Solo, Hope (1981-…), an American soccer star, was one of the leading goalkeepers in both American and international women’s soccer. Solo helped the United States Women’s National Team win gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In 2015, Solo helped lead the United States to a FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament championship. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body. Solo had previously played on U.S. World Cup teams in 2007 and 2011. She holds the American career record for most shutouts. A shutout in soccer occurs when a goalkeeper prevents the opposing team from scoring any points.
Hope Amelia Solo was born on July 30, 1981, in Richland, Washington. She was a star forward on her high school soccer team, which won the state championship her senior year in 1998. Forwards are primarily responsible for scoring goals for their team. Solo was named a high school All-American in 1997 and 1998. She also played club soccer from 1996 to 1999. Club soccer consists of teams playing within a league, in contrast to national teams that play against other countries. Solo attended the University of Washington, where she was an All-American her final three years at the school from 2000 to 2002. While at Washington, she switched from forward to goalkeeper. She played for U.S. junior national teams before joining the national team in 2000. She was the national team’s regular goalkeeper from 2005 to 2016.
Solo played for several professional teams in the United States and Europe beginning in 2003. From 2013 to 2016, she played for the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Solo was named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year in 2009. She was awarded the Golden Glove as best goalkeeper in the 2011 Women’s World Cup and the Bronze Ball as the third most outstanding player in the tournament. She won the Golden Glove award again in 2015. Her autobiography, Solo: A Memoir of Hope, was published in 2012.
