U.S.'s Solo Out to Beat Brazil, Not Her Past

Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 19, 2008; Page E01 BEIJING, Aug. 18 -- So here she was again in China, in a media mixed zone, a backpack slung across her shoulder and Hope Solo was going to have to talk about Brazil again. Ten months ago this very moment was disaster, words spilling in anger, piling upon themselves until she had buried herself so deep it seemed she would never be able to crawl back to here, to the Olympics, to a gold medal game against -- wouldn't you know it -- Brazil. For a moment Monday night, the goalie tensed. Then she quietly exhaled. "That has nothing to do with this," she said curtly. "That was 10 months ago. Our team is playing so well right now." In the Beijing Workers Stadium outside, the scoreboard said the U.S. women's soccer team had beaten Japan, 4-2, in an Olympic semifinal,... [read full story]