usa soccer women's team

United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The team is ranked first in the world by the FIFA Women's World Rankings. The team has won two Women's World Cups (1991 and 1999); three Olympic Women's Gold Medals (1996, 2004 and 2008) and seven Algarve Cups (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2010).

The team played its first match on August 18, 1985, coached by Mike Ryan (not related to 2005–2007 coach Greg Ryan). In March 2004, two of its stars, Mia Hamm (who retired later that year after a post-Olympic team tour of the USA) and Michelle Akers (who had already retired), were the only two women and the only two Americans named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players chosen by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary observances.

Among its many other honors, the team was selected the U.S. Olympic Committee's Team of the Year in 1997 and 1999. Sports Illustrated chose the entire team as its 1999 Sportspeople of the Year.

Arguably their most influential and memorable victory came in the 1999 World Cup when they beat China 5–4 in a penalty shootout. With this win they emerged onto the world stage and brought significant media attention to women's soccer and athletics. On July 10, 1999, over 90,000 people (the largest ever for a women’s sporting event and one of the largest attendances in the world for a tournament game final) filled the Rose Bowl to watch the United States play China in the Final. After a back and forth game, the score was tied 0–0 at full time, and remained so after extra time, leading to a penalty kick shootout. With Briana Scurry's save of China's third kick, the score was 4–4 with only Brandi Chastain left to shoot. She scored and won the game for the United States. Chastain famously dropped to her knees and took off her shirt, celebrating in her sports bra, which later made the cover of Sports Illustrated and the front pages of newspapers around the country and world.


See also: USA Soccer teem

Kit

Traditionally since the team started, the kit has been an all white kit. Occasionally blue shorts have been used. As of May 2011, the away kit is all black. Like the men's team Nike is the team's kit manufacturer.

Recent call-ups

The following players were named to a squad in the last six months, but were not called up for the World Cup roster. Lindsay Tarpley is included in this list, as she was named to the World Cup roster but will miss the competition due to injury.

Caps and goals are current as of the completion of the team's 1–0 win against Mexico on June 5, 2011.

Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club Latest Call-up

GK Ashlyn Harris October 19, 1985 (age 25) 0 0 Western New York Flash v. England; April 2, 2011

DF Brittany Taylor September 18, 1987 (age 23) 2 0 Sky Blue FC v. China PR; January 25, 2011

MF Whitney Engen November 28, 1987 (age 23) 2 0 Western New York Flash v. Japan; May 18, 2011

MF Sinead Farrelly May 5, 1989 (age 22) 0 0 Philadelphia Independence v. Japan; May 18, 2011

MF Lindsay Tarpley September 22, 1983 (age 27) 125 32 magicJack v. Japan; May 14, 2011

MF Yael Averbuch November 3, 1986 (age 24) 16 1 Western New York Flash v. England; April 2, 2011

MF Meghan Klingenberg August 2, 1988 (age 22) 2 0 magicJack v. England; April 2, 2011

FW Sydney Leroux May 7, 1990 (age 21) 1 0 UCLA v. Canada; January 23, 2011

Records

The women's national team boasts the first six players in the history of the game to have earned 200 or more caps. (These players have since been joined in the 200-cap club by Pu Wei and Li Jie of China and Birgit Prinz of Germany, as well as by a seventh American, Kate Markgraf.) Kristine Lilly is the only player of either sex with over 300 caps.

Most capped players

Rank Player Caps Goals Years

1 Kristine Lilly 352 130 1987–2010

2 Mia Hamm 275 158 1987–2004

3 Julie Foudy 271 45 1987–2004

4 Joy Fawcett 239 27 1987–2004

5 Christie Rampone 235 4 1997–

6 Tiffeny Milbrett 205 100 1992–2006

7 Kate Markgraf 201 1 1998–2010

8 Brandi Chastain 192 30 1991–2004

9 Shannon MacMillan 175 60 1994–2006

10 Briana Scurry 173 0 1994–2008

Active players in bold, statistics as of June 5, 2011

Top scorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Years

1 Mia Hamm 158 275 1987–2004

2 Kristine Lilly 130 352 1987–2010

3 Abby Wambach 118 157 2001–

4 Michelle Akers 105 153 1985–2000

5 Tiffeny Milbrett 100 205 1992–2006

6 Cindy Parlow 75 158 1995–2006

7 Shannon MacMillan 60 175 1994–2006

8 Carin Jennings-Gabarra 53 117 1987–2004

9 Julie Foudy 45 271 1987–2004

10 Tisha Venturini 44 132 1992–2000

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