May 27, 2012
CHESTER, Pa. - Three former Stanford stars - Nicole Barnhart `04, Rachel Buehler `07, and Kelley O'Hara `10 - have been named to the United States women's soccer team that will compete in the Olympic Games this summer.
U.S. coach Pia Sundhage announced the 18-player roster before Sunday's 4-1 victory over China in Chester, Pa. No other college or university is represented on the squad as much as Stanford. Next, with two players apiece, are Florida, North Carolina, and UCLA.
This will be the second Olympic Games for Barnhart and Buehler, who played on the gold-medal winning squad in 2008, and the first for O'Hara, the 2009 Hermann Trophy winner as college soccer's top player.
Also joining the squad among four alternates is Christen Press '11, who now seems assured of earning her first international cap. Press, the 2010 Hermann Trophy winner, is starring for Goteborg FC of the Damallsvenskan, the Swedish first division.
In addition, Ali Riley '10 will give Stanford another Olympic soccer representative when she takes the field for New Zealand.
Buehler, a U.S. team co-captain alongside Christie Rampone, is expected to start in defense. She has 78 caps, the most among Stanford's contingent.
O'Hara, who has 16 caps, was a forward for Stanford, but has settled in as an outside defender and is a possible starter. She started against China on Sunday.
Barnhart, who has 43 caps, is among two goalkeepers named to the squad and is expected to back up Hope Solo.
The entire squad, including alternates, will head to Sweden for a two-week training camp that includes matches against Sweden (June 16) and Japan (June 18), in the town of Halmstad.
Before heading to London, the U.S. will play its Olympic send-off match June 30 (11 a.m. PT) against Canada in Sandy, Utah, in a match broadcast live on NBC.
At the Olympics, the U.S. opens Group G play with a pair of matches at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland -- on July 25 (9 a.m. PT) against France and July 28 (9 a.m. PT) against Colombia. The U.S. completes group play July 31 (9:15 a.m. PT) against North Korea at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
The U.S. has advanced to the gold-medal match of every Olympic tournament since women's soccer began at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The U.S. will be aiming for its third consecutive gold medal, after winning in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).