(sort of) Kayla's Salute: Hope Solo of magicJack and USWNT

Kayla loves football as much as the next guy, but at the base level, she's still a woman. She appreciates the after-game shirt exchange just as much as the game itself. Kayla's salute is a recurring piece spotlighting the best footballers that also happen to be the best looking. This salute is different because I, Jacen, am highjacking it to pay a birthday salute to a person who has become my very favourite female footballer: Hope Solo.



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by Jacen



Unless you live in a place with no access to popular media, or you do and just avoid all news about the world of soccer, you have probably heard of Hope Solo, the stunningly beautiful, razor tongued keeper who plays for US football club magicJack and the United States Women's National Team. Since returning from the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, Hope has been seen on talk shows, at premiers, and she even graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, a feat in itself being that only 4% of all Sports Illustrated covers have featured women. While she is deservedly riding high at this point in her life, Hope Solo's beginnings were much more humble.

Hope Solo before a match.

Hope was born on July 30th, 1981, in Richland, Washington. Hope's father Jeffrey was a veteran of the Vietnam war, and as with most veterans of that particular conflict, he had several issues that would plague him for the rest of his life. Hope was raised primarily by her mother Judy. From a young age, Hope seemed destined to be an athlete, taking an interest in several sports including basketball, snowboarding and beach volleyball in addition to a growing fascination with soccer, which was first taught to her by her father. Upon reaching high school, Hope played as a forward for her school team, the Richland High Bombers. Over the course of her high school career, Hope notched 109 goals, two of which were scored in the 1999 State Championship. Her exceptional playing also earned her two Parade All American awards. Hope finished high school in 1999 and went onto to play for the University of Washington. It was there that she first switched to goalkeeping. Always being one to push herself and try harder, Hope settled into her new position quickly and very effectively. As The Huskies keeper, she was named a four time All-Pac 10 athlete, and a three time NSCAA All-American. When Hope was a senior, she was the only goalkeeper, male or female, in contention for that year's Herman trophy. Though she did not get the win, Hope had the consolation of leaving as the University of Washington's all time clean sheet leader (18), as well as leader in saves (325) and GAA (1.02).

In the year 2003, Hope's club career got underway when she was  drafted to the newly formed WUSA club Philadelphia Charge. She made 8 appearances for the club before moving to Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC

Hope playing for Philadelphia Athletica

in 2004. Again, after only one year and 17 appearances for the Swedish club Hope moved to Lyon in France in 2005. At Lyon, she made 20 appearances for the club. After 2005 Hope left Lyon and did not play for another club until 2009, when she came back to the United States and was picked up by WPS club St. Louis Athletica. She played for them from 2009 - 2010, making 23 appearances. In 2010, after Athletica effectively folded, Hope joined Atlanta Beat, also in the WPS. In Atlanta she made 16 appearances. In 2011, ownership of the Beat changed, and the club was not only renamed, but moved. Just before the start of the 2011 WPS season, Hope followed her teammates down to Boca Raton, Florida where her new club, named magicJack, would be situated.

Hope has also had a very impressive international career. He received her first senior call up in April 2000. That match was a particular success, as she kept a clean sheet in the 8 - 0 win over Iceland. In 2004, Hope was selected as one of the goalkeepers for the USA's Olympic squad, and in 2005, she was officially the United States starting keeper. One particular record Hope holds, is she once went 1,054 minutes without conceding an international goal, a streak that was ended when the USA played France in the Algarve Cup. Unfortunately, Hope's good fortunes could not last forever. 2007 would prove to be a pivotal year for Hope Solo. She was selected as starting keeper for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, yet the whole experience was marred by three major life changing events, the first coming in April of that year. One of Hope's oldest and best friends, Elizabeth Duncan, was hit and killed by a car while she was out jogging in Seattle. Then in June, just before the start of the tournament, Hope's beloved father Jeffrey, died of a sudden heart attack.

Solo during her post 2007 Semi Final Interview

Pushing her emotions to the back of her mind, Hope chose to focus on the tournament. She was in excellent form, and of the 4 matches she played, she only conceded two goals, both of which were in the first game. In the next three matches, which were against Sweden, Nigeria and England, Hope kept a clean sheet each time. It appeared that Hope was also going to start in goal in the semi-final against Brasil, but coach Greg Ryan had other plans. Despite her four solid performances, Hope was benched in favor of veteran goalkeeper and previous World Cup winner Brianna Scurry. The USA would go on to lose to Brasil 4 - 0. Following the match, Hope, who was visibly upset, famously ranted to the press, speaking out against coach Ryan and his decision to bench her: "It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves." Following her outburst, coach Ryan benched her again, and Solo was ostracized from her teammates for the remainder of the 2007 US Women's season. Upon returning home to Seattle, Hope retreated for two weeks. "I couldn't sleep in my bed because my body just ached, so I'd start the bathtub. If that's what depression is, I think I hit it. I was a wreck." Hope stopped answering telephone calls and emails, and even lost 10 pounds. "I wanted to give up," She said. "Why show up somewhere where 20-plus people hate you? But I was going to be there to prove to everybody that you can't determine somebody's career by whether you like them or not."

2008 would see a complete turnaround from the previous year. Coach Ryan left the team after his contract was not renewed, and in his place stepped former Swedish international Pia Sundhage. With her came a newer, possession based approach to playing, as well as a call for black sheep Solo to come home. Veteran forward Abby Wambach said: "The younger players have a little bit of that emotional attachment to each other, but less so than in the past. You don't have to like each other, but once you cross that line, if you can like each other for at least 90 minutes, then I think you can be successful." From Hope's return to the roster in 2008 until the ill-fated game against Sweden in the group stage of the 2011 Women's World Cup, the USWNT had not lost a single match. Hope Solo had returned.

Though she missed much of the qualifying campaign due to shoulder surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation, Hope was chosen as the starting keeper for the United States for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. It was a big tournament for Solo in many ways. Over the 4 years since the last World Cup, many major events had taken place, and many notable wins were attained, including a rematch against Brasil in the Final of the 2008 Olympics which saw the USA win 1 - 0. But with the past behind her, and the future looming ahead, Hope did what she always did before. She got her head down and forged ahead. Her first two matches started well, with two victories against North Korea and Columbia and Hope keeping a clean sheet both times. Unfortunately, the USA would lose 2 - 1 against Sweden in the ultimate match of the group stage. While the loss was not enough to push the USA out of the tournament, it did set up a World Cup rematch from 4 years earlier. Brasil, who won group D with 9 points out of 9 and no goals conceded, looked to eliminate the US Ladies once again. Initially, luck appeared to be on the side of the USA, with a Brazilian own goal being scored in the 2nd minute. Yet the match was FAR from over. With 8 Yellow cards and 1 controversial Red for Rachel Buehler of the USA, the match itself was hard fought and highly exciting. Hope even stopped the penalty that followed Buehler's Red only to have to do it again due to encroachment. Solo could not stop the second penalty, and the match was level. After the game went to extra time and Brasil scored, things looked over for the USA, until Abby Wambach scored an incredible last minute goal to push the match through to penalty kicks. In the shootout, again Hope managed to save a penalty and ensured the USA went through to the Semi-Final. After beating France in the semi's, the USA went to their first World Cup Final since 1999, where they would play surprise finalists Japan.

Hope celebrating post game

After another astonishing game that saw 2 goals for both Japan and the USA, as well as 30 minutes of extra time, the Final would have to be decided on penalty kicks. Tragically for the USA, and Magically for Japan, the shootout did not go in the favor of the US Ladies. Japan would win 3 - 1, following a string of poor spot kicks for the USA. Though the USA took 2nd place, three awards were given to Hope for her outstanding playing during the tournament. She took home the Golden Gloves as the tournament's best keeper, in addition to the Bronze Ball as the tournament's third best player overall. She was also named as one of the two goalkeepers for the 2011 All-Star Team. Despite the 2nd place finish, Hope and the US Ladies returned home to an overwhelming show of support and love. It seemed that everywhere they went, people wanted a piece. Hope in particular, was shown a great deal of attention after the tournament's end, with everything from people proposing marriage via large signs or Facebook, to her being invited to the premiere of the final season of Entourage, to making appearances on the talk show circuit and beyond.

Today is July 30th. It also happens to be Hope Solo's 30th Birthday. This article is not only a Salute, but a gift to a player that has ridden the waves of success and defeat, and managed to get herself a tan. I can say with all certainty that we'll be seeing more of Hope Solo in the coming years, as her future continues to look brighter every day.



Jacen Curathers is a writer, co-editor and co-founder of the Captain's Armblog. He enjoys reading, drinking himself into a stupor, and playing as a fake, unrealistically talented version of himself of FIFA 11. He invites readers to email him anytime at thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com.

The CAB's Spotlight on Bob Bradley

The CAB's Spotlight is a recurring piece on hot topics in the football world. This edition will focus on Bob Bradley and his tenure as the USMNT coach.

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By Kayla



Today it was announced by ussoccer.com that Bob Bradley, coach of the US Men's national soccer team, has been relieved of his duties. US Soccer President Sunil Gulati made the announcement today after meeting with Bradley and US Soccer CEO Dan Flynn at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.  The announcement comes five years into Bradley's tenure as the coach, during which he led the team to some notable victories and disappointing losses.  A replacement has not yet been named but is likely to be announced by Gulati tomorrow.

Before heading USA's national team, Bradley began his coaching career in college soccer, landing his first coaching gig at the ripe age of 22 at Ohio University after participating in their sports management program.  He was eventually lured away by Bruce Arena and filled in as Arena's assistant while Arena headed up the University of Virginia.  Shortly after, Bradley served his longest tenure to date at his alma mater, Princeton University, where he brought the team two titles in the Ivy League and also brought them to the NCAA Final Four in 1993.

Bob Bradley paired up with Bruce Arena again for his first foray into the newly formed Major League Soccer league to serve as Arena's assistant at D.C. United.  He soon after became manager of the expansion team, Chicago Fire and led them to win a double in 1998 (MLS Cup and US Open Cup), which earned him a MLS Coach of the Year trophy.  He won another US Open Cup for the Fire before he went on to coach the MetroStars.  He took the MetroStars from their underachieving status to their first Open Cup final in the club's history before moving on to manage Chivas USA, where he took them to a third place finish after a loss to Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference.

Bradley first began his post as the US Men's coach in December 2006, taking over Bruce Arena's post after the men's disappointing showing at the World Cup.  Bradley was interim until May of 2007, when he officially earned the title of the manager, despite much speculation that Jurgen Klinsmann would be named the head coach.  During his time as coach for the USMNT, Bradley brought the team Gold Cup victory in 2007 after a 2-0 win over Mexico in the final, which led the team to a runner-up spot in the 2009 Confederations Cup after defeating #1 ranked Spain and ending their 35 match streak.  Bradley also brought the US to the 2010 World Cup, where the team won their group for the first time since 1930, a major moment for the US with Landon Donovan's last second goal against Algeria.

Unfortunately, the US has seemed to be on a decline since their World Cup appearance.  What can only be speculated as the final straw was the US's 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup final, where the US has a 2-0 lead in the first half of the match that brought about a Mexico rally with four unanswered goals.  Here we are a month after that defeat, with the manager's post vacated until an official announcement brings about a replacement.

Bob Bradley has received a great amount of criticism for his coaching during his few years as the manager of the US Men's team, but he has helped the team grow and has propelled them to new heights in the arena of world football.  In a transition period for US Men's soccer, let us not forget the acheivements Bob Bradley brought to the team and to the country.

At this point we can only hope his replacement will carry on the pattern of progress and propel the team to reach goals that were just a little out of reach under Bradley's command.



Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com

Nando Watch: Introduction

By Kayla

The 2011/2012 English Premier League season is quickly coming upon us.  Many expectations are upon the players and coaches, particularly on one Fernando Torres.  After starting the season with Liverpool and feeling dissatisfaction over their lack of trophy potential, Torres headed to greener pastures at Stamford Bridge.  Transferring to Chelsea at the deadline for a record deal brought about high expectations for the Spanish striker, and unfortunately his debut half-season with Chelsea only managed to deliver one goal.

But a new season is upon us.  Torres is rested.  Torres is fit.  Torres is ready.

In my potentially tragic bout of optimism, I'm predicting Torres will prove he's worth the millions Roman Abramovich dumped into the campaign to bring him to Chelsea.  We've all seen the genius of his playing, and I believe he's due for a comeback after seeming like he's a shadow of his former self for awhile.

Nando Watch will be documenting his progress during his first full season at Stamford Bridge in hopes of capturing a wonderful performance that will have all of the nay-sayers fall silent as they can no longer voice their doubts. It is a potentially tall order, but Torres is well on his way with already one goal under his belt during Chelsea's preseason tour over Asia.

Be on the lookout for the first installment of Nando Watch as the Premier League begins in coming weeks.  This series will either be testament to a star player bouncing back or a sad but hilarious recount of Roman Abramovich banging his head against a wall.


Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com

The CAB's Video of the Day: Tim Howard's Long, Flowing Locks

Day of the video. Err, video of the day. Yeah!


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By Kayla

Unless you've been living in a hole, you've seen Tim Howard's commercials for All-State.  Each spot features the American keeper standing in goal with an inner monologue running as the game is being played.  This particular one has Tim talking about his blonde, curly locks.  Clearly he has Diego-Forlan-hair-envy.

Video: Allstate via YouTube


Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com

The CAB's Video of the Day: Hope Solo Dunks George Lopez

Video of the Day. 'Nuff said.


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By Kayla


In the continuing storm of the US Ladies hitting every possible media outlet after their return from their World Cup campaign, Hope Solo appeared on The George Lopez Show to show off her astonishing accuracy by dunking George Lopez after a few tries.  Or it's possible that she was angered by his ignorant comment of referring to her as the "World Cup champ" that propelled her to hit the target.  And I'm not the only one who is a bit annoyed that the US Ladies keep being referred to as Team USA, right?  Anyway, here's the video:

Video: YouTube


Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com

The CAB's Video of the Day: Mario Balotelli's Lazy Back Heel

Video of the day. Let's do it!


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By Kayla



Mario Balotelli effectively made an ass of himself on Saturday against the LA Galaxy when he squandered a beautiful scoring opportunity by performing a lazy back heel that rolled out past the goal.  Not that this is anything new for Balotelli.  That goal could've sealed Man City's victory over the LA Galaxy sooner, but  instead the match proceeded to a penalty shootout, where the Citizens edged out the Galaxy 7-6.

Video: ESPNUK via YouTube


Kayla is a writer, co-editor & co-founder of The Captain's Armblog.  She enjoys eating too many sweets, writing, and defending Fernando Torres.  Send her digital candies to thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com

Keeper Wars: Tim Howard vs. Hope Solo

Keepers Wars is a new and (hopefully) recurring piece where we match up one keeper against another and try to determine who will come out on top. Due to the recent buzz surrounding Hope Solo and whether or not she'd ever play in the MLS, this first piece will feature Hope Solo taking on her United States National Team Male Counterpart, Tim Howard.


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By Jacen

For the uninitiated, Keeper Wars is sort of like an all keeper penalty shootout. You take 2 goals and set them up about 7 - 10 yards apart, and put one keeper in front of each goal. Each keeper then takes turns kicking, punting or throwing the ball and trying to score on the other keeper. (see the video on the right for a really real example) The contest can be won a number of ways. Usually a winner is determined by whoever has scored more times in an allotted amount of time. You can also do a format like first to 3, first to 5, etc. Some, other more unique ways to win are being the first to score with a kick AND a throw, or being the first to score in all four corners of the net. Today, we'll be doing a traditional "score more in the allotted time" set up. The scenario will be: Tim Howard vs Hope Solo, winner will be the one who scores most in 120 seconds. To determine our winner, we'll weigh the Pros and Cons of our two combatants and compare and contrast until we have it all figured out.



Tim Howard and Hope Solo both possess exceptional skill out on the pitch. To many, both can be considered among the Top 10 Best Keepers in the world, for both males and females, respectively. Yet there is a single difference. Where Tim sort of floats in that top 10, usually somewhere in the 5 - 10 spot range, the general consensus is that Hope Solo is THE best women's keeper in the world. By that rationale, Hope IS a better keeper than Tim is. But ultimately, you can't weight the two as equals because they are not. The demands and rigors of the men's game and the women's game are not comparable, so we'll have to adjust for that.

As for the players actual skills, here is where the real differences become apparent. Both keepers can be viewed nearly as equals on two major things: reflexes and personality. Both Tim and Hope have the skill to pull off incredible reflex saves, and well as having the natural instinct to get their nose in make dives and punches without waiting until the ball is a foot in front of them. And, as we've all seen in the past, both Hope and Tim can hold their own in a penalty shoot out (check the 2011 Women's World Cup Semi Final for Hope and the 2009 MLS All Star game shootout for Tim). As far as personality goes, both possess the two most important personality traitx that all keepers need: A determination to win and a hatred of conceding goals. They say to be a keeper, you need commitment and passion, in addition to being a bit crazy. Tim and Hope have all three.

But here is where equality ends. Strength would naturally be the most obvious place where a difference would be apparent. Here, Howard has the edge, no question. Tim's size affords him the natural advantage a taller person would have over someone who is a half a foot smaller than he is. Also, the diving save, a move that is essential for all keepers, is also tipped in Tim's favor. He has more range than Hope, mostly due to height difference. (Tim is 6'3 and Hope is 5'9) Tim can use his powerful legs and long arms to seemingly reach all corners of the net. Tim's size affords him other advantages as well. He can make the goal incredibly small behind him, and when it comes to making himself big, many forwards have found themselves kicking right into Tim as opposed to past him. Yet size is not everything. Tim occasionally has trouble getting low and stopping rollers from slipping into the twine. Here is where Hope excels. She can drop and pop better than almost every keeper out there, making secure both the higher and lower parts of the goal. Hope also jumps more frequently than Tim does, erasing a good part of the height difference, especially since most of the players Hope is defending against are not as tall as say the players in the Barclay's Premiere League. Speed is also on Solo's side. Tim, who is very fast himself, cannot quite match the quick movements that Hope can pull off. Stamina is another important factor. A keeper is going to see more action in Keeper Wars than they might in a normal 11 on 11 match. Here again, Hope Solo may have the advantage. She is not only younger than Tim is, but most of her career has been spent playing for her national team as well as being on the Olympic squad, as women's club footy is largely undeveloped throughout most of the world. Sure, the Premiere League is no place for slouches, Tim's age might be his undoing in this contest.

What that leaves us with is scoring ability. Both Tim and Hope have a ferocious goal kick at their disposal, yet in Keeper War, that might not work as effective as a good finishing shot. Here Tim and Hope each have a unique way they could score, which the other player might not possess. For Tim, it is the throw, and for Hope Solo, it's the drop kick. As most fans know, (well, the American one's at least) it was Tim's missile-like throw that set in motion the game winning play for the USA vs. Algeria in the 2010 World Cup. The incredibly accurate Jabulani rocket Tim can launch could serve him very well. Only downside would be that Tim could become very tired very quickly if he was over reliant on the throw. By the same token, Hope Solo's special scoring strategy, the drop kick, might ultimately prove another double edged sword. If you look a few postings back, you'll see the video of the day that featured Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and David Letterman kicking footy balls at passing taxi's, trying to get one of the balls into the cab itself. Hope was the only one able to do it. She has a real sharp kick that could easily breeze past an unwary keeper. Yet Tim is no ordinary, and very infrequently unwary keeper. The time that Hope would need to take her drop kick might give Tim the chance to get himself into position.


Well, now that we have all of that overly long detail aside, it's time to pick our winner.



And that winner is:

Tim Howard, by an eyelash. It is not a victory that comes lightly. Hope Solo would definitely be able to give Tim a run for his money. Yet in the end, we feel that Tim's strength, range and expirience would give him the things he needs to just inch ahead and be the Keeper Wars Champion. No disrespect to Hope, she is no slouch, and deserves a win just as much. But we have now spoken!

First Keeper Wars Champion... Tim Howard!




Also, please enjoy the two videos we have posted below. Both video are keeping highlights for Tim and Hope. You can review these videos and determine for yourself who you think should be the Keeper Wars winner.

All videos curtesy of YouTube.



Jacen Curathers is a writer, co-editor and co-founder of the Captain's Armblog. He enjoys reading, drinking himself into a stupor, and playing as a fake, unrealistically talented version of himself of FIFA 11. He invites readers to email him anytime at thecaptainsarmblog@gmail.com.