Steven Goff of the Washington Post reports from Shanghai in his Soccer Insider that the intense media coverage of the USA's 4-0 loss to Brazil in the Women's World Cup semifinals and Hope Solo's comments afterwards led to U.S. Soccer's decision to make Coach Greg Ryan available to the media on Friday after first announcing that neither Ryan nor any of his players would be available on Friday.
Ryan said Solo was free to say whatever she wanted to say, but he added that one thing that has stood out on the U.S. women's team through the years has been the support they have had for each other. Ryan wouldn't say whether Solo would be disciplined or start in the third-place game against Norway. He acknowledged that "[German great] Oliver Kahn might have struggled" to keep the Brazil level in the semifinals.
He went on to defend his decision to start Briana Scurry: "I know I am putting myself on the line a little bit, or maybe a whole lot, but I always put myself on the line to help this team move on. At the time, I thought Bri was the right choice." Ryan added that he's not worried about his job security. "I've never spent five minutes trying to keep my job," he said, "but I've spent every waking minute trying to do my job."
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