Solo is back. But at what price? Casual observers felt she was right and that it was a bone-head move. But, how do her team-mates feel about her now? At the time it appeared that the team-mates were behind the coach. Now that the coach is history. Will they let it go and let bygones be bygones? Like the QB who rips the offensive line, suddenly stops blocking people and the QB is punished.

Boy that sends out the wrong message for a number of reasons. First, firing someone for one loss is unfair-we'd be going through Orioles managers by the truckload.
Second, whatever happened to respecting your teammates? The soccer goalie should have kept her mouth shut. Everyone makes mistakes, however and she's the one that has to face her teammates. Ryan shouldn't have been forced to pay the price for her actions.
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Yeah about that one and done thing? You'd have to start dragging people out of the stands at Camden Yards.
-- Bill O.

This is not about one loss! This is about a coach with poor judgement. This would be like not playing your starting pitcher in game 6 of the world series and instead getting your starting pitcher from 4 years ago who has not started more than two games in the last 3 years. Then have the nerve to defend his actions and blame the benched player.
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Jeremy,
Thanks for writing. I realize that this specific situation goes beyond the one loss to Brazil. But to fans of sports in general, it is a great oddity to have a coach with one defeat essentially fired.
-- Bill O.

Greg Ryan said if his decision to replace keepers was wrong, then he would live with the consequences. Well...he didn't have to wait long. The consequences are he is out of a job. Obviously, the World Soccer executives didn't agree with the choices Greg Ryan made at keeper and now can't trust that he won't make another bonehead move in China at the upcoming Olympics.

Clay

Coach Ryan, record was 45-1-9... Women soccer dont deserve him...

First of all, it wasn't one loss, it was two. The US side lost to Germany on penalty kicks in the Algarve Cup finals last year, but that loss was swept under the rug by the US Soccer federation by calling it a tie. Secondly, instead of just focusing on the one loss, let's look at it this way: Imagine being named the coach of an NBA team, and being given a roster containing LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker, as well as other all-stars on the bench. You make it through the regular season with a 73-9 record, with alot of those wins coming on underachieving performances, barely beating teams you should have creamed. Then you are eliminated in the NBA semifinals. Should you keep your job then?

I feel awful for both Ryan and Solo. I understand that it probably wasn't the smartest move to remove Solo but at the same time Scurry is a great keeper who's led the US to many victories. At the same time I'm a keeper as well so my heart has to go out to Solo. I've been in her place before and it's very hard to be pulled out of goal and then watch your team lose because your replacement got scored on. However, she should have kept her mouth shut, she had no right to go off like that. I also feel for Scurry though. Everyone is mad that she got to play and it's no fun to know that no one wanted you in the goal. And how do we know that the loss was her fault. If Solo was in she could have got scored on as well and we could have lost. So all in all I don't think that the loss was any one particular person's fault. You never know what would have happened if things would have done differently. You win as a team, lose as a team and right now...we don't have a team!!! Teams don't fire people for one loss and they don't chew out fellow teammates!

he should have put solo in the goal that day mybe we would of had a chance to win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he should have put solo in the goal that day mybe we would of had a chance to win !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do people keep saying Solo should have kept her mouth shut? We are all are here giving our opinion on the situation and we have nothing to gain or lose but yet someone who worked hard all season and went (undefeated) and was not given a chance to win her deserved GOLD medal you want her to "keep her mouth shut". I think she earned the right to voice her opinion and I agreed with her 100%. Besides with the 08' presidential election gearing up, it nice to hear someone actually speaking the truth. And lastly for those who believe you should just keep your mouth shut just remember when you stand for nothing you fall for anything.

hey Bill how come she had many sympathetic observers...where's the sympathy coming from..when Ray Lewis spoke out so many of these readers said he should shut up and play hum...I wonder what the difference is........
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Rob,
Well, for one, the coach's decsion in this case helped get the team beat. Plus, it was the first time that this player spoke up. And even at that, there were some critics of Solo because they didn't like the fact that she was criticizing the well-liked and much-respected Scurry.
-- Bill O.

Bill thanks for your respnse but you actually just made my point..everything you stated is an exact simularity..Billicks decisions help the team get beaten..this was the first time Lewis spoke out..and alot of people don't like the fact that Lewis is criticizing a very polished speaker in Billick..I dont think that you're saying Billicks decisions dont cost the Ravens games...?
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Rob,
No, what I was trying to say is that since the soccer coach's decision cost the U.S. team in a one-and-done situation, people tended to side with the player a little more, especially since she was the one player who may have made a difference. In the Billick-Lewis situation, I think there are plenty of people siding with the player here as well because they feel the calls contributed to the losses. Those who aren't siding with Ray may be reacting to the history, such as his complaints about not having big guys in front of him. I think you get to go down that road only so often.
-- Bill O.