DURHAM – Duke assistant coach and one of the all-time great United States women’s soccer standouts Carla Overbeck will team up with her former U.S. teammates Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers to coach a squad of former United States women’s national team players set to compete in The Soccer Tournament.
It will be a $1 million, winner-take-all 7-on-7 competition that will take place from June 1-4 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., and will employ a format similar to the World Cup. A total of 32 teams in eight groups of four with three group matches per team, then a 16-team, single-elimination knockout phase. The maximum field dimensions will be 65 yards in length and 45 yards in width and matches will be played with 18.5-by-6.5 foot goals.
The U.S. team is being organized by longtime national team player Heather O’Reilly.
“Soccer is this incredible draw for all of us, I think to be together, to connect, to empower people, and to just enjoy this beautiful game,” said O’Reilly. “I feel like this is right out of ‘Field of Dreams.’ ‘If you build it, they will come.’ And it’s just been really special how people have come together.”
Former national team players Cat Whitehill, Lori Chalupny and Lori Lindsay have been named to the roster, with others set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
With Overbeck, Hamm, Akers along with Wendy Palladino, the coaching staff boasts a combined seven women’s World Cup titles, three Olympic gold medals and over 600 national team caps.
One of the best to play the game of soccer, Overbeck is one of the most respected and decorated women’s soccer players in the world. Her playing accomplishments are more than impressive. Overbeck was a member of three U.S. World Cup teams, two Olympic squads and one Goodwill Games.
A defender, Overbeck was instrumental in leading the U.S. to the 1999 Women’s World Cup Championship and lifted the trophy at the Rose Bowl, after playing every minute of all six games. In the final against China, she nailed the opening penalty kick in the shootout. Overbeck was one of only two players who played every minute of the 1999 World Cup, the 1996 Olympics and 1995 World Cup.
Overbeck was…
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