Hope Solo best goalkeeper

Team USA's Hope Solo: The Force Is With Her

Unlike Hans Solo, Hope doesn't save princesses, young Jedi knights, or the entire galaxy from an evil Empire.

No, our Hope achieved something much more significant - she secured a win for the U.S.soccer team in the Women's World Cup by blocking a penalty kick after time expired with the score tied 2-2, allowing our American girls to move into the semifinals. This, after the refs robbed Team USA (Funny how - during international competition - those bad calls always seem to go against the Americans) by allowing Brazil a successful re-kick of a penalty shot Hope had blocked cleanly the first time.

But even poor officiating can't stop a driven American women. And when there's a whole team of them, well...the rest of the world had best stand clear.

So what exactly makes America so great, you ask? It's because we always have.... Hope:

And if we are talking about women's soccer, we must at least tip our cap to one of the boldest, brashest, hottest, clutch performers in US Women's Soccer history, Miss Brandi Chastain. Who can forget 1999?