Ten years to the day since she and her United States soccer teammates hoisted the first Women's World Cup trophy, April Heinrichs was in town on Friday talking about the next step in upholding the national team's unrivaled tradition.
On Jan. 12, the second-year national team coach and America's 24 best women's players - including superstar Mia Hamm - face Mexico at Blackbaud Stadium to kick off a year to be capped by qualifying for the 2003 World Cup.
The reigning world champions' 7 p.m. match against Mexico, a 1999 World Cup qualifier, will be part of a week of training at the A-League Charleston Battery's 5,113-seat facility on Daniel Island that will set the tone for the season.
"In January, there are few places we can go with this kind of facility, the hospitality of the Battery and the weather," Heinrichs said.
"When I got here, I went to see the grass. It's beautiful; I can't wait to play on that field."
Heinrichs said to expect to see a blend of the marquee names - Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Tiffeny Milbrett and Kristine Lilly among them - along with younger talents like former Clemson star Nancy Augustyniak and current Tiger standout Deliah Arrington of Pawleys Island.
"The players that will be rolling into this town are the most legendary soccer players in America, and possibly for several generations," said Heinrichs of a core group that has won two of the three past World Cups.
The players will arrive here after six weeks off - the first real break in more than two years for many of them, Heinrichs said.
Heinrichs, a former North Carolina Tar Heel star, was a key national-team player from 1986-1991. She was named head coach in January of 2000, following Tony DiCicco's '99 World Cup-winning reign. In 2000, she led the team to the Olympic silver medal.
Battery president Nigel Cooper called the combination of the international friendly and the Jan. 8-15 U.S. residency camp one of the most significant sporting events to come to South Carolina.
"This has to be the biggest event we've ever had. How can you top the reigning world champions?" Cooper said. "We're ecstatic that we've got them coming here. The players that will be appearing have achieved the ultimate."
Back in the mid-'90s, one of Charleston's biggest soccer stirs came when U.S. men's national-team goalkeeper Tony Meola came to town to play for the Long Island Rough Riders against the Battery. Heinrichs said that buzz will pale in comparison to Hamm's appearance here.
"It will be like 10 Tonys, a few Foudys and quite a few Chastains," Heinrichs said with a grin.
Battery officials said tickets for the match are selling fast, noting that a couple of VIP sections sold out in about an hour. The club is looking into adding temporary seating that could accommodate 2,000-2,500 more fans.
"We'll pack it. People will be begging for tickets outside the gate," Heinrichs said of the demand to see a team that in '99 played before 90,125 in the World Cup final.
Heinrichs estimates that the Mexico match will be one of about 20 for the national team next year as it accelerates the drive toward the 2003 World Cup in China.
In Mexico, Heinrichs sees a young, fast-rising side that can compete with any of the world's top 20 national teams right now.
"My suspicion is they will qualify for 2003. In the next World Cup cycle, they'll be tremendous," she said.
U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER
• WHO: United States vs. Mexico
• WHEN: Jan. 12, 7 p.m.
• WHERE: Blackbaud Stadium, Daniel Island
• TV: ESPN2
• TICKETS: $35, $25, $18 (all seats reserved); Available through the Charleston Battery offices (843) 971-4625; Ticketmaster outlets (843) 554-6060 and at www.ussoccer.com. Tickets are also available at Blackbaud Stadium during business hours Monday through Friday.
