she plays goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national soccer team. Her two Olympic gold medals and 2009 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year award show that the coaches were on the right track.
4. She Had Kissed a Girl and Enjoyed It
Solo discusses her past romances and even the time she kissed a French girl in her book. The Olympic soccer player admits that she has become used to the fact that there are some bisexual and LGBT women in her league.
She claimed she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to experience being with someone of the same sex and stated she was curious to learn more about the “other side.” That’s why when a French girl came up to her and basically hit on her, the 35-year-old woman gave in and allowed them to kiss for a while. She says the book wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t convince her to change her mind.
According to Solo, “I’d had gay colleagues throughout my career.” My rationale was, ‘Perhaps I should try to understand their perspective. This led to a passionate makeout session. Curiosity-piquing, but ultimately unimportant. I was a straight man.
5. Her Dad Coached Her Soccer Team
Though there are negative aspects to her connection with her father, there are also some positive ones. At age five, Solo’s father began coaching her in the basics of soccer, and she has always been grateful to him for that. He came and went from her life, but he still had an impact on her desire to play soccer.
When she was just six years old, though, her parents split. When Solo decided to play college soccer at the University of Washington, she was able to reunite with him. Despite the upheaval in her life, including the time he was arrested for kidnapping her and her brother on a trip, he remained a major inspiration in her professional life.
Soleil claimed that she initially viewed the trip as harmless, treating it more like a short holiday. However, she quickly understood that the situation was direr than it had initially appeared. Jeffrey Solo, her father, died after a heart attack in June of 2007.
6. She Punched a Girl on The Face
Hope let it slip that her high school lover cheated on her with a “popular girl,” albeit he may have had excellent reason to do so. Sadly, he was her first real love, and he cheated on her. The Olympic soccer player claimed in her autobiography that she went over to the woman the moment she learned the news and smacked her in the face.
She claimed that before she touched her, she called her a slur and slapped her. It appears that Solo’s wild streak and short temper have always been a part of his character. And while at a party in Washington State, her step-sister Teresa Obert and her son, then 17 years old, accused her of abuse. An anonymous caller informed law enforcement that “Hope Solo is becoming insane.”
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Someone exclaimed, “She’s f****** bashing people up!” The fact that she has a history of punching people in the face certainly doesn’t assist her cause. Since Solo brought it up, maybe she should have just kept it to herself.