Menses vs. Womenses

The day before the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team was set to play in the Women's World Cup semifinal against Brazil, coach Greg Ryan announced that Briana Scurry would start in place of Hope Solo. Solo had been the regular starter pretty much all year long. She'd won a hefty chunk of the games during the 50-game winning streak the team had going. She let in two goals against North Korea in the first game, one of which went right through her hands (Hockey players call it a "soft goal". Whether it carries the same label in soccer, I don't know.) She had not allowed one since. Ryan's reasoning was that Scurry had never lost to Brazil (12-0) and that her quick reflexes would help against the Brazilians. If you were going to argue the chemistry angle, you'd say that the team was coming off its best game against England, and switching things up drastically like this was bound to be a distraction and was unnecessary. You could make a case either way: history vs. what's working now.

That's when the fun began. And when I say "fun", I mean "misery".

The U.S. got crushed 4-0. The first goal came on an own goal. Two others Scurry got her hands on, but was only able to deflect as they went into the net. Shannon Boxx got a red card before halftime. Regardless of whether it would have made a difference or not, that opened the door to wonder if Ryan had made the right decision. Somebody walked right through it, and that somebody was Hope Solo. Let me paraphrase:

"Greg Ryan made the wrong decision. Anybody who knows anything about the game knows that it was wrong. Briana Scurry used to be great, but she's not anymore. I'm the best goalie we have now. You can't live in the past. I know I would have made the saves on the goals she let through."

There's a word for this: BLAMMO!

There's a technical term for this: Throwing your teammate under the bus.

In the history of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team, there's an elite tier of players that includes Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Joy Fawcett. I may be missing one or two others. Briana Scurry is not in that top tier, but she's not far behind, either. She's won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup, making the winning save in the shootout against China in 1999. She's the best goalie in team history. Not the best goalie now (at age 36), but the best over her career. Calling her out in the media is a huge stunner, and something that I've never seen from anybody on the women's team. Solo did come out the next day and apologize for some of what she said.

The rest of the team got together and decided to send a message that they were all united. United, that is, except for Solo. Not only did the team decide she wouldn't play in the 3rd-place game, she wouldn't even be with the team for the game. Scurry started and the U.S. won 4-1.

I imagine that there are people who are a bit pleased that the story got as much attention as it did. A few years ago, "So what?" would have been the prevalent reaction. Now it's reported on the front page of espn.com. Maybe a sign that the popularity of the women's game is increasing.
I don't look at it like that.

There are people who say that for women's sports to succeed they have to become more like men's. Lashing out at your own teammates is the sort of thing that happens in men's sports, so that and the attention it got are signs of progress, right?

NO!

If I want to watch a sport being played and evaluated on the same plane as the men, then I might as well watch the men. They can do things the women can't and do the things they can better. That's not why I watch women's soccer. I watch because I like the players better. Because our women are actually good--even dominant--on a global level. Because I get the sense that they play for different reasons than the men. I've always felt that the women's team consists of players who love each other and play for each other, not just with each other. I don't get any of that from watching the men play.

I don't want women's sports to be more like men's sports. Intersection between the two is okay, particularly when it's in the area of improvement. But it would be a shame for the women's game to lose what makes it different and appealing in the pursuit of more money, advertisers, and notoriety.