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From Mia Hamm to Megan Rapinoe, the 11 most influential American female soccer players have made a lasting impact on the sport, on and off the field.

With excitement building and the first National Women's Soccer League matches set to take place this weekend, here's where the eight teams stand.

With tier after tier of steeply banked seats, the Estadio Azteca looks imposing even when empty. When filled to its capacity of 105,000 spectators and when combined with the double whammy of lung-clogging smog plus an altitude of 7,200 feet above sea...

Now that he has announced that he is gay, Robbie Rogers feels free. Whether that freedom includes a career in professional soccer remains unclear, but regardless, he has gained another gift: acceptance. The former Leeds United, Columbus Crew ...

When Mexico claimed the men's soccer gold medal at last summer's Olympics, it proved to be just the latest instance of youth program envy for the United States. Not only has El Tri claimed two U-17 titles in its history, but it enjoyed a run to the s...

In many respects, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez are polar opposites. Besler, fresh off a Defender of the Year season with Sporting Kansas City, conveys an eagerness that is impossible to ignore while Gonzalez, a defensive mainstay with MLS champion L...

With the Mayan Apocalypse now safely avoided, U.S. soccer fans can cease scanning the heavens for any impending calamity and start focusing on 2013. Suffice it to say, there are enough events to keep American soccer aficionados of all stripes duly oc...

Caleb Porter isn't the first manager to have failed his most recent audition and still get hired to a new position anyway. But with Wednesday's announcement that the Portland Timbers had tabbed the Akron University coach to be their new manager, his ...

MEXICO CITY -- Expectations have rarely been lower for the U.S. men's national team as it prepares for Wednesday's encounter with Mexico at the famed Estadio Azteca. That's saying something, considering the team's all-time record when playing Mexico ...

Mexico won its first football gold medal at the Olympics, beating Brazil 2-1 against the odds at Wembley.

After last summer's World Cup disappointment, stellar performances by Hope Solo and Carli Lloyd carried the U.S. women to Olympic gold over Japan, a familiar foe, writes Jeff Carlisle.

Losing the Women's World Cup final to Japan was a formative and powerful moment for the U.S. women's national team, writes Jeff Carlisle. The chance for revenge comes in Thursday's Olympic final.

On a night when Canada attacker Christine Sinclair played a game for the ages by scoring a hat trick, the Americans' never-say-die attitude once again saw them through, as Alex Morgan's header in the waning moments of extra time saw them prevail 4-3 in an enthralling Olympic semifinal.

The U.S. women have a great record vs. Canada, writes Jeff Carlisle, but in the pressure cooker of the Olympic semifinal, will history matter?

U.S. coach Pia Sundhage might be concerned about her side's wasteful play in front of goal vs. New Zealand, writes Jeff Carlisle, but her defense was imperious in the 2-0 quarterfinal win.

Any pressure or pre-tournament stress hasn't impacted the U.S. women so far on their quest for Olympic gold, writes Jeff Carlisle. Up next: a quarterfinal date with New Zealand.