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Michelle Akers (born February 1, 1966 in Santa
Clara, California) was a leading United
States|American women's soccer player and played
on the historic FIFA Women's World Cup 1999|1999
Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.

Akers attended the University of Central Florida
where she was a four-time All-American, was
Central Florida's Athlete of the Year in 1988-89,
the all-time leading scorer in UCF history, won
the Hermann Trophy in 1988, and had her #10 jersey
retired by the school.  She played for the
first-ever U.S. Women's National team on August
18, 1985 against Italy and scored the first goal
in the history of the program three days later
against Denmark, in a 2-2 tie.

Akers scored 15 goals in 24 games for the U.S.
from 1985 to 1990 before scoring a team record 39
goals in 26 games in the 1991 season alone.  Akers
was also the lead scorer in the inaugural FIFA
Women's World Cup in 1991 in China, scoring ten
goals, including five in one game.  This led the
U.S. Women's Team to the first world championship,
by defeating Norway, 2-1.  Akers scored both
goals.

In 1996, Akers was again a member of the U.S.
Women's National Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia where they won the gold medal.
 She was also a member of the gold-medal-winning,
1998 Goodwill Games team.  On June 7, 1998, she
was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, their highest
honor, for her contributions to the game of
soccer.  Akers again was part of the 1999 Women's
World Cup team, leading to a second World Cup
championship.

Shortly before the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney,
Australia, Akers retired from the game as the U.S.
National Team's second all-time leading scorer
(behind Mia Hamm) with 105 goals, 37 assists and
247 points. 

Since her retirement, she has continued to promote
the game of soccer and has written several books,
including one that documents her battle with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

In 2004, she and Hamm were the only two women, and
the only two Americans, named to the FIFA 100, a
list of the 125 greatest living soccer players
ostensibly selected by Pelé and commissioned by
FIFA for that organization's 100th anniversary. 
Also in 2004, Akers was inducted, along with Paul
Caligiuri and Eric Wynalda, into the US National
Soccer Hall of Fame.

== External links ==
*http://www.soccerhall.org/famers/Michelle_Akers.h
tm National Soccer Hall of Fame biography