Solo blasts USWNT coach Ellis: 'She cracks under the pressure'
Hope Solo may not be taking part in the 2019 World Cup with the United States, but she's making her presence felt off the pitch.
The former standout goalkeeper ripped Jill Ellis ahead of the Americans' opening match against Thailand on Tuesday, saying the USWNT coach can't withstand the pressure of the job.
"Jill - she's not the leader I wish her to be," Solo said during a BBC interview on Saturday, via ESPN. "She relies heavily on her assistant coaches. She cracks under the pressure quite a bit. But oftentimes it doesn't matter, because the quality of the players on the U.S. team is superb."
Solo hasn't played for the United States since the 2016 Olympics when her contract was terminated after she called Sweden "a bunch of cowards" following a shocking loss to the Swedes.
She earned 202 caps with the national team, winning the World Cup in 2015 on a side Ellis managed. The English-born coach has been at the helm of the U.S. since 2014. Despite Ellis' success in that time, Solo said the team's sheer talent is enough to win "in spite of who the coach is."