Former U.S. Women's National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo recently claimed star forward Megan Rapinoe "bullied" players into kneeling before the national anthem.
"I think the rhetoric surrounding this team has been both divisive and inclusive," Solo told Goal.com earlier this month. "I guess it's kind of where we are in politics in this day and age."
"...I think the kneeling thing can be very divisive," Solo added. "I've seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way."
The timeline of Solo's accusations, however, doesn't seem to add up.
Rapinoe began kneeling during Seattle Reign games in September 2016 in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who started kneeling during the national anthem to speak out against police violence and racial injustice.
Meanwhile, the USWNT terminated Solo's contract in August 2016 after she called the Sweden's Olympic team "a bunch of cowards" following a penalty shoot-out loss. She was also Rapinoe's teammate on the Reign at the time, but left the team for "personal leave" following her national team suspension.
Solo never played for the USWNT or an NWSL team after the 2016 Olympics.
U.S. Soccer instituted an anthem policy declaring players must "stand respectfully" for the pre-game song shortly after Rapinoe started taking a knee. However, U.S. Soccer repealed its anthem policy in June 2020 after the police-related killing of George Floyd and ensuing social-justice demonstrations.
More USWNT players have kneeled during the anthem since last summer, but that was long after Solo left the team.
