Hope Solo failed to win the U.S. Soccer presidency (she finished fifth in voting), as Carlos Cordeiro took over the office this past February. However, the long-time U.S. Women's National Team goalkeeper is still voicing her opinion about the state of U.S. Soccer. 

One area of focus is the cost of playing youth soccer. She covered this and other U.S. Soccer issues with Bonnie Bernstein on a panel Tuesday at Hashtag Sports in New York City, and afterwards Solo discussed it further with ThePostGame.

"The average cost for soccer right now in the United States is $15,000 per year," Solo says. "That obviously alienates so many communities, including the Hispanic communities, the black communities, the rural communities and under-represented communities. Soccer, right now, has become a rich white kid sport. You have to look at why have our U.S. men not qualified for the World Cup? And it goes back to our youth system. And it's because we are alienating so much talent in the youth system, and it breaks my heart because these kids are passionate about the game and they are filled with great skill, yet they're being told if you don't have the money, you can't represent your country."

Kyle Martino, another former candidate for U.S. Soccer President who played for the U.S. Men's National Team, recently said the "privatized" nature of youth soccer is putting financial pressure on parents to the point it drives kids out of the sport.

Solo is 36 and while her national team career is still in question, she says her activism will continue she fights to advance U.S. Soccer, specifically for women and youths.

"We have a claim with the United States Olympic Committee under the Ted Stevens Act, which means that a national governing body, a non-profit organization like U.S. Soccer, has to put money back into the youth system, has to put money back into the amateur system, the Paralympians, the U.S. Deaf Team, they have to support all of soccer in the United States," Solo says. "Yet, they only support professional soccer because that's what makes them more money. Right now, it's become profit or progress and that's why we filed a claim with the United States Olympic Committee."

Among other concerns, Solo was one of five U.S. Women's Soccer players who filed a wage complaint about U.S. Soccer almost two years ago. The issue is still at the forefront of the sport domestically, and Solo is optimistic results will be seen sooner rather than later.

"U.S. Soccer just released their financials," Solo says. "It's clear and obvious they pay the women less than the men and it's discrimination based off of sex. We have the same job title, same employer. It's pretty clear cut and dry, however, when you push anything through the court system, it takes a long time. It takes three to five years, so I'm hoping within the next five years, you're going to see a precedent case where we will finally have women athletes being paid equally to men. And I truly believes it's going to happen."

Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan are the other players who filed the complaint.

Other athletes speaking at Hashtag Sports this week included Victor Cruz, Jay Williams, Ryan Howard and Josh Norman.

-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.