US soccer defends Hope Solo decisions in letter to senator

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — The head of U.S. Soccer defended the federation’s handling of goalkeeper Hope Solo’s domestic assault case in a letter to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on Friday night.

Solo was charged with two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault stemming from an altercation last June with her sister and 17-year-old nephew at a family gathering in Kirkland, Washington. A judge dismissed the charges earlier this year.

Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati on Thursday regarding Solo, calling domestic violence “unacceptable, particularly for an athlete representing the United States of America on the global stage.”

Solo is currently starting for the U.S. women’s national team at the World Cup in Canada. The U.S. played to a 0-0 draw with Sweden in a group-stage match on Friday night. She did not speak to reporters following the match.

Gulati’s response said U.S. Soccer investigated the matter as thoroughly as it could at the time, but its approach was guided by limited access to information and contradictory accounts of the incident, as well as legal concerns.

“The federation has been a long-standing leader in the pursuit of gender equity in sport — a role of which we are quite proud,” Gulati wrote. “Accordingly, rest assured that the federation considered domestic and family violence a very serious matter. The federation understands its role and obligation as the national governing body for the sport of soccer and will continue to investigate and address such issues as they arise.”

Blumenthal’s letter came in the wake of an ESPN report that brought new information about Solo’s arrest to light, including allegations that the goalkeeper was combative with police officers. Solo pleaded innocent to the charges.

ESPN said the report was based on police records, two sworn depositions obtained by the network program “Outside the Lines,” other documents and interviews with one of Solo’s alleged victims. It said Solo had been drinking when she arrived at the home of her half-sister, Teresa Obert, and was the aggressor in the altercation, including slamming the teenager’s head into the floor.

Solo’s lawyer, in response to a question from ESPN about the reports, responded with a statement saying: “Police reports and other court documents clearly demonstrate that the alleged victims radically changed their stories on multiple occasions and twice refused to answer questions under oath, despite court orders. Had the case proceeded to trial and the witnesses been cross-examined under oath subject to the penalty of perjury, the defense would have proven that Teresa’s son, not Hope, was the true aggressor, and that Hope suffered a concussion as a result of her nephew’s unlawful conduct.”

The ESPN report came the day before the U.S. team and its star goalkeeper opened play at the Women’s World Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The monthlong event is being played across six Canadian cities.

Gulati said U.S. Soccer did not suspend Solo because statements made by her half-sister and nephew were inconsistent, but he acknowledges that the federation never spoke to the relatives. U.S. Soccer, relying on the advice of counsel, decided to let the case play out.

Gulati’s response acknowledged that new information was presented in the ESPN report that the federation did not have initially. That information was contained in records that were sealed.

He said U.S. Soccer is looking at the new information.

Following the ESPN report’s release, U.S. coach Jill Ellis said the team was not impacted.

“I’ll be honest, we’ve moved on,” Ellis said. “She’s been a fantastic player and teammate. None of that has even resonated with us, and I’m sure many of the players aren’t aware of it.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.