U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage looks back on the Women’s World Cup and forward to Olympic qualifying.

Veteran Kristine Lilly, the only player to play in all five women's World Cups

The U.S. Women are 9-0-2 this year; They have won two women’s World Cup titles. World Cup qualifying begins Oct. 28 in Cancun, Mexico

Roster after the jump….

2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying – U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Jill Loyden (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Philadelphia Independence), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Yael Averbuch (Sky Blue FC), Shannon Boxx (FC Gold Pride), Kristine Lilly (Boston Breakers), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (California), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)

check out a detailed roster here

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Pia Sundahge has once again stepped outside the box, this time with the hiring of Norwegian National Team legend and former thorn in the side of the United States Women, Hege Riise as an Assistant Coach.

Via USSoccer 

The central midfielder was considered one of the best in the world at her position during her 14 years playing for her country.

Riise joins a coaching staff that also includes UCLA head coach Jillian Ellis, Penn State head coach Erica Walsh and Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon, who trains the USA’s goalkeepers. All three coaches were on Sundhage’s staff for the 2008 Olympics.

The long-time captain for Norway, Riise made her international debut in 1990 and played in four Women’s World Cup tournaments (1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003), helping Norway to the title in 1995 as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2000. She also played in the 1996 Olympic Games.

Riise scored the first goal in Norway’s 2-0 victory over Germany in the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s top player.

She comes to U.S. Soccer after coaching several seasons with Team Strommen in the Norway First Division, as well as with the Norwegian U-19 Women’s National Team. She was on Norway’s staff as an assistant coach for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile last fall.

“With the type of experiences she’s had in soccer, and with the kind of player she was with a great ability to read the game, she will help us in both defending and attacking,” said Sundhage. “One of her strengths as a player was finding different ways to attack and her knowledge will help us become more unpredictable. She will teach me and the team a lot.”

Riise, 39, is no stranger to America, having played three seasons for the Carolina Courage in the WUSA, earning team MVP honors in 2001 and 2002 seasons and leading the Courage to the league championship in 2002. In 2003, she was named the best-ever Norwegian female player by the Norwegian Football Association.

Image via WNT-USSoccer 

U.S. Women’s head coach Pia Sundhage has put together her list of 25 players to kick off the January Camp at the Home Depot Center ahead of the 2009 edition of the Algarve Cup in Portugal that starts March 4th.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (8): Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Stephanie Cox (Elk Grove, Calif.), Marian Dalmy (Lakewood, Colo.), Kendall Fletcher (Cary, N.C.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Jill Oakes (West Hills, Calif.), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Tina DiMartino (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Heather O’Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Kacey White (Arlington, Texas), Angie Woznuk (El Cajon, Calif.)
FORWARDS (7): Lauren Cheney (Indianapolis, Ind.), Tina Ellertson (Vancouver, Wash.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Megan Rapinoe (Redding, Calif.), Amy Rodriguez (Lake Forest, Calif.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.)

Image via WomensProSoccer 

After taking over and leading the United States Women to the Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati awarded Head Coach Pia Sundhage a new contract through the 2012 Olympics.

Via SI

“Pia has demonstrated the qualities of a great leader, a great soccer tactician and she is a winner,” U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said in a statement Monday.

“We’ve done so many things in a short amount of time and been successful so far,” Sundhage said. “The reason it is so exciting to continue with this team is that I can see the potential. Last January, we started talking about keeping possession and finding the rhythm and I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far. But these next steps will be about going into the attacking third and being even more unpredictable, playing more beautiful soccer and scoring more goals.”

Image via Gfx