USWNT

[Cujo]

SI.com: During the U.S. team's current tournament in China, Solo is back starting in goal. What's your sense of what happened involving her at the World Cup and where that is now that she's back with the team and playing?

Hamm: I heard things that probably you heard and read. Hope's a very talented goalkeeper. I saw the interview after the game. It's not something I would have done, and I've read things from Hope saying that she apologized, she's moving forward, and for her it's about proving herself every single day. I think we all had that approach when we were with the national team.

She obviously has a lot to prove to her teammates, and I think she's committed to doing that. I have so much confidence in Pia and how she's going to handle that situation, and it looks as if Hope's committed to that. But at the same time, it's like anything. Just as a team sits there and says we want to qualify and win the Olympic gold medal, you can't just say it once. You have to commit yourself to it every single day. I think Hope understands that, and I hope for her sake and the sake of the team -- because she is such a good goalkeeper -- that she does that.

When Hamm says that Solo "obviously has a lot to prove," I assume she isn't referring to Solo's proven abilities. What is Solo supposed to do, wear a hair shirt to every practice?

The sooner the old guard gets off the WNT's back, the better!

Because you obviously know more about the team dynamics that are necessary to be the best team in the world - than one of the best players of all time. The "old guard" obviously had things figured out.

SI.com: During the U.S. team's current tournament in China, Solo is back starting in goal. What's your sense of what happened involving her at the World Cup and where that is now that she's back with the team and playing?

Hamm: I heard things that probably you heard and read. Hope's a very talented goalkeeper. I saw the interview after the game. It's not something I would have done, and I've read things from Hope saying that she apologized, she's moving forward, and for her it's about proving herself every single day. I think we all had that approach when we were with the national team.

She obviously has a lot to prove to her teammates, and I think she's committed to doing that. I have so much confidence in Pia and how she's going to handle that situation, and it looks as if Hope's committed to that. But at the same time, it's like anything. Just as a team sits there and says we want to qualify and win the Olympic gold medal, you can't just say it once. You have to commit yourself to it every single day. I think Hope understands that, and I hope for her sake and the sake of the team -- because she is such a good goalkeeper -- that she does that.

When Hamm says that Solo "obviously has a lot to prove," I assume she isn't referring to Solo's proven abilities. What is Solo supposed to do, wear a hair shirt to every practice?

The sooner the old guard gets off the WNT's back, the better!

Because you obviously know more about the team dynamics that are necessary to be the best team in the world - than one of the best players of all time. The "old guard" obviously had things figured out.

After all that has happened, I question whether Solo's teammates, particularly the younger ones, still harbor resentment over her remarks. Indeed, I would not be surprised if many of them, in their hearts of hearts, have sympathized with Solo from the beginning. Nor would I be surprised if many of them have more confidence in Solo's goalkeeping abilities than in Scurry's.

With R yan gone and Sundhage here, it's a fresh new start for the WNT. I doubt whether the players feel, as Hamm does, that Solo "obviously has a lot to prove to her teammates"--any more so, that is, than her teammates have to prove to each other.

[Cujo]

SI.com: During the U.S. team's current tournament in China, Solo is back starting in goal. What's your sense of what happened involving her at the World Cup and where that is now that she's back with the team and playing?

Hamm: I heard things that probably you heard and read. Hope's a very talented goalkeeper. I saw the interview after the game. It's not something I would have done, and I've read things from Hope saying that she apologized, she's moving forward, and for her it's about proving herself every single day. I think we all had that approach when we were with the national team.

She obviously has a lot to prove to her teammates, and I think she's committed to doing that. I have so much confidence in Pia and how she's going to handle that situation, and it looks as if Hope's committed to that. But at the same time, it's like anything. Just as a team sits there and says we want to qualify and win the Olympic gold medal, you can't just say it once. You have to commit yourself to it every single day. I think Hope understands that, and I hope for her sake and the sake of the team -- because she is such a good goalkeeper -- that she does that.

When Hamm says that Solo "obviously has a lot to prove," I assume she isn't referring to Solo's proven abilities. What is Solo supposed to do, wear a hair shirt to every practice?

The sooner the old guard gets off the WNT's back, the better!

Because you obviously know more about the team dynamics that are necessary to be the best team in the world - than one of the best players of all time. The "old guard" obviously had things figured out.

After all that has happened, I question whether Solo's teammates, particularly the younger ones, still harbor resentment over her remarks. Indeed, I would not be surprised if many of them, in their hearts of hearts, have sympathized with Solo from the beginning. Nor would I be surprised if many of them have more confidence in Solo's goalkeeping abilities than in Scurry's.

With R yan gone and Sundhage here, it's a fresh new start for the WNT. I doubt whether the players feel, as Hamm does, that Solo "obviously has a lot to prove to her teammates"--any more so, that is, than her teammates have to prove to each other.

It is hard to say how they feel about her but so far so good in her post-meltdown world. Playing a winning brand of soccer certainly keeps the focus on the right things. Everybody deserves a shot at redemption in life and hopefully she has learned from her experiences and will apply them going forward, not just in sports but in every aspect of life. Pia is a great role model and by virtue of the way she carries herself garners respect from peers and her players. For Solo she just may be the right person at the right time to help her reach the next level.