RIO DE JANEIRO — Twenty-five minutes into Tuesday night’s steam bath of a soccer match in the Amazon, Hope Solo stood in front of the United States net, awaiting a free kick by Colombia’s Catalina Usme from about 20 yards away.
Usme launched a shot that cleared the wall of United States players and went directly at Solo, who appeared ready to catch the ball against her chest as she fell to her knees. Except that she did not. In one of the more stunning moments in recent years for the United States women’s soccer team, the usually indomitable Solo let the ball slip through her legs and into the net.