Six Tar Heels Head To U.S. National Team Training Camp In Advance Of Four Nations Tournament
Dec. 26, 2005 CHICAGO, ILL. - The U.S. Women's Soccer National Team will begin its 2006 schedule in the country in which it hopes to end 2007, traveling to China for the highly competitive Four Nations Tournament that will be contested from January 18-22 featuring the USA, Norway, France and China. Six current and former University of North Carolina players will begin a week of training at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., from January 3-9, that will precede the trip to the Far East. China will host the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup from Sept. 23-Oct. 13, 2007. U.S. head coach Greg Ryan has called in 28 players and will use the week of training at the HDC to select 20 for the tournament in Guangzhou that features four of the world's Top 10 teams according to the latest FIFA Women's World Rankings. The USA is currently second, Norway is third, France is fifth and host China is ninth. Tar Heels invited to camp include Kristine Lilly, Jenni Branam, Lori Chalupny, Lindsay Tarpley, Kendall Fletcher and Heather O'Reilly. The trip marks the fifth time the USA has traveled to China in January for the Four Nations tournament, also participating in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Three times the USA has won the tournament, which always features four of the strongest teams in the world, taking top honors in 1998, 2003 and 2004. The tournament in 1998 marked the first time the U.S. women had returned to China since winning the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. The USA will open the tournament on Jan. 18 against long-time rival Norway before facing France on Jan. 20. The USA will finish the tournament on Jan. 22 with one of the world's toughest international women's matches, facing China on their home soil. All the U.S. games will kick off at 4 p.m. local / 3 a.m. ET and will be played at Guangdong Olympic Center built in 2001. The USA's tournament opener against Norway could mark a historic milestone for U.S. team captain Kristine Lilly, who played at North Carolina from 1989-92, as she is poised to earn her 300th cap. Already the world's leader in international matches played for men or women with 299 caps, Lilly would become the first player in soccer history to play 300 times for their country. Adding to the uniqueness of the event, Lilly earned her first-ever cap at the age of 16 in China more than 18 years ago. Should she earn cap number 300 against Norway, it will also mark the 30th time she has played against the Norwegians, who defeated the USA on the way to the Women's World Cup title in 1995 and the Olympic gold medal in 2000. The USA defeated Norway to win the 1991 Women's World Cup and also on the way to the 1996 Olympic gold medal. Lilly hitting the 300-cap mark, a previously unimaginable milestone, is just one achievement in a long line of amazing accomplishments. The "Queen of Caps" has started in every single world championship match ever contested by the USA, has scored 104 career goals (fifth best all-time for women) and has started 288 of her 299 caps, meaning she has come off the bench just 11 times in her 18-year career. Lilly heads a roster that features nine members of the 2004 Olympic gold medal winning squad. The roster is chock full of youth as Ryan continues to give young players a chance to make an impact on the National Team. Twelve of the 28 players are 23 years old or younger, including defenders Amy LePeilbet and Lori Chalupny, both of whom played significant minutes for the USA for the first time in 2005. U.S. WNT TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
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