1985 United States women's national soccer team season

The 1985 United States women's national soccer team was the first USWNT to play international matches. The team played four matches in Jesolo, Italy, at the Mundialito tournament, losing three and drawing one of the matches.

Coaches

Name	birthdate	WNT coaching years	University	position	career matches	comments
Mike Ryan	February 14, 1935	1985		Head coach		A steelworker and soccer coach in Seattle
Roger Rogers		1985		Assistant coach		Founder, Women's Soccer World Magazine

Players

Name	Birthdate	WNT team member years	University	Position	Career caps (goals)	Notes
Michelle Akers	February 1, 1966	1985–2000	Central Florida	forward	153 (105)	Against Denmark, scored first US international goal.
Pam Baughman Cornell	October 25, 1962	1985	George Mason		4 (1)
Denise Bender	July 29, 1959	1985	Washington	defender	4 (0)	Team captain
Denise Boyer-Merdich	June 8, 1962	1985–1987	Puget Sound	midfielder	7 (l)
Tara Buckley	November 1, 1962	1985	Connecticut		2 (0)
Lori Bylin	October 8, 1964	1985	Puget Sound		4 (0)
Stacey Enos	February 4, 1964	1985–1986	North Carolina	defender	10 (0)
Linda Gancitano	January 24, 1962	1985	Central Florida	defender	2 (0)	Substitute for Denise Bender in first international game; torn ACL in 1986 ended career
Cindy Gordon	November 14, 1962	1985–1988	Western Washington	midfielder	6 (0)
Ruth Harker	June 28, 1963	1985	Missouri – St. Louis	goalkeeper	2 (0)
Tuca Healey	September 20, 1962	1985	California	forward	3 (0)
Lori Henry	March 20, 1966	1985–1991	North Carolina	defender	39 (3)
Sharon McMurtry	October 31, 1960	1985–1986	Seattle	midfielder	6 (0)	inaugural U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year in 1985
Ann Orrison	June 29, 1961	1985–1986	Virginia	defender	5 (0)
Emily Pickering	February 1, 1963	1985–1992	North Carolina	midfielder	15 (2)	Assist on first US international goal; scored second goal against Denmark
Kathy Ridgewell	May 18, 1965	1985–1987	Western Washington		3 (0)
Kim Wyant	February 11, 1964	1985–1987, 1993	Central Florida	goalkeeper	9 (0)

Creation of the team

A national women's soccer team had been selected in 1982, 1983, and 1984 but never played together. Club teams had represented the United States in international tournaments, with the Dallas Sting winning the first title for the United States at a FIFA-sanctioned world tournament in 1984. With interest growing in women's soccer, about 70 women, mostly players on University teams, were invited to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to participate in the 1985 Olympic Sports Festival, the first time women's soccer was included among the events. As the players sat on the field at the end of the festival, coach Mike Ryan selected a team of 17 players, all under 25 years of age to play in a tournament in Jesolo, Italy. The team was issued men's practice uniforms and practiced for three days at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. Team members were each given a pair of cleats and $10 a day for food, and sewed the "USA" decal on the front of their shirts the night before flying to Italy.

The tournament in Jesolo

The Italians greeted the American team enthusiastically and chanted "Ooosa!" (USA), a pre-game chant that the U.S. team adopted for itself. The U.S. team responded by leading a cheer for the Italian team during a game. The Americans were the guests of honor at a rock concert and Michelle Akers, Emily Pickering, and Linda Gancitano were invited to model clothing for a photo shoot. The Americans were unaccustomed to the large and enthusiastic crowds, numbering several thousand people, attending the games.

All did not go well on the playing field for the American team. In their first match, on August 18, 1985, the Americans, accustomed to a polite women's game as it was then in the United States, were out-played by an experienced and physical Italian team and lost 1–0. Carolina Morace struck the Italians' winning goal. Akers and Pickering missed that game because of injuries. On August 21, the U.S. team found their footing and tied Denmark 2-2, with Akers and Pickering scoring goals. They then lost to England and to Denmark in a rematch.

Results

Date	Location	Opponent	Result	U.S. scorers
August 18, 1985	Jesolo, Italy	Italy	Loss 0–1
August 21, 1985	Jesolo, Italy	Denmark	Tie 2–2	Akers, Pickering
August 23, 1985	Caorle, Italy	England	Loss 1–3	Akers
August 24, 1985	Jesolo, Italy	Denmark	Loss 0–1

Aftermath

The team disbanded after the Jesolo tournament. A national team with several new players and a new coach, Anson Dorrance, reassembled in 1986 to play again in Jesolo and at the national soccer complex in Blaine, Minnesota. The team record was better in 1986, with five wins and two losses.

External links

• USWNT History Archived March 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
• U.S. Soccer Flashback series