Sept. 1, 2001

Sept. 1, 2001

Three former Notre Dame women’s soccer players-defenders Kate Sobrero (’98) and Kelly Lindsey (’01) and goalkeeper LaKeysia Beene (’00)-have been selected for the 24-player roster that will gather in Chicago on Sept. 4, in preparation for the 2001 Nike U.S. Women’s Cup-a four-team tournament that promises to bring six world class matches to three Midwest venues.

The 24 players will train four days before 18 will be selected to represent the U.S. versus Germany on Sept. 9 (Soldier Field, Chicago, noon CT), Japan on Sept. 11 (Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, 9:00 p.m. ET) and China on Sept. 16 (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, noon CT).

Notre Dame is one of five schools with multiple players (former or current) on the training camp roster while Notre Dame and North Carolina are the only programs with three-plus on the elite roster.

Sobrero has appeared in 66 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team and was a starter on the 1999 World Cup championship team. Beene and Lindsey-who recently helped the Bay Area CyberRays win the inaugural title of the Women’s United Soccer Association-both spent time in the U.S. under–21 program, with Beene also playing on several u-21 Nordic Cup teams. Both also played on a young U.S. team that won the Australia Cup tournament in January of 2000.

Beene and Lindsey are two of 19 current WUSA players that were named to the training roster. Some of the more noteworthy veterans of the women’s national team that will participate in the camp include forwards Tiffeny Milbrett, Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow, midfielders Shannon MacMillan, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Lorrie Fair, and defenders Sobrero, Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett and Tiffany Roberts.

In addition to Beene, the goalkeepers on the roster include Jaime Pagliarulo (a four-time All-American at George Mason and now with the San Diego Spirit) and current University of Washington ‘keeper Hope Solo.

There are 10 defenders on the roster-the aforementioned Sobrero, Lindsey, Chastain, Fawcett and Roberts, plus: Catherine Reddick (North Carolina), Kylie Bivens (Santa Clara, Atlanta Beat), Lindsay Stoecker (North Carolina, Washington Freedom), Heather Mitts (Florida, Philadelphia Charge) and Staci Burt (Utah, Carolina Courage).

The match against China marks the first meeting between the two teams on American soil since the historic Women’s World Cup Final on July 10, 1999.

The Americans will face three talented teams, as all three nations bring rosters stocked with their top players. Germany is coming off its glorious victory at the 2001 European Women’s Championships. The Germans hosted the event and delighted their country with a 1-0 victory over Sweden on a “golden goal” by Claudia Muller. While Philadelphia Charge captain Doris Fitschen has retired from international competition, Germany brings a roster stocked with veterans, including some extremely talented attacking personalities in Muller, Birgit Prinz, Martina Muller, Sandra Smisek and Renate Lingor. Germany’s long-time first-choice goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg should be in the nets for her country.

China also brings a roster stocked with some of the world’s best players. All six Chinese players in the WUSA have been called for the event: Fan Yunjie and Wen Lirong of the San Diego Spirit, Goa Hong of the New York Power, Sun Wen of the Atlanta Beat, Bai Jie of the Washington Freedom and Liu Ailing of the Philadelphia Charge.

While Japan’s only superstar is Homare Sawa of the Beat, they will bring eight of the 11 starters who tied the USA 1-1 on Dec. 17, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona-including Sawa, who the scored the goal in that match.

United States Women’s Soccer National Team Roster
2001 Nike U.S. Women’s Cup (Chicago, Columbus & Kansas City, Sept. 9 ,11 and 16)