Brazilian fans were not too kind to Hope Solo as the US women’s national team made its debut at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio on Wednesday.
The US defeated New Zealand 2-0 to win its first game in Group G. New Zealand only managed four shots — 1 on goal — which was stopped by Solo.
Not only was Solo booed by the fans when she touched the ball, but she heard a loud “Zika” chant when she kicked it:
Pra quem perdeu o carinho da torcida brasileira gritando "oooo zika" pra Hope Solo pic.twitter.com/yL8MhKsK8f
— Ciro Hamen (@cirohamen) August 3, 2016
Why the hatred towards the American goalie? Well, you may recall that back in February, Solo said she would skip the Olympics because of a concern about the Zika virus, though she ultimately declared in April that she would play.
That alone probably would have been fair, but Solo’s tweets in late July about how she’s preparing to handle Zika in Brazil may have rankled some of the locals:
Not sharing this!!! Get your own! #zikaproof #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/y3d8hnuEjk
— Hope Solo (@hopesolo) July 22, 2016
If anyone in the village forgets to pack repellent, come and see me…#DeptOfDefense #zikaproof pic.twitter.com/x8RdUV6M7c
— Hope Solo (@hopesolo) July 22, 2016
Solo was asked by NBC after the game what she thought about the boos.
“The Brazilians — they love soccer — it’s part of their culture, so I expect it. They’re having fun. At least it’s loud in the stadium. I’d rather have that than hear a needle drop.”
Maybe Solo will have the last laugh if she can lead the US to the gold.
