Pia Sundhage

Pia Mariane Sundhage (born February 13, Ye|1960|sports in Ulricehamn, Västra Götaland) is a Swedish coach and former footballer. She is a top goal scorer in the history of the national team, scoring 71 goals in 146 games.

She won the Swedish Championships, as well as the Swedish Cup, four times. She has also been part of the Swedish team as it finished 3rd in the World Cup 1995, was European Champion 1984, 2nd in the European Championships twice, and 3rd once.

In 2000, she finished sixth in the voting for FIFA Women's Player of the Century. Her image appeared on a Swedish postage stamp in 1988 [http://www.postmuseum.posten.se/frimbas/frimarks/F1988042.asp] .

During the WUSA's first incarnation (2001-2003), she was an assistant for the Philadelphia Charge in 2001 and 2002 before taking over the Boston Breakers when the latter included U.S. captain Kristine Lilly. Sundhage earned WUSA coach of the year (2003) honors after leading the Breakers to their first playoff appearance. Sundhage was extremely popular with the players, and, after the WUSA folded, Lilly briefly joined the Swedish damallsvenskan league when Pia coached KIF Örebro DFF. Lilly said she 'wanted to play for Pia again.'Fact|date=August 2008

Sundhage becomes the sixth head coach in the U.S. team's history and the second woman. April Heinrichs led the squad from 2000-05 and won the 2004 Olympics; Sundhage served as a scout for the USA during those Olympics.

More recently, Sundhage was an assistant to Marika Domanski Lyfors for the China national team during the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Sundhage was hired November 13, 2007 to lead the U.S. women's soccer team through the 2008 Olympics.

Clubs (as a player)

*Hammarby IF (1986-1996)
*ROI Lazio (1985)
*Östers IF (1982-1983)
*Jitex BK (1978-1979)
*Falköpings KIK (1978)
*Ulricehamn IFK

Clubs (as coach)

*United States women's national soccer team - Head Coach (2007-Present)
*China women's national football team - Assistant Coach (2007)
*KIF Örebro DFF (2005-2007)
*Boston Breakers (2003)

References