St. Luois - US v Mexico First-Hand Observations

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by Jayy, Oct 13, 2007.

  1. Jayy

    Jayy New Member

    Oct 1, 2007
    This is a bulleted list of observations from the game as I try to get what I remember on "paper" before I forget. I'll try to post a couple of photos if I get a chance tomorrow after I get back home.
    I won't summarize the exact details of the goals etc. b/c You will get a better accounting from the real sports writers.
    - Approximately 10900 fans in attendance.
    - Overwhelmingly families and younger girls in attendance.
    - Literally only a handful of people that seemed to know or care about what went on with Hope et al (No real visible acknowledgement of things). No booing of anyone...period.
    - 3 Signs that were kinda funny and pointed. Two local soccer fans that I met named Justin and Ben brought a lifesize stormtooper cutout with Hope's face on it. They also had a sheet with "Ladies your coach failed you" Third was a sign that I held at various points "Hope Apologized, "The Team" Ostracized"
    - The US looked flat and were on their heels for the first 25 minutes or so fo the match then it evened out. The second half was dominated by the US.
    - Scurry didn't have any real action in the second half. The goal the Mexican's scored was horrible. Scurry stood there and looked dumbfounded as it went it. She didn't make any move for the ball.
    - I found it sad/amusing that little girls behind me were saying Scurry can't kick, can't stop goals, and "can't keep the ball inbounds (after she punted it out). It was pretty hilarious.
    - Scurry's goal kicks were 10-15 yards short of midfield and her punts from the edge of the box were about 10 yards over the midfield line.
    Hope specific observations
    - I arrived 75 minutes early for the match and was seated in the 5th row behind the US bench. Hope was out on the field in civilian cloths and was sitting and joking with some member of the training/coaching squad. My personal observation was that he was a "handler" for her. She seemd ok and in decent spirits. "The Team" came out and warmed up and did their thing. Hope went off the field before the announcements and came out after the anthem and team was announced.
    The people that interacted with Hope
    - During the entire 1 hour plus pre match was the trainer guy and a couple of team/ US soccer folks pre game. Ryan She did have a short chat with Ryan before the match when they were both on the bench. Plain old casual conversation from what I could see.
    - During the match on the bench it was the trainer, a person who I think was the team "shrink". During the game the only player that interacted at all with Hope was Carli Lloyd. She sat next to Hope for a while and I did see some conversation.
    - Hope grabbed a bag of equipment and left the field within a minute of the match ending while the rest of the team celebrated on the field and signed autographs.
    - Thanks to my new St. Louis friends Justin and Ben, we found the team bus right as they were leaving the stadium. We saw Hope in the front seat with the "shrink" lady. The three of us held up the "Ladies your coach failed you" sing and we definitely kow that some of them read it. We also know that Hope saw it and although she remained "composed" she did wind up waving to everyone through the front window as the bus pulled out.

    Hope the info is useful...
    Regards,
     
  2. SCoach

    SCoach New Member

    Jun 17, 2002
    Tallahassee, FL
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can only imagine the pressure she must be under.
     
  3. Deep Wilcox

    Deep Wilcox BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 5, 2007
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OMG, what we do to play. Good luck to Hope Solo. What a joke of a team...
     
  4. Little Raven

    Little Raven New Member

    May 20, 2007
    Amazing after Solo privately appologizes to the team, and publicly apologizes, then no other players attempt to acknowledge her.

    The upshot of all of this will be that the US is now stuck with an aging weak-legged slow-backpedalling 38 year old goalie for next year, and a boob head coach who should be back coaching small college soccer.

    I predict that after Solo's private and public statements that she will not only not be returning as starting goalie at any point, but she will likely quietly slink off in obscurity to somewhere else sometime early next year.
     
  5. spanish_techno

    spanish_techno New Member

    Sep 30, 2007
    Cat-like reflexes! Right?

    Thanks for the report. Was the "shrink" Colleen Hacker? It would be nice to know that she's back with the team physically, or any sports psychologist for that matter.
     
  6. luvdagame

    luvdagame Member+

    Jul 6, 2000
    hope is already back on the team. she's just not dressing for these games.

    the ball took a wicked deflection as per matchtracker and the game report

    http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_3014657.html
     
  7. zhatso

    zhatso New Member

    Oct 5, 2007
    thank you so much for the notes....and for taking the sign....i think we are just typing into deep space...beyond the attention of the Federation.....

    here is Ryan's response to Solo's apology on ussoccer.com from the quote sheet:

    On Hope Solo’s statement:
    “I think Hope has shown tremendous courage by coming in and initiating reconciliation with the team. I’m proud of her and she’s shown a lot of courage. I think she has done the right thing, and that’s hard to do. All athletes, it’s passionate, it’s emotional, but I think she’s making the right decisions and I’m proud of her.”

    Not only is she under a tremendous amount of pressure, public scrutiny, stil being shunned by "team leaders", she has to endure this idiot "being proud of her". She has more courage than most if she can stand that.

    What would Ryan know about doing the right thing? What????????
     
  8. PVancouver

    PVancouver Member

    Apr 1, 1999
    Was this your shrink lady, Dr. Colleen Hacker, of Pacific Lutheran University?
    [​IMG]

    I've been wondering how much of an input she has had in this whole thing, but little of what she does is on-line. I've been wondering if she uses the word "reconciliation".
     
  9. mercersoccer

    mercersoccer New Member

    Aug 27, 2007
    During the game the only player that interacted at all with Hope was Carli Lloyd. She sat next to Hope for a while and I did see some conversation.



    Good for Carli Lloyd. At least someone is showing character, leadership and maturity on this team. It's also probably why she only got 6 minutes at the end.

    Let's hope Ryan smartens up and starts playing people like Lloyd, who I'm sure all the other players respect for her integrity.

    Maybe Chalupny should take a page from Lloyd's book, and not make pathetic statements to the press for Ryan and old lady Lilly. And maybe the rest of the young players need to stand up for what's right, and what's in their best interests. Lilly certainly doesn't care about their careers, and its evident Ryan doesn't either.
     
  10. htide

    htide Member

    Jul 28, 2007
    great write up jay. thank you
     
  11. Jayy

    Jayy New Member

    Oct 1, 2007
    PV....I don't believe that is the person she was with. My hunch at the time that the person with her was the team psychologist must be worng. Looking back at the book I picked up at the game it could have been the team's General Manager Cheryl Bailey.
     
  12. htide

    htide Member

    Jul 28, 2007
  13. MoglyPirate

    MoglyPirate New Member

    Oct 2, 2007
    thanks for the write up!!!

    i knew i always liked Carli! Do you know if anyone on the team saw the Hope doll? that would have been a sight! Or if she herself looked around at the signs? Cant wait for photos. thanks again!
     
  14. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    It's "Louis"
     
  15. DCUPopeAndLillyFan

    Apr 20, 2000
    Colorado
    It's "a typo"

    :rolleyes:
     
  16. Jayy

    Jayy New Member

    Oct 1, 2007
    Thanks htide....I wish I could but it was a bit of a haul for me to get to St. Louis from DC.

    Btw, I am starting to think that Hope will be with the team through the Olympics. That Ryan will also be around for fear of disrupting the team even more before the Olympics. Hope will not be the starter but will get a few caps in an attempt to do what Ryan alluded to after the WC disaster. (I think that was the closest he ever came to accepting any sort of responsibility).
     
  17. Charles

    Charles Member

    Oct 4, 2000
    Idaho
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Ryan's "proud" of her? Just incredible.
     
  18. htide

    htide Member

    Jul 28, 2007
    Yes portlands pretty far from miami too, lol. i think uwhuskies is going so maybe she can give us a report. I am hoping they are looking for a coach behind the scenes. I just do not see how they can let ryan continue to coach. god forbid we go through this again. I am hoping they are just not going to renew his contract.
     
  19. defensewins

    defensewins Member

    Nov 15, 1999
    I found the game to be a really nauseating experience, and one I don't plan on repeating. Mexico sucked, and were very lucky their keeper was on her toes or it could have been much worse. The "family" crowd was into the whole go go USA mentality. I saw very few signs, and GL pretty much got them all. I did, however, hear some boos when Ryan was announced. I also talked with some kindred spirits who expressed their disgust with Ryan. In other words, just because they didn't have a sign didn't mean they were in love with Ryan. On the other hand, out of respect for Chalupny and her family and followers I think there might have been more reluctance to be really vocal. I was shocked they got nearly 11 k in attendance, I was expecting half of that. This will be my last game until Ryan leaves, and even then its going to be tough to ever feel the same way about this team. I never thought I would think Lilly and Wambach were witches-I just can't see ever warming up to either again or accepting the bizarro way the team and Ryan have mishandled all this. I have followed this team for over 20 years, but I'd rather root for our high school or college team than pay to watch another USWNT game.
     
  20. htide

    htide Member

    Jul 28, 2007
    defense did you notice any interaction with solo other then what jay saw?
     
  21. DCUPopeAndLillyFan

    Apr 20, 2000
    Colorado
    I suspect they are looking behind the scenes. Ryan's contract is through the end of the year and it's probably easier to just let him serve until the end. The few comments Gulati has made publicly have not sounded good for Ryan.
     
  22. Kim-GoBeat!

    Kim-GoBeat! New Member

    Jun 21, 2001
    Thugsville, USA
    Thanks Jayy...Nice write-up!

    For those of you heading to Portland, here are some signs we came up with on the soccernet threads:

    "Ryan is Hope-less"

    "Lose the Dope,
    Bring back Hope!"

    Loved your sign DW! Hopefully there will be an even stronger pro-Hope crowd in Portland.

    Kudos for Carli Lloyd for trying to make Hope feel better and not so alone!!!!!!
     
  23. defensewins

    defensewins Member

    Nov 15, 1999
    No I did not, but I was not really watching her to be honest. She's on a short leash right now, so she either drinks the USWNT kool-aid and is a good girl or she's done until a new regime takes over.
     
  24. house18

    house18 Member

    Jun 23, 2003
    St. Louis, MO
    I will point out as someone else did (ans apparently was ignored) that the goal took a big deflection and Scurry had been moving to where the ball was going before it got deflected and had no chance (nor would any other keeper in the world).
     
  25. casoccerdad47

    casoccerdad47 Member+

    Mar 31, 2006
    Interesting that the game changed when he inserted Tarpley and Wagner, two players he rarely used when it counted in China. I'm also perplexed by the fact that they were then both subbed off late in the game. I know the game didn't matter, but his substitution patterns remain bizarre.:D
     

Share This Page