Michelle Akers is one of three players chosen this year for induction into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame.
The Shorecrest High School graduate received 70 of 73 votes in balloting by American soccer coaches and a national media panel.
Akers and former men’s national team stars Paul Caligiuri and Eric Wynalda will be inducted Oct. 9 in Oneonta, N.Y.
“Michelle set the standard for women soccer players in the world,” said Will Lunn, president of the hall of fame.
Akers, the third woman selected for the hall, netted both goals for the United States when it won the Women’s World Cup in 1991.
She also scored the first goal in the history of the U.S. women’s team and her 105 goals for the national team include the decisive score in the 1991 FIFA championship and the clinching penalty kick against Brazil in the 1999 World Cup semifinals.
“I feel like I’ve had a long career, the way my body feels today,” Akers said by telephone from her home in Orlando, Fla. “When I retired, it was really my first chance to look back and see what we accomplished.
“I’d like to say thanks to my coaches and teammates over the years. And say thanks to my folks for driving me to soccer practice every day.”
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