Dancing with the Stars: Hope Solo Will Waltz Her Way into America's Heart

Despite her claims that she had no dancing ability whatsoever, U.S. Soccer star Hope Solo showed that she is a force to be reckoned with this season on Dancing With The Stars.

Solo and her dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy scored a 21 out of a possible 30 with their rendition of the Viennese waltz.

The star goalkeeper earned strong reviews from the judges, though they did admit that she needed to learn how to control her body more so the moves look more natural and not quite so disjointed.

Judge Len Goodman offered her the highest praise and sees no reason why she can’t go far as long as she makes some minor adjustments.

“Good hold, good posture, lovely movement … you’ve just got to get a little more fluidity,” Goodman said.

Solo fared much better than Ron Artest, the other athlete competing on the show. The NBA star only scored a 14 and looked lost on the dance floor.

But Solo can’t be content with her performance this week. She has to work hard to get better and improve so that she is scoring in the high-20s when the show moves into the later rounds and the competition gets more intense.

If anyone will be able to dedicate themselves to getting better, it will be Solo.

She is known for her fierce competitiveness and will not let herself settle for less than anything but perfection. It is a trait that has served her well on the soccer field, and it will serve her well on the dance floor.

It doesn’t hurt that the other “stars” on the show this season aren’t what you would call dancing wizards, as evidenced by the fact that Solo’s score was good enough for third place, and she will likely have plenty of time to figure herself out before she is in danger of being eliminated.

But regardless of where Solo finishes this season, she definitely showed that she can compete with this group of dancers and more than hold her own. Given the lack of confidence she had coming into the show, she has to feel good about her chances today.

At the very least, Solo will not be the worst athlete who has ever danced on the show.