Soccer star Hope Solo of Seattle has been suspended from the U.S. Women’s National Team and sent home from training camp.
In a statement Wednesday night, team head coach Jill Ellis said Solo's actions off the field had “a negative impact” on U.S. Soccer and her teammates. Solo posted a statement in which she apologized and accepted the 30 day suspension. The starting goalkeeper said the best thing for her would be 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.”
On Monday Solo was in a car with her husband when he was arrested for drunk driving near the U.S. team training camp in Southern California. This came mere days after a judge dismissed domestic violence charges against Solo stemming from a family argument last summer.
Due to her suspension, Solo will miss two matches in Europe in early February. Team USA is scheduled to play France and then England in preparation for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. According to the statement from U.S. Soccer, Solo will be eligible for reinstatement to the national team well before the World Cup kicks off in Canada in June.
Solo is also the goalie for the Seattle Reign women’s pro soccer team, whose season begins in April.