In the wake of Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final, Sports Illustrated has goaltender Hope Solo on this week’s cover. I would have preferred seeing the Women’s Soccer team on the cover last week, but SI was fearful that the US would lose to France on Wednesday.
It marks the first time since 2003 that a women’s soccer player has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. We have SI’s blurb on the cover and the pic of said cover.
Hope Solo Graces the Cover of This Week’s Sports Illustrated On Newsstands Tomorrow
First Women’s Soccer Player to Appear on the Cover Since Mia Hamm Eight Years Ago
(NEW YORK – July 19, 2011) – Team USA goalkeeper Hope Solo graces the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated, dated July 25 and on newsstands tomorrow. Solo is the first women’s soccer player to appear on the cover since Mia Hamm on the September 22, 2003 issue.
Explaining the selection of this week’s cover photo, Time Inc. Sports Group editor Terry McDonell says: “The U.S. had just lost one of the greatest games ever played, and the emotions of that are complicated. And it’s reflected in the cover shot of Hope Solo, a nuanced mix of sadness and courage. She is looking back, thinking what might have been, but she is also looking to the future.”
As the cover caption indicates, the U.S. performance at the 2011 Women’s World Cup was filled with Heart and Heartbreak. After capturing the nation’s attention with a stunning comeback vs. Brazil in the quarterfinals, Team USA twice surrendered leads against Japan in the final. Midfielder Carli Lloyd said afterward (page 34): “I’m kind of in shock. I had no doubt [about winning]. When we went up a goal in regulation time, I’m like O.K., we’ve got 10 more minutes I knew we’d close it out. Then we score in overtime and I’m like O.K, we’ve got five minutes left. Then they equalize again. Even when we were stepping up taking penalty kicks, we’re like, We’ve got this. Maybe it just wasn’t our time.”
That’s all. More on this week’s SI issue tomorrow.
