LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Hope Solo needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut. The U.S. women’s national team keeper took to Twitter after her team beat Colombia, 3-0, Saturday, blasting former U.S. player and current NBC broadcaster Brandi Chastain for comments Chastain made during the game.

In fact, Solo posted four tweets, including “Its 2 bad we cant have commentators who better represents the team&knows more about the game,” and “lay off commentating about defending and goalkeeping until you get more educated” and “the game has changed from a decade ago.”

Seems Solo was upset that Chastain pointed out that a defender’s responsibilities are: “Defend. Win the ball. And then keep possession. And that’s something that Rachel Buehler actually needs to, I think, improve on in this tournament.” An honest opinion by a former defender who was just doing her job as a color commentator.

First off Hope, until you actually win a World Cup, don’t go blasting a player who has accomplished that goal. Secondly, the commentators aren’t supposed to represent the U.S. team. They are supposed to be impartial. And third, if you have a problem with something someone said, have the guts to say it face-to-face, not on some stupid social media platform.

Solo is one of the most outspoken players on the team. During the 2007 World Cup, she criticized coach Greg Ryan after he decided to use Brianna Scurry over Solo in a game against Brazil, which the U.S. lost, 4-0. She was basically kicked off the team and sent home separately from the rest of the players.

Now there’s no denying her talent. She is probably the best keeper in team history. But she’s also a bit of a drama queen if you ask me. You know, someone who always has to have controversy going on in their life. She’s appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” and three weeks ago, she had what could have been the first positive drug test in the history of the U.S. women’s soccer program, testing positive for the banned substance Canrenone, which she said was an honest mistake due to premenstrual medication prescribed by her doctor. She received a warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Plus she recently made some rather revealing comments in an issue of ESPN The Magazine about sex in the athletes’ village during the Beijing Olympics.

Solo does have a book coming out on her life story, so you have to wonder if this wasn’t done on purpose to garner more attention to her book.

Whatever the reason, she needs to apologize to Chastain immediately.

Staying with the Olympics, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James both recently made comments that this year’s Dream Team would beat the 1992 version, which featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, to name just a few. In fact, that team had 11 future Hall of Famers on its roster.

This year’s team might have ended up with three or four who make it to the hall. James and Bryant, are locks, whole Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will probably join them. But after that, nadda. Kevin Love? Russell Westbrook? James Harden? Tyson Chandler? As Gorilla Monsoon used to say, “gimme a break.”

The ‘92 team would win over the 2012 squad. Hands down. Now I know that every player likes to believe the team they are on could beat a storied team from the past, but I’m not even sure why Kobe and Lebron felt the need to address this matter. Could it be they are a little insecure and touchy on the subject?



SPORTS@sentinel-echo.com