The US Women’s Soccer team still has not been heard from since the Olympics ended last week. The team was last seen receiving their gold medals on the stand while the national anthem was playing in the background.
Tensions at the Olympic final were high as the U.S. struggled early, only eventually outscoring the Canadians one-nil in extra time. An American who plays soccer and is a girl scored the goal. The coach, who is assumed to be an American as well, has not been heard from in weeks.
This isn’t the first time an American Soccer team has gone missing. After Brandy Chastain scored the game-winning goal at some point in the 1990s and ripped her shirt off, the Americans weren’t heard from again for nearly ten years.
That ‘90s team included many people who were most likely soccer players, and all of whom were assumed to be women. It is believed that the soccer squad won some tournament or cup during that time; the one thing we know for sure is that a female took off her shirt.
The sports unit came out of hiding in 2010 with all new members, several of whom brought up questions about where the original team went. Mia Hamm, one of the few known athletes from that group, could not be reached for comment.
Although the Olympic team has been seen on television recently, no one is really sure if that was live or not due to NBC’s dial-up service from London.
America’s tendency to lose athletes after the Olympics makes the question more difficult. Michael Phelps was found just in time for the most recent Olympics on the set of a Subway commercial, while Tonya Harding was discovered working in a sporting goods store in Cleveland. There were rumors that Hope Solo is writing a book, but they were quickly squashed by rumors that Tim Tebow actually completed a pass.