U.S. Women's Soccer Coach Gets What He Deserved

When you bench your most important player for the biggest game in four years, well, it had better go well.

U.S. Women's Soccer coach Greg Ryan did just that in the Women's World Cup last month. He replaced former U-Dub goalie Hope Solo, who had a 300-minute scoreless streak going, with her 36-year-old backup, citing the need for more "quickness" against Brazil.

Brazil scored four goals against the superannuated pine rider. Solo called the decision "wrong" after the game, then was suspended.

But she'll be welcome to try out for U.S. Soccer's next tournament, for whoever the new (and, presumably, not completely stupid) coach is. Greg Ryan was fired yesterday.

U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati didn't exactly say that Ryan's improbable brainfart got him fired, but he didn't rule it out, either: "I'm not going to point to any one factor or one individual decision," Gulati said. "Obviously, coaches' decisions impact games. All that was weighed in."

In other words, "Greg Ryan, you are a dumbshit."

You can congratulate Hope, a 509 girl, on her Myspace page.