Hamm, Chastain headline U.S. Olympic soccer roster

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and five other gold medalists from the U.S. Olympic team in 1996 were selected Thursday to the squad that will head to the Athens Olympics next month.

Coach April Heinrichs finalized the 18-woman roster by cutting two players, Tiffany Roberts and Lorrie Fair, who each have been key to America's success over the past several years.

The United States Olympic Committee must certify the selections, but that should be a formality.

"Over the last two weeks, it was increasingly apparent to me that this was going to be the most difficult selection process I've been part of," Heinrichs said.

The decision to place Hamm on the team was easy. Hamm is the world's all-time leading scorer with 149 goals and 132 assists and is considered the most recognizable women's soccer player in the world.

Chastain also was on the last two U.S. Olympic teams, although her defining moment remains her winning penalty kick at the 1999 World Cup, and the celebration that followed. Chastain is recovering from a bone bruise in her foot that has left her at about 95 percent, Heinrichs said. That injury is not the same as the stress fracture Chastain had last year in the World Cup.

"A bone bruise is something that heals up nicely," Heinrichs said. "It's not something you worry about in terms of long term. Her leadership, experience, composure and versatility makes her a great selection for us."

Others making their third Olympics are Briana Scurry, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly and Cindy Parlow.

One of Heinrichs' toughest decisions was to put forward Heather O'Reilly on the team in place of Shannon MacMillan, a key player over the last eight years. O'Reilly, who at 19 will be five years younger than anyone else on the team, is fully recovered from a broken leg that left her out of the running for last year's World Cup team.

Heinrichs said she "can take your breath away in a matter of mere minutes in terms of what she can do to get behind opponents.

"We made the decision to pick the player who could get behind if we needed a goal. We picked the player who could get behind more consistently."

Since its victories in the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup, the U.S. won the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games and finished third at last year's World Cup.

The team plays Canada on Saturday in Nashville in an Olympic tuneup. Games against Australia (July 21) and China (Aug. 1) are also on the pre-Olympic schedule.

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The roster:

Goalkeepers: Kristin Luckenbill, Briana Scurry.

Defenders: Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Cat Reddick.

Midfielders: Shannon Boxx, Julie Foudy, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner.

Forwards: Mia Hamm, Heather O'Reilly, Cindy Parlow, Abby Wambach.