10:40 AM PT -- Rich Nichols, counsel for Hope Solo, tells TMZ Sports ... "On the advice of counsel, Hope can't speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges."
Hope Solo, U.S. soccer legend, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest ... and cops say her two children were in the car when she was busted.
The 40-year-old retired goalkeeper -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner -- was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot off Parkway Village Circle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ... and was taken to the Forsyth County jail for processing.
Officials tell us Solo was booked for impaired driving (DWI), resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse.
It's not the first time Hope, who was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world during her time with the USWNT, has been in trouble with the law.
Solo has previously been arrested for domestic violence. She was accused of berating a police officer in 2014, and threatening to "kick his ass." She was also busted for allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with her teenage nephew.
Solo is married to ex-NFL player Jerramy Stevens. Hope and JS have two young kids together, twins, who just celebrated their 2nd birthday. It's unclear if the kids in the car were Jerramy's ... but it seems likely.
If Solo is ultimately convicted, she could face time behind bars.
Originally Published -- 10:01 AM PT