Hope Solo Rips USWNT Head Coach Jill Ellis: 'She Cracks Under the Pressure'

Solo and Ellis won the Women's World Cup together in 2015 before Solo's contract was terminated in August 2016.

Former United States women's national team goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't hold back in her comments about head coach Jill Ellis on Saturday, telling the BBC Ellis, "cracks under the pressure."

“Jill is not the leader I wish her to be” Solo said. “She relies heavily on her assistant coaches. She cracks under the pressure quite a bit. But often that doesn’t matter because the quality of the players on the U.S. team is superb. It doesn’t matter who is coaching us because we will find a way to win. The United States knows how to find a way to win in spite of who the coach is.”

Solo went on to explain that Ellis was also opposed to showing U.S. players film of their mistakes in the 2016 Olympics, despite, according to Solo's claims, the goalkeeper and Alex Morgan asking for it, so the U.S. players could learn.

Solo and Ellis achieved quite a bit of success together in Solo's time with the USWNT, winning the Women's World Cup in 2015. But the relationship quickly cratered after Solo's contract was terminated in August 2016. Solo, who has been critical of Ellis in the past, was initially suspended by U.S. Soccer after calling Sweden "cowards" following the USA's ouster at those 2016 Olympics, and she never played for the national team again. She was ultimately honored by U.S. Soccer for hitting the 200-cap mark at a January 2018 friendly in San Diego. 

The United States will begin its chase for a second straight Women's World Cup on June 11. The USWNT is in Group F, playing alongside Sweden, Chile and Thailand.

Another Women's World Cup title would mark the United States' fourth since the tournament began in 1991.