Former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo is making headlines for some recent claims she made — via Goal.com — regarding her former teammate Megan Rapinoe.
On All of Us: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Show, Solo had a lot to say about Rapinoe and her decision in 2016 to kneel during the national anthem, following what Colin Kaepernick — then of the San Francisco 49ers — had done just weeks earlier.
“I think the kneeling thing can be very divisive,” Solo said on the podcast. “I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way.”
But there’s something that isn’t sitting right with soccer fans, who noticed the timeline doesn’t exactly match up. Let’s dive in:
Solo's last game with USWNT was August 12
That was the quarterfinals loss to Sweden in the Rio Olympics. It was after that game that Solo called Sweden “a bunch of cowards.” It was not the first time Solo had said something controversial in her career.
Full Hope Solo quote on Sweden after US was eliminated from the Olympics today. pic.twitter.com/UZVCAeur6m
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) August 12, 2016
U.S. Soccer then terminated her contracted 12 days later.
Kapernick starting kneeling (after sitting) during the anthem on September 1
#49ers QB Colin Kaepernick & teammate Eric Reid kneel during the National Anthem.pic.twitter.com/zzHXV5Xmxm
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) September 2, 2016
Rapinoe knelt on September 15
That was in support of Kaepernick, and it was before a USWNT friendly.
#USWNT midfielder Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem before her game against Thailand in Columbus pic.twitter.com/cQUkqkYgEo
— Kyle Robertson (@KRobPhoto) September 16, 2016
So how could Solo have seen Rapinoe "almost bully players into kneeling"?
That’s what a lot of people want to know:
This is a completely fabricated story. Hope Solo's last appearance was at the 2016 Rio Olympics, two weeks before Megan Rapinoe joined Colin Kaepernick in kneeling for the anthem (and Rapinoe did so alone; none of her teammates joined her) https://t.co/T9xUpuMfau
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) August 17, 2021
So is no one gonna question the fact that @mPinoe didn’t even start kneeling until after hope solo was kicked off the team?!?! Someone make it make sense. https://t.co/jbWeunpU4b pic.twitter.com/0rNdz0uEne
— Madison Huszar (@mad_madz_) August 17, 2021
Hope Solo was off the team before Rapinoe started kneeling, so it's extra incredible she managed to survive this harrowing ordeal. https://t.co/XxHIXpoGzR
— Mads (@madisons_mad) August 17, 2021
lmao does Hope Solo know that we all have google pic.twitter.com/rbrgfouvPM
— ~Nikki~ (@GayCrystalGems) August 17, 2021
Seattle soccer fans may recall that Megan Rapinoe took a knee in solidarity w/Colin Kaepernick for the first time in September 2016.
By then, Hope Solo had already left both the USWNT and the Seattle Reign. They were no longer teammates.https://t.co/6HstrgkdDV
— Craig Welch (@CraigAWelch) August 17, 2021
Hope Solo: 'Kneeling… can be very divisive. I’ve seen Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something.'
8/24/2016: Solo suspended
8/26/2016: Kaep kneels for 1st time
9/4/2016: Pinoe kneels for 1st time🤔 make it make sense.
— amadí (@amadoit__) August 17, 2021
