Heinrichs Resigns as Women’s Coach
April Heinrichs is resigning as the coach of the United States women’s national team, six months after leading it to an Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. Soccer Federation said Tuesday that Heinrichs would remain as a consultant until the end of this year.
No replacement was immediately chosen. Assistant coaches Greg Ryan and Phil Wheddon will direct the team in the interim.
“There were a number of goals when I first stepped into this position five years ago,” Heinrichs said in a statement released by the federation.
“No one is a national team coach forever and for me personally, this is the right time to step away.”
Heinrichs had a record of 87-17-20 capped by the gold medal last summer in the Athens Olympics.
Her 124 games coached is a record.
She also was the head coach for the USA’s third-place finish in the 2003 Women’s World Cup and its second-place finish in the 2000 Olympics.
“For the program moving forward, there is enough time for a new coach to prepare for the next Women’s World Cup and Olympics,” she said.
The new coach is expected to build the program among younger players.
Many of the stars of the team that won the World Cup in 1999, led by Mia Hamm, have either retired from international play or are close to retirement.
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The St. Louis Steamers have signed Lindsay Kennedy to a five-game contract, and she is expected to become the Major Indoor Soccer League’s first female player.
Kennedy, a forward, is set to make her debut Saturday when the Steamers play host to the Milwaukee Wave.
The Steamers said three other women have played on men’s pro indoor teams in other leagues.
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Club Deportivo Chivas USA, which will begin Major League Soccer play as a Mexican-owned expansion franchise in April, will meet Atlante of Mexico City, a first-division team, in its first exhibition match in the United States at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium on March 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Chivas USA, which just completed two weeks of training in Guadalajara, Mexico, began workouts at the Home Depot Center on Tuesday and will play host to scrimmages against the San Diego Gauchos tonight at 6 and UCLA on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
