Click here to view the embedded video.

For more information about the show, check out the ON THE BALL website at www.areyouontheball.com

Featuring:
Nicole Barnhart and Allison Whitworth – FC Gold Pride
Karina LeBlanc and Val Henderson – Los Angeles SOL
Caroline J̦nsson РChicago Red Stars
Hope Solo – Saint Louis Athletica
Erin McLeod – Washington Freedom

photographs and animation by Julie Logan.

Related posts

• See Extraordinary: Hope Solo (0)
• Hope Solo, Scurry chosen for US training camp (0)
• Women’s Professional Soccer: Going Hope Solo (0)
• USA 1-0 Brazil (AET) (1)
• Hope Solo vs Lotta Schelin – US Women’s Soccer (0)

Goalkeeper Solo punched a ball that was flying toward the net to save a 1-0 victory over Brazil for the women’s soccer team. With a gold medal hanging around her neck, she salvaged not only her reputation but a brutal slate of performances on Thursday in Beijing.

By fending off a flurry of shots by (Ital)Mah-Velous(Ital) Marta, Solo vindicated herself 10 months after she was ostracized by her teammates for her blunt criticism of their 4-0 loss to Brazil in the 2007 World Cup semifinals.

That was an hideous time for U.S. women’s soccer and women’s sports. Solo spoke her mind about a coaching choice to replace her with Briana Scurry. She was absolutely right, but her teammates took it tough and shunned her as if they were members of a junior high clique. They wouldn’t even eat with her or glide home from China with her.

They regrouped under new coach Pia Sundhage and mended their relationship with Solo.

“A gold medal takes away all the pain in the world,” Solo said. “Honestly, I went through hell. Things change over the course of time. A lot came out. One thing was the role of female sports – you don’t have to be best friends.”

The U.S. track team could have used some teamwork.

At Bird’s Nest Stadium, both U.S. 4×100 relay teams dropped the baton between the third and fourth legs. They were eliminated before the qualifying round was over.

They’ll have to watch as Jamaica goes for world records and a sweep of gold medals in the sprint events.

What a shame, but this isn’t the Junior Olympics. The U.S. should have seamless exchanges by now, especially given its gaffes of the past.

It was an embarrassing case of deja vu for Lauryn Williams, who took off too soon and couldn’t get the baton from Marion Jones at the Athens Olympics. This time, Torri Edwards let the baton go too quickly after slapping it into Williams’ hand.

“Somebody somewhere has a voodoo doll of the U.S.,” Williams said. “I have no thought what could have gone incorrect. Our plot was to come out here, have safe passes and lay it all on the track tomorrow.”

Instead, the baton clattered to the ground. Williams dashed back to retrieve it and finished the race out of a sense of duty, four seconds behind seventh-place Italy.

Here’s an opportunity for Elmer’s Glue to become an Olympic sponsor.

In the men’s race, Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay bungled their exchange. Poor Gay, who went from being a contender for three golds to a man who didn’t even run in a final.

“It’s kind of amusing all the like I got last year and now I’m going home with no hardware,” Gay said.

Meanwhile, Jamaica cruised as Usain Bolt took the night off except to accept his gold for the 200. Jamaica’s national anthem was followed by a rendition of Pleased Birthday. Bolt turned 22 Thursday.

Fans want to see Bolt perform another world record dance and make Jacques Rogge eat his words. The International Olympic Committee chief reprimanded Bolt for his theatrics. Rogge needs a Tsingtao or three.

Fans – and NBC – like a small jiggle. Just look at the ratings for women’s beach volleyball, which concluded in pouring rain Thursday with a second straight gold medal for Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, who defeated China to win their 108th consecutive match.

Then the volleyball throwbacks – the ones who play indoors – upset Cuba’s women’s team to advance to the final for the first time since their coach, Jenny Lang Ping, led China to a gold-medal victory over the U.S. in 1984.

Related posts

• A spectacular Hope Solo with a golden finish (0)
• U.S. Women Celebrate Gold Medal (0)
• Hope Solo is “Sportsman of the Year” nominee (1)
• Hope Solo Back At Home (0)
• Extraordinary Goalkeepers. Women’s Professional Soccer Goalkeepers – OntheBall TV Show Promo (0)