The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer (Caitlin Murray)
Chapter 11: "If There Isn't a Goalkeeper Controversy, Why Make One?"
Murray opens the second half of the book by summarizing the unceremonious retirements of veterans Brandi Chastain, Shannon MacMillon, and Tiffany Milbrett shortly after Greg Ryan became the U.S. Women's National Team's head coach.
Those veterans were replaced by a new roster of players who were either under 23 years of age and/or lightly-capped, including Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo.
And most of the chapter focuses on Ryan's controversial decision to bench longtime starter Solo in favor of backup Briana Scurry in the semifinal of the 2007 Women's World Cup in China. Brazil beat the U.S. 4-0 in a game described by Heather O'Reilly as "the game from hell," and Solo scathing comments about the situation after game only further fractured the team and resulted in Solo's de facto exclusion from the team for the remainder of the tournament.
The situation also resulted in the firing of Ryan, whose career as USWNT head coach ended with that sole defeat on his record.
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