I had an idea for a movie script. It's a story about women's soccer. The American team is playing in the World Cup, but in the semi-final they have to play Brazil, a traditional soccer powerhouse. The American team has a chance, because they have a hot goalie, who has shut out their last three opponents.
But the coach decides to bench the young goalie in favor of an older veteran because...well, because the coach is an idiot. Actually he wanted to go with a more experienced veteran who had already played against Brazil, but the real reason is that he's an idiot.
Brazil proceeds to shell the veteran goalie, and the rout is on. Team USA gets blown out, losing to Brazil 4-0. Here's where the story takes a twist. The young goalie is irate at being benched after she had played so well, and vents her feelings to the press. Among other things, she says she would have made those saves.
When the idiot coach hears about this, he is irate. Surprisingly, incompetent people in positions of authority do not respond well to being told they are incompetent. (This also applies to managers in corporations, government, and so on, but I digress.) So the coach (did I mention that he's an idiot?) promptly kicks her off the team, and will not allow her to play in the consolation game for the bronze medal.
Her teammates are even worse, taking the cattiness to a new level. Women being women, they completely ostracize her, refusing to eat meals with her, and don't even allow her to fly home on the plane with the rest of the team.
When the idiot coach gets home, he is fired because he's an idiot who benched the only player who could have given him a chance to beat Brazil. A new coach is hired, and she's not an idiot. It so happens that the following year is an Olympic year, and the new coach asks the players to take back the young goalie. Some of them still don't like her, but they understand that they'll need her to have any chance of winning.
So the young goalie is on the Olympic team, and her teammates are professional enough to play with her even though they still resent her. The team gets off to a rocky start in the Olympics, losing its first game. But then they settle down, and actually make it to the finals, where they will play for the gold medal against...mighty Brazil!
Brazil is much better than Team USA, and they dominate the game. They have two of the best attackers in the world, and they shred the porous American defense, firing one shot after another on goal. The only thing Brazil can't do is score. Because would you believe it? The young goalie really DOES make those saves. She turns back one shot after another, making great saves, making saves when she's screened by other players, almost single-handedly keeping America in the game.
Regulation ends in a scoreless tie, but six minutes into the extra time period, Team USA finally manages to score a goal, and they go on to upset mighty Brazil 1-0. So one year after being booted off the national team, the goalie is now an Olympic champion, standing on the top step of the award platform with a gold medal around her neck, listening to the national anthem.
The problem with this script is that it's too far fetched. No one would believe it. If you brought this improbable story to a Hollywood producer, he'd throw you out of his office on your ear. In fact, the only thing this story has going for it is that it's all true. It happened this past week. The goalie's name is Hope Solo, and the idiot coach's name is...well, he's an idiot, so he doesn't even deserve to have his name mentioned in my blog.
And that is why I watch the Olympics. Every once in a while, justice is served.
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