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Hope Solo to play against ex-USWNT teammates at TST

The ex-USWNT goalkeeper will make her first competitive appearance since her 2016 contract termination

Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

Former United States women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo will compete for the first time since her abrupt exit from the sport in 2016 when she takes the field in June at The Soccer Tournament.

Solo has entered a team into the 7-v-7, winner-take-all $1 million cash prize tournament. Her “Solo FC” team, with teammates to be announced, will face off against the US Women’s team that features former international teammates Carli Lloyd, Ali Krieger, and Heather O’Reilly.

“I am incredibly excited not only to enter Solo FC in The Soccer Tournament but also make my comeback to the field at one of the most exciting events in soccer right now,” Solo said in a statement. “TST has done some amazing things to grow the game for women and I’m proud to be a part of it. I’m as competitive as ever, and I can’t wait to unveil the team that will win the $1 million grand prize.”

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TST expanded its women’s tournament to 16 teams this year, with squads representing the North Carolina Courage, Angel City FC and Wrexham also confirmed to be returning from the inaugural event. The tournament will be played from June 4-9 in Cary, North Carolina.

Solo is widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in history. She appeared for the U.S. over 200 times, earning the Golden Glove at the 2011 World Cup in a runners-up finish before winning the 2015 World Cup as the U.S. tied a record for consecutive shutout minutes. She also won two Olympic gold medals.

Solo’s career ended abruptly after the 2016 Olympics, however. The Americans were eliminated in the quarterfinal stage for the first time at a major tournament and, after the penalty shootout loss to Sweden, Solo called her opponents “cowards” for their style of play, sparking international headlines and debate.

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U.S. Soccer terminated her national team contract shortly after the team’s return to the U.S. for what the federation said was “conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles.” Solo did not finish the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League season with Seattle Reign FC. The game against Sweden was the last of her competitive career.

Solo was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002 but was arrested for a DWI around the same time and deferred induction for a year.

The comments about Sweden, for which Solo had quickly apologized after making them moments after the loss, appeared to serve as a final straw for the federation as it cut ties with Solo, who in the two years prior had been suspended for breaking team rules and had been arrested for a separate incident.

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Her comments about Sweden also came just months after the U.S. women launched a fight against the federation for equal pay. Solo said at the time, and again recently in a Netflix documentary, that she felt targeted by the federation because she was willing to fight. She eventually attempted her own equal pay lawsuit and maintained in last year’s documentary that her teammates – who were lauded in 2022 for securing a $24 million settlement for back pay and equitable contracts with the men – settled for less than they should have.

None of Solo’s former U.S. or professional teammates appeared in the Netflix documentary. Many declined invitations. “I think these women are cowardly and controlled by the federation,” Solo said in the documentary.

Now, Solo will face some of her former teammates in June’s TST tournament, with bragging rights and $1 million on the line. The US Women’s team won the inaugural women’s event last year.

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