ZIKA! U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo gets bombarded with angry chants at Olympics
Brazilians jeered American soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo with chants of Zika! during the opening game of the U.S. Women’s National Team against New Zealand on Wednesday night.
Solo, who recently uploaded images to Instagram of insect repellent and a mosquito net selfie, was booed by angry Brazilian fans who viewed the images as a bad attempt to mock the Zika outbreak in their country.
The local fans took their revenge on the U.S. goalkeeper Wednesday night by yelling Zika! every time Solo cleared the ball, in what appeared to be a tactic borrowed from the controversial Mexican puto chant.
The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro jokingly, but bitterly, told the local press recently he would provide the Australian Olympic team with a kangaroo if they would just shut up about leaking pipes and blocked toilets at the Olympic Village.
Some Brazilians have criticized the Australian team for being whiny and pampered foreigners for initially refusing to move into the housing complex.
Brazil has been under intense scrutiny for their preparations for the Olympics. Many of the international media reports prior to the Opening Ceremony have focused on the country’s mismanagement of stadiums, water pollution, and the Zika virus outbreak which reportedly has caused some athletes to boycott the games altogether.