Julie Foudy was a star of the U.S. Women’s National Team for more than 17 years. A great leader, she was the captain of the United States teams in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, World Cup qualifying in 2002, and the 2003 World Cup. During her career as a midfielder, she collected an amazing 271 caps, making her the third most capped player in world soccer history. She was a member of the U.S. teams that won the Women’s World Cup in 1991 and 1999 as well as Olympic gold medalist in 1996 and 2004. She was also Olympic silver medalist in 2000. During the 1996 Olympic Games, she played every minute of the United States’ five matches.

At 17, Foudy played the first of her international games for the United States against France in Rimini, Italy, on July 29, 1988. She scored her first goal on April 3, 1991, vs. Hungary. She played in 24 World Cup Games, 12 World Cup qualifiers, and 16 Olympic games. She was a member of United States teams at the 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cups and the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics. In those four Women’s World Cup and three Olympic Games she played every one of the United States’ 30 games. She played her last game on December 8, 2004 against Mexico in Carson, Calif.


While attending Stanford University, Foudy scored 53 goals and had 32 assists. She was named NSCAA All-American for four consecutive years. She was the 1989 Soccer America Freshmen of the Year. In 1991, she was Soccer America Player of the Year. All four years she was at Stanford, the Cardinals went to the NCAA Tournament. Upon graduation from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in biology, she was accepted to Stanford Medical School, which she declined to continue her soccer career.

Foudy played for the San Diego Spirit in the Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003 and was a second-team all-star in each of those three seasons. She played 59 WUSA regular-season games and one WUSA playoff game. She was a founding member of the league and later became heavily involved in efforts to revive it.

In 1994, Foudy joined teammates Michelle Akers, Mary Harvey and Kristine Lilly to play for the Tyreso Football Club in Sweden. She played for the Sacramento Storm, which won the 1993 and 1995 California State Amateur championships. She also played one season in the W-League and one season in the Japanese professional league.

Foudy’s work ethic has been seen on and off the field. She has become an advocate for women’s rights, rights for children, and fair labor. She was the President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a charitable educational non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the lives of girls through sports. She was the first American and woman to win the 1997 FIFA Fair Play Award, which acknowledged her documented trip to Pakistan in 1997 when she personally made sure her shoe sponsor wasn’t using child labor. In 2005, when there was a threat to seriously dilute Title IX, a ban on discrimination in school activities based on sex, Julie was among those who publicly protested and helped stop the changes. Recently, she created the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, an organization that through soccer teaches girls how to be leaders on the field and in life.

Foudy found additional success in a new field as an in-studio analyst for ESPN on several World Cups and other soccer events, receiving excellent reviews from Sports Illustrated, Time, and TV Guide.
Sources:
Soccerhall.org
Biographies.com
Womenssoccer.com Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame
First Ever Women-Only Induction Class
LOS ANGELES, CA (February 27, 2007) – The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced today that U. S. Women’s National Team stars, two-time Olympic Gold Medalists, and two-time World Cup Champions Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the Player Category. more>