US Soccer suspends Hope Solo following husband’s DUI arrest
Jan 21, 2015, 5:11 PM | Updated: Jan 22, 2015, 7:44 am
U.S. Soccer has suspended goalkeeper Hope Solo from the U.S. Women’s National Team for 30 days, two days after the DUI arrest of her husband, former UW Husky and Seahawks player Jerramy Stevens, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday afternoon.
The suspension, effective immediately, stems from what U.S. Soccer would only describe as “an incident that happened during a WNT training camp being held in Carson, California.”
Solo was in a car with Stevens early Monday morning when police pulled him over for suspicion of DUI in Manhattan Beach, Ca. He was subsequently arrested. U.S. Soccer did not specifically reference the incident in its release.
Solo was sent home from the camp and will miss the USA’s matches in Europe on Feb. 8 in France and Feb. 13 in England.
“During our current National Team camp, Hope made a poor decision that has resulted in a negative impact on U.S. Soccer and her teammates,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis. “We feel at this time it is best for her to step away from the team.”
Solo will be eligible for reinstatement to the team after the 30-day suspension, pending review and approval by U.S. Soccer and Ellis, U.S. Soccer said.
Solo issued following statement:
“I accept and respect the Federation’s decision, and more importantly, I apologize for disappointing my teammates,coaches and the Federation who have always supported me. I think it’s best for me to take a break, decompress from the stress of the last several months, and come back mentally and physically ready to positively contribute to the team.”
Solo’s suspension comes just over a week after a judge in Kirkland dismissed assault charges against Solo stemming from an incident at her half-sister’s home last year.
