Solo on ballot to become U.S. soccer prez

HOPE SOLO will be on the ballot for the 2018 election for president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, but she’s facing plenty of competition on top of her already frayed relationship with the organization.

U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday that its former women’s national team goalie is among the eight candidates to succeed Sunil Gulati as its next leader.

Joining Solo on the ballot are President of Soccer United Marketing Kathy Carter; U.S. Soccer vice president Carlos Cordeiro; former U.S. men’s national team player, coach and Fox analyst Eric Wynalda; Boston-based attorney Steve Gans; former USMNT player and NBC analyst Kyle Martino; New York-based attorney Michael Winograd; and former USMNT player Paul Caligiuri.

The election will take place on Feb. 10 during U.S. Soccer’s National Council Meeting in Orlando.

Solo, 36, announced her candidacy earlier this month in a lengthy Facebook post in which she criticized the current U.S. Soccer model as “elitist” and discouraging to those who cannot afford the sport’s rising costs.

"We need passionate and intelligent soccer people leading the way at U.S. Soccer," she wrote.

Solo’s U.S. playing career ended with a six-month suspension and a terminated contract in August 2016 after she called Sweden’s team “a bunch of cowards” following her team’s loss in the Rio Olympics.

In January 2015, U.S. Soccer suspended Solo for 30 days after her husband after former NFL player Jerramy Stevens was charged with driving a U.S. Soccer van under the influence while she rode in the passenger seat.

The ban also came a week after a judge dismissed domestic violence charges against Solo. She had faced two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault for allegedly attacking her half-sister and 17-year-old nephew.

— Jake Becker