Link I love when non-soccer sports "experts" try to put there spin on the situation. It is an Op-Ed if you ask me. His email is at the bottom.
Huh! What exactly do you disagree with? Or are you just disappointed that there is a "pro" Scurry article out there? It just goes to show that not everybody is an apologist for that petulant sour puss.
Umm...what facts are you talking about? Bri didn't makes all those saves? She was left out of a lot of the endorsments post '99? Hope didn't lose her mind and say those things? The players didn't have a team meeting to address the situation? I think you maybe disagree with some conclusions he's drawn.
As a Sports writer he has failed to do his homework and mention the Briana Scurry throwing Siri Mullinix under the bus, way back in 2004. We wouldn't want journalist to point out the whole back story. Again it also shows how we place importance of past accomplishments more heavily than current and forecasting for the future (being proactive). I have nothing against Briana. She was a great goal and probably still is, but you have to look at it from a business perspective by looking at the long term vs. short term goals. "But Scurry took the field, answered the bell like she has been for the U.S. team for a decade and a half. It wasn't her fault. She gave it all she had. The U.S. got crushed 4-0." This is why it makes me angry. Ryan's decision makes Bri look bad when it should be her swan song, but he screws the whole team and uses Solo as a scapegoat because she opened her mouth and he doesn't have the testicular fortitude to be a real coach and take responsibility for his own actions. Hope has since apologized. He hasn't.
"the Briana Scurry throwing Siri Mullinix under the bus, way back in 2004" forgive me for not knowing but how exactly did she do that?
That would be 2000, actually. Scurry said she thought she could've made a difference in the USA's loss. One difference, though -- Scurry was blaming herself, not the coach, for being the backup.
It's definitely an op-ed. He's a columnist. His job. His basic point is that Scurry hasn't received the recognition she deserves throughout her career. He goes a little overboard in suggesting that it's because she "looks different" rather than the actual reason -- the five players in question had all been around since the first Women's World Cup -- but it's a legitimate point to make aside from that. That said, you could argue that Joy Fawcett only got recognition in the sense that it was "Mia, Foudy, Brandi, Lilly and that other one." And she may have been the best defender ever in the women's game. Hall of Fame voters apparently forgot all that. Fame smiles on people for variety of reasons. Mia was the best in the world for a few years, and she did well in TV ads. Foudy had the intangible of leadership. Brandi was a good player who changed positions and happened to be quotable and prone to ... well, wild celebrations. Lilly never picked up quite as much hype as the other three, though she obviously drew attention ahead of this World Cup as the remaining 91er. Scurry ran naked through the streets of Athens (Georgia, not Greece) as promised, and I might argue that she's better-recognized than Fawcett. But perhaps she deserved a little more.
Bri didn't throw anyone under the bus. Nor did she go "ballistic" on anyone after the match. In her comments, which were made four years later, she took responsibility for not being in form, stated that she changed her attitude and worked to regain her spot.
You know, it's like this.... So the USA men's team, under the guidance of Bob Bradley, made it to the semi-finals of the 2010 WC (bare with me )...Tim Howard, who made a single mistake in the first match but since bounced back with 3 shut outs in a row leading the team into the semis on a high against C. Ronaldo and Portugal, who surely want to extract revenge from a painful loss to the US in a previous WC. 24 hours before the game, Bob Bradley made the announcement that Tim Howard will be replaced by Casey Keller, who retired twice, only played 1 game last year in a friendly, is in a wheelchair, but, he has the experience of playing in 2 World Cups, and holds a perfect record against Portugal, unlike Tim Howard, who never faced Portugal... Ok so... I'm so disturbed I'm going to stop typing.
A lot of times, shutouts in soccer are the product of team play and the goalie not needing to be tested. Nigeria and England had maybe one quality scoring chance between them. Those are team shutouts, not anything that Solo deserves Solo credit for. She wasn't Kasey Keller stopping Brazil. Fact is, if North Korea had beaten Sweden, we would have been second in the pool, played Germany in the quarterfinals, perhaps lost that game, and the U.S. fate would have come down to Solo letting the worst goal in World Cup history go right through her hands.
Solo's comments were completely taken out of context. She never mentioned Scurry by name. All she said was that you cant live on past accomplishments, which is something i think we all agree on. Kinda mysterious that the "team leaders" voted her to be sidelined for Norway, but where were these "team leaders" when coach was making the dumbest move of his life. Were they consulted, did they find out like Solo did, where was Kristine Lilly? She kept her mouth shut like a good worker drone. Im sure more players will support Solo's comments once Ryan is fired and Scurry is retired, for real this time. Its like a big sorority at US WNT
Thank you for pointing this out. It was four years later, not the same night, and Siri Mullinix hadn't been in the pool of players for years. Bri also didn't offer this analysis on her own, she was asked a straight forward question and answered it. Her obvious intent was blaming herself for allowing herself to have her job taken away because she got out of shape during the houpla of the world cup. What a lot of people seem to keep forgetting is that the starting keeper job has been Hope's basically because of her kicking game and ability on the ball. Bri has always had quicker reaction times and I'd say her mental game is a lot stronger also. I wouldn't be surprised to see her keep the #1 spot.
Did you see any of the 11 goals that Germany put past the Argentine keeper? There were a couple howlers that dwarf Hope's bungling of a wet ball.
And Hope's obvious intent was to say you don't fix what ain't broke, don't change goalkeepers 5 games into a World Cup. It was not to diss Scurry and that her comments were taken that way shows only that they were emotional and not well-thought out, not that they were meant to put down anyone.
I think the fact that it was four years later speaks more. She had plenty of time to sit on that and its clear it was still fresh. She may have meant she was out of shape the same way hope meant ryan made a mistake, fact is out of context both can be seen as an attack on another player. I find it questionable that her hands are any better then solo's and she lacks ability for high balls (like in norway game-hope could reach that). whats more her kicking game is down right dangerous. I mean is cat going to have to start taking goal kicks (because bri can barely reach midfield). Solo is the better keeper and she is better rounded. Bri was a great keeper, but she should retire. Its time for this program to start looking foreward. we should be emulating us basketball which brings in almost a completely new team every olympics. We still win, and we share the experience with a lot more people.
Exactly, Scurry's comment is still the same as Solo's with the only difference being there was no direct dig at the coach. Both were indirect criticisms of a teammate that may not have been intended that way but can be taken that way. (in Hope's case she has apologised and recognized that they were taken that way).