Pia Sundhage

Pia Sundhage was born in Sweden and played on the Sweden Women’s National Soccer Team from 1975 to 1996. During that span she made 146 appearances and scored 71 goals. She was also a standout club player and starred on 10 different premier club teams from 1978 to 1996. In 2000 Sundhage was recognized as one of the top-ten women’s soccer players in history, finishing sixth in the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century voting. In 1998 she turned her focus to managing full-time and served as an assistant with Vallentuna BK, AIK Fotboll Dam and the Philadelphia Charge until 2002. In 2003 she was hired as the head coach of the Boston Breakers and led them to a Women’s United Soccer Association title during her first year, earning WUSA Coach of the Year honors in the process. From 2004 to 2006 she served as a head coach for teams in Scandinavia and then landed a spot on the China coaching staff as an assistant during the 2007 FIFA World Cup. The following year she was hired as the head coach of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. From 2008 to 2012 she led the USA to gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics and to the final match of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. During her final year she was named the 2012 FIFA World Coach of the Year. She has since returned to her native Sweden as the head coach of her home country’s national soccer team.