U.S. National Team
In 2002, while still in high school, O'Reilly was named to the U.S. national team. O'Reilly made her first appearance with the United States women's national soccer team on March 1, 2002 against Sweden.
After recovering from a broken fibula from a match the year before, O'Reilly made the U.S. Women's National Team roster for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. At nineteen years old, she was the youngest player on the roster. On August 23, 2004, O'Reilly scored the game-winning goal in the Olympic semifinal match against Germany, propelling the United States into the final, in which they defeated Brazil for the gold medal.
In the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, O'Reilly scored a critical goal against North Korea in the 69th minute, which tied the game at 2-2 and saved the Americans from a devastating opening-round loss. The United States ended up taking the bronze medal, with O'Reilly scoring a goal during the 4-1 win against Norway. She was nominated as Sports Illustrated's 2007 Sportsman of the Year.
O’Reilly was a part of the U.S. Women’s Team roster for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. She scored the fastest goal in Olympic women's soccer history against New Zealand to earn the team a spot in the quarterfinals. She also scored a goal in the semifinal match against Japan. The team went on to defeat heavy-favorite Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal. Prior to the Summer Games, Time magazine ranked her number 15 on its list of 100 Olympic Athletes to Watch.
She was selected for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and in the second game of the group stage, she scored the first of three goals for USA against Colombia.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, she made a crucial assist in the 123rd minute of the semifinal match against Canada, sending a cross from the right to Alex Morgan who headed the ball into the goal over the hand of Erin McLeod, propelling team USA to the gold medal match against Japan.
Read more about this topic: Heather O'Reilly
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or team:
“We are constantly thinking of the great war ... which saved the Union ... but it was a war that did a great deal more than that. It created in this country what had never existed before—a national consciousness. It was not the salvation of the Union, it was the rebirth of the Union.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“Imagination is a valuable asset in business and she has a sister, Understanding, who also serves. Together they make a splendid team and business problems dissolve and the impossible is accomplished by their ministrations.... Imagination concerning the world’s wants and the individual’s needs should be the Alpha and Omega of self-education.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)