USA Women's goalkeeper Hope Solo has been hit with a six-month ban after calling her team's opponents Sweden "a bunch of cowards" during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The comments were made by Solo after the USA lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout against the Swedes in the quarter-finals of the Olympic event in Brazil.
The 35-year-old is no stranger to controversy - she was suspended for 30 days in 2015 for an incident during a training camp.
A statement from US Soccer president Sunil Gulati read: "The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players.
"Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.
"Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we've had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a US National Team member, US Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action."
In response to the ban, Solo wrote on her Facebook page: "For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the US Women's National Team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes.
"In those commitments, I have never wavered. And with so much more to give, I am saddened by the Federation's decision to terminate my contract.
"I could not be the player I am without being the person I am, even when I haven't made the best choices or said the right things. My entire career, I have only wanted the best for this team, for the players and the women's game and I will continue to pursue these causes with the same unrelenting passion with which I play the game."
US Soccer is yet to finalise the team's fixture list, but at the moment, Solo will miss games against Thailand and the Netherlands next month.
Danielle Joynson
