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MIA HAMM AND THE US WOMENS NATIONAL TEAM

 

 

                                                                                                                                                       



Automatically qualified for third Women's World Cup as host country
Won the 1996 and took Silver in 2000 Olympics
Finished 3rd at the 1995 Women's World Cup
Won the 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup
Won the U.S. Women's Cup in '94, '95, '96, '97and '98

Long hailed as one of the top teams in the world, the United States earns an automatic berth into its third Women's World Cup as the host. The champions of the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991, the USA finished third in 1995, falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Norway. The USA rebounded to take gold at the 1996 Olympics and possesses some of the greatest attackers in the history of women's football. The U.S. is a strong favorite to claim the cup on home soil, and with seven active players claiming more than 100 appearances for their country, the Americans have the most experienced side in the world. First the first time in the late 1990s, the USA is deep on defense with captain Carla Overbeck, Joy Fawcett, Brandi Chastain, Christie Pearce, Kate Sobrero, Lorrie Fair and Sara Whalen all battling for time in front of world-class goalkeeper Briana Scurry. The USA also has choices in the midfield, with Julie Foudy leading the way and Shannon MacMillan and Tisha Venturini also ready to go. The USA gets as boost as college's soccer's top two strikers, Cindy Parlow and Danielle Fotopoulos, join the USA full-time. With Mia Hamm, the Ronaldo of women's soccer, the world's all-time cap leader Kristine Lilly, grande dame Michelle Akers and Olympic hero Tiffeny Milbrett also in its arsenal, the U.S. will be tough to contain come next summer.

U.S. Women's National Soccer Team History

The U.S. Women's National Team captured the first-ever women's Olympic gold medal by defeating China 2-1 on August 1, 1996. A crowd of 76,481 packed Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., to witness the final. Winning the gold medal re-established the USA as the world's top women's soccer team. In addition to defeating China in the gold-medal game, the United States topped reigning World Cup champion Norway in a dramatic overtime victory in the semifinal. The U.S. placed third at the 1995 world championships conducted in Sweden after winning the top prize at the inaugural event in China in 1991. In August 1995, the U.S. Women exacted a measure of revenge against Norway for the semifinal loss in Sweden '95, defeating Norway 2-1 in overtime to capture U.S. Women’s Cup '95. Norway had won the 1995 world title in Sweden, defeating Germany. Since the program’s inception in 1986 through 1998, the U.S. Women’s National Team has posted a record of 144 wins, 31 losses and 12 ties, including a 22-1-2 record in 1998. The USA has managed to stay among the best in the world without a full-time, well-structured national club system for its players, relying on college soccer to keep players between 18-22 years of age in a competitive environment. However, the increased organization of the Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 National Teams under U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco continues to help produce talented players. DiCicco became the third head coach in the program’s history August 22, 1994. He succeeded Anson Dorrance, who guided the team to the 1991 women's world championship in China. The U.S. qualified for the 1995 world championship by sweeping the competition at the CONCACAF qualifying championship in Montreal, Canada, in the summer of 1994. The USA finished the tournament with a 4-0 mark, recording wins over Mexico, 9-0, Trinidad & Tobago, 11-1, Jamaica, 10-0, and Canada, 6-0. In addition to dominating the competition in CONCACAF qualifying, the U.S. captured the 1994 Chiquita Cup with victories over Germany, China and Norway. Changed to the U.S. Women's Cup the following year, the USA has won five straight championships in the annual competition. The U.S. Women won the Ohio Women’s International Soccer Extravaganza and the CONCACAF Women’s Tournament in 1993, and brought home the silver medal from the World University Games.

The women’s national team program began in July 1985 at the Olympic Festival in Baton Rouge, La. Two months later, the U.S. women made their international debut in a 1-0 loss to Italy in Jesolo, Italy, on Aug. 18, 1985. Michelle Akers scored the first goal in U.S. Women's National Team history in a 2-2 tie with Denmark in Jesolo on Aug. 21, 1995. On July 7, 1986, the USA played its first domestic international, a 2-0 win over Canada in Blaine, Minn., getting goals from Joan Dunlap and Marcia McDermott.

 

 

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