Former United States women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo says that Megan Rapinoe would “almost bully” other team members into kneeling for the national anthem.
“I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way, but it’s our right as Americans to do it in whatever way we’re comfortable with,” Solo said while on “All of Us: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Show” last Tuesday.
While Rapinoe has yet to respond to the comment, many were quick to point out that Solo was released by the team in August of 2016. Rapinoe didn’t begin to kneel for the anthem until September of 2016.
Solo has a controversial history with the USWNT as one of the more prominent and outspoken players during her time on the team.
U.S. Soccer terminated her contract five years ago due to “conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles.” Following the USWNT’s loss to Sweden in a penalty shootout at the Rio Olympics, Solo called members of Sweden’s team “a bunch of cowards.”
In 2014, she was charged with assaulting two family members. Then, in 2015 she was suspended from the team after her husband was charged with a DUI while driving a U.S. Soccer van. (Solo was a passenger.)