United States Profiles
Michelle Akers
Birthplace: Santa Clara, Calif.
Hometown: Orlando
University: Central Florida
Caps/Goals: 141/102
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996, FIFA order of Merit 1998.
On the Field: Played for U.S. since national team’s foundation in 1985 and scored its first goal. Won Golden Boot as top scorer in the 1991 world championship in China with 10 goals and Silver Ball as tournament’s second-best player.
Etcetera: Has her own Web site: https://www.michelleakers.com, a horse named Vinnie and an autobiography, “Standing Fast.” Lately nicknamed “Mufasa” by her teammates after a character in “The Lion King” because of her mane of hair.
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Brandi Chastain
Birthplace: San Jose
Hometown: San Jose
University: Santa Clara
Caps/Goals: 95/20
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The only foreigner selected as one of the best 11 players in Japan in 1993, when she played professionally for Skiroki Serena. Played every minute of every game on the gold-medal Olympic team. Assistant women’s coach at Santa Clara, where her husband, Jerry Smith, is coach.
Etcetera: Snowboarder, pet lover, linguist and artist, she was a judge who helped select the official World Cup ’99 poster. Can do 72 push-ups in a minute. Not a bad golfer, either.
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Tracy Ducar
Birthplace: Lawrence, Mass.
Hometown: Andover, Mass.
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 23/0
International Honors: None
On the Field: Helped lead the University of North Carolina to the NCAA title in 1994 and was unbeaten (23-0-0) for the Tar Heels in the 1995 regular season. Starting goalkeeper for the Raleigh Wings team that won the W-League championship in 1998.
Etcetera: A Phi Beta Kappa graduate in biology and chemistry. Backpacker, snowboarder, rock climber and free spirit.
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Lorrie Fair
Birthplace: Los Altos, Calif.
Hometown: Los Altos, Calif.
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 48/1
International Honors: None
On the Field: Led Sunnyvale Roadrunners to an under-16 national championship in 1994. Versatility earned her a World Cup place. She can play anywhere along the back line as well as in midfield. Youngest player on the World Cup roster.
Etcetera: She and twin sister Ronnie, who plays for Stanford, became the first twins to represent the U.S., against England in San Jose in 1997. Enjoys volleyball, the piano and mountain biking.
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Joy Fawcett
Birthplace: Inglewood
Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita
University: California
Caps/Goals: 142/18
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: One of the world’s best defenders, she was a forward in college and holds the Cal career scoring record with 55 goals and 23 assists. U.S. Soccer’s female player of the year in 1988. Won U.S. Women’s Amateur National Cup with Ajax of Manhattan Beach in 1992, ’93 and ’98. Former UCLA women’s coach.
Etcetera: Plays for the U.S. while raising two daughters, Katelyn Rose and Carli. Neither that nor a broken leg in ’95 has slowed her.
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Danielle Fotopoulos
Birthplace: Camp Hill. Pa.
Hometown: Altamonte Springs, Fla.
University: Florida
Caps/Goals: 22/8
International Honors: None
On the Field: Broke the NCAA record for career goals with 118 and led Florida to the national championship last year. At 5 feet 11, her height makes her a scoring threat offensively and a force defensively. Won under-19 and under-20 national championships.
Etcetera: A sports fanatic, she lettered in soccer, basketball, swimming, tennis, cross-country and track and field at her Orlando, Fla., high school. Her husband, George, is women’s coach at the University of Tampa.
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Julie Foudy
Birthplace: San Diego
Hometown: Mission Viejo
University: Stanford
Caps/Goals: 155/30
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996, FIFA Fair Play Award 1997 (for her work against child labor).
On the Field: Inspirational co-captain who leads by example, on and off the field.
Etcetera: “Rowdy Foudy” has become a television personality since her work as an in-studio analyst during the France ’98 World Cup and she frequently appears on talk shows. Accepted into Stanford medical school but will pursue TV career instead. Team comedian, lover of doughnuts and an avid golfer.
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Mia Hamm
Birthplace: Selma, Ala.
Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 173/109
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The most recognizable player in the World Cup and one of the best. She holds the world record with 109 international goals. Superb dribbler and finisher. Can play anywhere along the front line and also gets back on defense. Made her debut at 15.
Etcetera: Her biography, “Go for the Goal,” was published this spring. Nike named a 450,000-square-foot building in her honor this month. Married to a Marine Corps helicopter pilot. Shy but has a quick sense of humor. Basketball fan and best golfer on the team.
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Kristine Lily
Birthplace: New York
Hometown: Wilton, Conn.
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 180/74
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The world’s most-capped player with 180 national team appearances. Debut at 16. Tireless runner, seemingly indestructible. Played on a men’s professional indoor team for one season, also professionally in Sweden. Four-time NCAA champion with Tar Heels.
Etcetera: Lists movies, music, books and her golden retriever, Molson, among her interests. Quiet off the field. Has a soccer camp each summer in her hometown, which honored her gold medal by erecting a sign at the city limits.
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Shannon MacMillan
Birthplace: Syosset, N.Y.
Hometown: Escondido
University: Portland
Caps/Goals: 78/19
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The best pure winger on the team, excellent dribbler and has one of the hardest shots in the game. Scored the winning goal in overtime against Norway in the Olympic semifinal. Played two seasons as a professional in Japanese women’s league.
Etcetera: Only player on the team with a key to the city of Escondido, a tribute for her Olympic gold. As assistant coach at Portland, she helped Pilots into the 1998 final four. Interests: board games and shopping rank high.
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Tiffeny Milbrett
Birthplace: Portland
Hometown: Portland
University: Portland
Caps/Goals: 118/59
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: Scored the gold medal-winning goal against China in the Olympic final. Top scorer on the team this year and No. 4 all-time. Also its best dribbler, able to cut and weave through any defense. Like MacMillan, she played professionally in Japan. Still holds Oregon high school scoring records.
Etcetera: Owns her home in Portland. Cooking, music and golf are favorite pastimes, but her real ambition is to be a point guard.
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Carla Overbeck
Birthplace: Pasadena
Hometown: Dallas
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 144/7
International Honors: World champion 1991, Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: U.S. co-captain with Foudy. A no-nonsense central defender or sweeper with great vision of the game. Captained Raleigh Wings team that won the W-League championship in 1998. Four-time NCAA champion.
Etcetera: Born almost within shouting distance of the Rose Bowl, site of the World Cup ’99 final. Assistant women’s coach at Duke. One of the team’s soccer moms, she has a 1 1/2-year-old son, Jackson.
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Cindy Parlow
Birthplace: Memphis
Hometown: Memphis
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 56/22
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: Youngest of the gold medal winners in ‘96, she has played her way into the starting lineup this year. At 5-11, she provides an added dimension to the U.S. offense. A silky dribbler, she can beat several defenders at a time. Two-time Hermann and Missouri Athletic Club award winner, as college soccer’s finest player.
Etcetera: Nicknamed “CP.” Enjoys golf and inline skating. She had a 4.0 grade point average in high school. Works as a volunteer with underprivileged children in Chapel Hill, N.C.
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Christine Pearce
Birthplace: Broward County, Fla.
Hometown: Point Pleasant, N.J.
University: Monmouth
Caps/Goals: 49/2
International Honors: None
On the Field: A forward in college, she was converted into a speedy defender by the national team. Started most U.S. games in the past two years but edged out by Chastain recently.
Etcetera: With a 29-inch vertical leap, it’s easy to see why she was a starting point guard at Monmouth University. An exceptional high-school athlete, she was an all-league player in soccer, basketball and field hockey and led her conference in scoring in all three sports.
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Tiffany Roberts
Birthplace: Petaluma, Calif.
Hometown: San Ramon, Calif.
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 72/6
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: Turned her bronze medal from the 1995 world championship in Sweden into a gold one the next year. Versatile player who is a tenacious man-to-man marker. Good speed. A key role player off the bench.
Etcetera: A top high-school track and field athlete, she enjoys dancing and singing. Hometown of San Ramon held a Tiffany Roberts day when she made her national team debut at age 16.
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Briana Scurry
Birthplace: Minneapolis
Hometown: Dayton, Minn.
University: Massachusetts
Caps/Goals: 90/0
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The U.S. team’s No. 1 choice in the nets since 1994. Has more victories and more shutouts than any other national team goalkeeper. Soon to surpass 100 caps.
Etcetera: Ran naked through the streets of Athens, Ga., after winning the gold medal. Actually, it was only 20 yards in the middle of the night, but it fulfilled a promise made. Works in AIDS awareness and the Make A Wish Foundation. Voted top female athlete in Minnesota in high school.
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Kate Sobero
Birthplace: Pontiac, Mich.
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
University: Notre Dame
Caps/Goals: 26/0
International Honors: None
On the Field: The latest player to break into the starting lineup, she is a superb one-on-one defender, with the speed to go forward on attack. Still looking for her first national team goal, however.
Etcetera: Prone to calamitous accidents, and more than a few ludicrous pratfalls, she once fractured her jaw in a collision with teammate Tracy Ducar and had to have it wired shut for six weeks. Sense of humor keeps her unfazed.
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Tisha Venturini
Birthplace: Modesto
Hometown: Modesto
University: North Carolina
Caps/Goals: 122/41
International Honors: Olympic gold medalist 1996.
On the Field: The U.S. team’s super sub, often being brought into games late when the team is in need of a goal. Scored in injury time to beat China this spring. Very good in the air. In the Olympics, she scored the game-winner against Denmark, the U.S. team’s first World Cup opponent. Collegiate soccer’s player of the year in ’94.
Etcetera: An avid skier and above-average golfer, she also enjoys reading.
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Saskia Webber
Birthplace: Princeton, N.J.
Hometown: Princeton, N.J.
University: Rutgers
Caps/Goals: 26/0
International Honors: None
On the Field: Started one game in the 1995 world championship in Sweden, where she earned a bronze medal. Solid in all aspects of the game. First female soccer player inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. Played three seasons in the Japanese women’s league.
Etcetera: Her Dutch mother named her after Rembrandt’s second wife. Once won a bodybuilding contest at Rutgers. Keen on surfing and photography and wants to open a dance club one day.
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Sara Whalen
Birthplace: Natick, Mass.
Hometown: Greenlawn, N.Y.
University: Connecticut
Caps/Goals: 34/2
International Honors: None.
On the Field: One of the last players to make the World Cup roster, she did so because of her speed and versatility. Equally useful as a right back or right-side midfielder. UConn retired her No. 8 jersey. Won a national championship with the Long Island Lady Riders of the W League in 1997.
Etcetera: School record-holder in the 100- and 200-meter sprints. Dean’s list student at UConn as a psychology major.
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Tony DiCicco
Birthplace: Wethersfield, Conn.
University: Springfield College and Central Connecticut State
Named coach: Aug. 22, 1994.
Record: 93-9-7.
Accomplishments: Under the direction of DiCicco and assistant coaches Lauren Gregg and, more recently, Jay Hoffman, the United States has won a bronze medal at the 1995 Women’s World Championship in Sweden, a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, a gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games and four consecutive U.S. Women’s Cup titles.
