The big revelation of Hope Solo's comments to Brazil fans' boos

RIO DE JANEIRO — Several star athletes stayed away from these Summer Games, understandably afraid of the Zika virus, unwilling to put up with a health risk in the name of Olympic glory.

Hope Solo is among those who put aside her fears and showed up. She has already become an outlet for Brazilians’ resentment about the Zika worries, and she heard a cascade of boos on Wednesday night from fans in Belo Horizonte during the United States’ opening 2-0 win over New Zealand.

Two weeks ago, Solo posted photos of a large display of mosquito deterrent, and of herself in a ponderous mask. It was over-the-top, and the Brazilians let her know it. Certainly, American fans would have dished similar abuse to, say, Kaka, if he did the same before visiting Zika-stricken Miami for a game.

Still, Solo’s response to the jeering was somewhat telling.

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“I’m glad the fans had fun,” she told reporters in the mixed zone after the match. “If they had more fun at my expense, more power to them.”

Her comments were respectful and measured. They were said in the right tone. And they came after she had already apologized for the photos she posted. She did not escalate — she understood and she acknowledged.

This is somewhat of a departure for Solo, who is known for firing back at any and all detractors. It was Solo who, after getting criticized by “Dancing With The Stars” partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, posted a photo of all three judges holding up “1” placards. And of course, Solo became a name during the 2007 Women’s World Cup when she blasted her own coach for benching her in favor of Brianna Scurry.

Her reputation hit its nadir when she was accused of domestic violence, berated a police officer, and then called herself the victim in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America.” The charges were dropped, and her case is still lingering in appeals, but Solo did little to help her own cause.

She was largely shielded from the media during the entire World Cup last year, and her dominant performance for the champion Americans was somewhat overshadowed by U.S. Soccer’s unwillingness to fully address the accusation against her. When Solo said something, it was received poorly. When she said nothing, it was received poorly.

The result is a superior athlete who seems to carry controversy like luggage – someone with a reputation as thin-skinned yet still happy to dish out her own opinions.

But it’s possible that Solo has changed in a way that’s only now becoming clearer.

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Solo recently produced a documentary, “Keeping Score,” and in it she tells a story about when she was 12 years old and her mother and stepfather told her she couldn’t play soccer anymore. They explained to her that the sport was too expensive, and they couldn’t afford it any longer.

Solo says in the film she was “shaking” because she was so angry. She became defiant and insisted that she would play on. This, perhaps more than anything else, explains how Solo reacts in stressful situations: She will lash out if her ability to play is threatened.

In a sense, her battle to save her career, first waged at age 12, has been replayed again and again. It happened in the World Cup in 2007, it happened after the domestic violence accusation and, in a different way, it happened again this year as a leader in the U.S. women’s national team’s lawsuit against U.S. Soccer. Solo went from saying nothing during the 2015 Women’s World Cup to being arguably the team’s most vocal proponent of receiving equal pay for equal play. On the conference call announcing the lawsuit, it was Solo who responded early and often to reporters’ questions to say the push was beyond sports and beyond borders. She is just as valuable in that battle as she is on the field. Which is to say: invaluable.

And when the Zika concerns arose, Solo was again vocal, telling Sports Illustrated earlier this year she was leaning toward staying home.

“I do not accept being forced into making the decision between competing for my country and sacrificing the potential health of a child, or staying home and giving up my dreams and goals as an athlete,” she said. “Competing in the Olympics should be a safe environment for every athlete, male and female alike. Female athletes should not be forced to make a decision that could sacrifice the health of a child.”

This was another example of how Solo thinks: unwilling to be mistreated, unwilling to be treated as lesser, unwilling to be forced into a bad choice.

In the end, she chose to come to Rio. And although her photos were tone deaf, they also showed how afraid she really was. That fear was overcome by her devotion to playing, and that is to her credit. She stood there and took the boos. She absorb more of them often here.

There are many who have already cemented their impression of Solo. But the time since that incident shows progress. She entered therapy. She reckoned with her demons. She sought help within her team and on her own.

“You know, I can cry it out. I can try to understand it,” she told ABC last year. “It’s been healthy for me to just talk it out and to deal with my emotions instead of just tucking them away.”

Her response to criticism on Wednesday is a small glimpse into her ability to do just that – channel her emotions into understanding.

“I want people to realize I’m just human,” she said in the Roberts interview. “And I make mistakes. And I want people to be able to forgive me if they’re willing to do so.”

There is still some time left in the spotlight for one of the greatest players in women’s soccer history. Forgiveness may not come easily, or at all, but it says something that she’s still standing there.

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