Hope Solo appears to be one of those athletes that attracts controversy.
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Her attorney is claiming the the 32-year-old Solo is the victim of an assault for which she was arrested early Saturday morning.
"Hope is not guilty of any crime," said Todd Maybrown, Solo's attorney, in an emailed statement, to Reuters.com. "In fact, our investigation reveals that Hope was assaulted and injured during this unfortunate incident. We look forward to the opportunity to present the true facts in court and to having this matter behind Hope very soon."
The former U.S. women's soccer national team goalie was arrested Saturday at the Kirkland, Wash., home of Solo's sister on two counts of domestic violence. She is accused of striking her sister and her 17-year-old nephew during a family gathering that went on during the night, the Seattle Times reported.
Police received a 911 call just before 1 a.m. from the home in the Seattle suburb, according to the Times. A male caller said that a female at the residence was "hitting people" and refused to stop or leave the home.
The police arrived at the home and interviewed several people, including Solo, whom police said appeared to be drunk and upset. Police noticed visible injuries on Solo's sister and 17-year-old nephew. After gathering statements, the officers concluded that Solo was the "primary aggressor" and had instigated the assault.
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She was booked into the south King County detention facility and will have a mandatory court appearance on Monday.
There, her attorney will argue that Solo was the victim in the alleged incident.
The 32-year-old Solo currently serves as the goal for the Seattle Reign FC, which plays today at the Western NY Flash. The team released a statement that it was gathering facts but would have no further comment.
Solo played 152 games for the U.S. women's national team, but her claim to infamy was an interview she conducted during the 2007 World Cup. U.S. coach Greg Ryan benched Solo in favor of Brianna Scurry in the semifinal match against Brazil, and the Brazilian team pummeled the U.S. 4-0.
ESPNW reported that Solo told a reporter after the match, "[Starting Scurry] was the wrong decision. And I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is, it's not 2004 anymore."
The team barred her from playing in the third-place game.
Solo also made news in 2012 when former NFL tight end and then-fiancé Jerramy Stevens was arrested and charged with assault against Solo. He was released because of insufficient evidence, the Times reported, and they were married hours later. Charges never were brought against him.
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