Fast Break

Soccer

No hope for Solo; she’s off team

The Hope Solo saga took another stunning turn Saturday when her U.S. World Cup teammates decided they did not want the goalie with them for either today’s third-place game with Norway or Saturday’s practice.

The team banished Solo, who had started the first four games of the World Cup, because she reacted to being benched for Thursday’s 4-0 semifinal loss to Brazil. After the game she criticized not only the decision but the play of her replacement, veteran Briana Scurry.

“Her going public has affected the whole group. Having her with us is still a distraction,” U.S. captain Kristine Lilly said in explaining the decision.

Solo, 25, was the team’s goalie of the future, but her career with the national team could be over unless she somehow finds a way to regain her teammates’ confidence. She apologized at a Saturday team meeting after using her MySpace site for a public apology that still implied criticism of Scurry.

“The forgiveness in our hearts is just going to have to come with time,” said Abby Wambach, the team’s leading scorer.

“I don’t want to speak for Hope, but I think she understands she lost this team,” coach Greg Ryan said.

Golf

Time for this pair to get lotto ticket

Two golfers playing together in a threesome made holes-in-one on the same hole.

The landmark morning for Bill Maslowski and Carl Workinger came while they were playing in a threesome at Grandview Golf Course in York, Pa., on Thursday, The York Dispatch reported.

According to a Golf Digest study, the odds of two players in the same foursome acing the same hole are 17 million-to-1.

Maslowski got his ace first, using a 5-iron on the 152-yard fourth hole. Steve Fahs, the other player in the group, hit second but missed the green. Workinger then used a 6-iron to hit his ball into the cup.

The holes-in-one also were witnessed by a maintenance worker.