Hope Solo is kicking off her cleats for some dancing shoes, and it's making her about as nervous as a World Cup final.
The U.S. goalkeeper and international soccer icon will make her debut performance Monday night on the new season of "Dancing With the Stars,"
"I don't think I should have been the first from the team to be chosen for the show because of my dance moves," Solo said. "Lauren Cheney can really bust a move."
That may be true, but Solo is the one fast becoming a pop culture icon.
After losing at the World Cup final in Germany -- a shootout defeat to Japan that has already gone down as one of the greatest women's soccer games ever -- Solo has exploded into the public consciousness. She has appeared on the "Late Show" with David Letterman and landed high-profile endorsement contracts with Gatorade and Bank of America. Solo is approaching 300,000 followers on Twitter, and has embarked on numerous media tours to promote women's soccer.
Now she's dancing.
"It's been a whirlwind," she said.
Solo is partnering with "Dancing With the Stars" veteran Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Chmerkovskiy and Solo have spent about six hours a day for the last week working on their debut performance -- a Viennese waltz -- despite Solo's commitment to the U.S. national team.