Details of Hope Solo arrest revealed on eve of World Cup opener

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Just when it seemed that the U.S. women's soccer team had finally gotten past all of the off-the-field distractions that have haunted it in recent months, another round of controversy roared into the spotlight.

ESPN reported Sunday that goalkeeper Hope Solo may not have told the truth in some of her statements about a domestic violence case last June in Kirkland, Wash.

Of particular consequence was an unsealed court deposition by Solo's half-sister, Teresa Obert, in which Obert said that Solo was drunk and assaulted both Obert and her then-17-year-old son. ESPN also reported, based on police records and two sworn depositions, that Solo was combative with police officers after her arrest.

All of that landed squarely on the shoulders of U.S. team coach Jill Ellis on Sunday morning - just a day before the Americans' Women's World Cup opener against Australia at Winnipeg Stadium.

Solo, 33, had faced two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence. After her case was dismissed on procedural grounds by a judge in January, she cast herself as the victim in a televised interview on ABC, saying that she was assaulted by Obert's son. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine, Solo again denied assaulting anyone that night.

According to the ESPN report, Obert said that Solo "grabbed" her son and "kept slamming him into the cement over and over again." Obert and her son were injured, according to statements by police officers.

Solo was not made available to reporters Sunday night. Carli Lloyd, Solo's roommate during World Cup travels, acknowledged being aware of the report but said that she "didn't discuss it with her for one second."

Ellis said she had been made aware of the report by a U.S. Soccer Federation media relations employee but said she had not read it in full herself.

"I like to have clear focus and stay in the bubble, so to speak, and worry about the things that really impact the players and the team," Ellis added. "None of that [Solo news] is resonating with us. . . . It was something that was a long time ago. We've certainly put it to bed."

The latest uproar over Solo only added to the pressure and hype surrounding the American team. Thousands of fans and dozens of reporters from across the United States have come to Canada's heartland to see whether the national team can get off to a good start in its quest to win the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.

Lloyd and her teammates are not shying away from the pressure. They know about their rock-star status back home, and that many of the other teams in the tournament don't work and play in the same atmosphere. And they know it will help alleviate some of that pressure if they can get off to a good start against Australia.

"We want to come out fast, we want to come out strong, and it's not going to be easy," the Delran native said. "These last three or four days have been really long, and we're all pumped and ready for the game to start."

There is a risk of those emotions becoming a hindrance. Just ask Canada's team. Playing Saturday in front of a record crowd of 53,000-plus in Edmonton, the host nation looked nervous against China's taut defense. It ultimately needed a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to eke out a 1-0 win.

Ellis, a U.S. assistant at the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics, is tasked with making sure that her players find the right balance. The goal, she said, is for the team to "build and grow" throughout the group stage so that it is peaking for the knockout rounds.

Lloyd knows she'll be looked to for help with that.

"I want to really embrace the veteran leadership role," she said. "I'm not a leader like Abby [Wambach] where she's cheering and rah-rah - I'm more kind of leading by example, and I want to give it my all every single game I'm out there."

On Monday night, Lloyd will be counted on more than ever.

Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Winnipeg Stadium
TV: Fox Sports 1, NBC Universo

Keys for the U.S.: The biggest question facing the team right now is whether star striker Alex Morgan will play after being out since April with a bone bruise in her left knee. Morgan has been back in full training this week, and seems ready to go. ... The other starting options up top for the U.S. are Sydney Leroux, Christen Press, Abby Wambach, and Amy Rodriguez.

Scouting Australia

FIFA ranking: 10

Past World Cups: Five (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011)

Players to watch: Samantha Kerr, Kyah Simon, Katrina Gorry, and Caitlin Foord have 30 or more national team appearances despite being 23 years old or younger. Veteran Lisa De Vanna, the team's captain, provides the experience. She'll earn her 100th cap if she plays against the United States.