Wendy Gebauer
Personal information
Full name Wendy Gebauer Palladino
Birth name Wendy Sue Gebauer[1]
Date of birth (1966-12-25) December 25, 1966
Place of birth United States
Position(s) Forward
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1989 North Carolina Tar Heels
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Raleigh Wings
1999 Raleigh Capital Express 1 (0)
International career
1987–1991 United States 26 (10)
Medal record
FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1991 USA Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wendy Gebauer Palladino (born Wendy Sue Gebauer; December 25, 1966) is an American retired soccer forward and former member of the United States women's national soccer team. Considered a pioneer of women's soccer in the United States, Gebauer played on the 1991 United States women's national soccer team that won the first Women's World Cup in China. She was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009.[2]

Early life

Gebauer grew up in Reston, Virginia and began playing soccer at age six.[3]

University of North Carolina

Gebauer attended the University of North Carolina and played for the Tar Heels led by national team coach at the time, Anson Dorrance. A highly decorated player, Gebauer was a three-time All-American, three-time National Champion, and was also on the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll.[2]

Playing career

Club

Raleigh Wings

From 1998 to 2000, Gebauer played for the Raleigh Wings and was co-captain of the two-time National Championship winning team in the W-League.[4]

Raleigh Capital Express

In 1999, Gebauer made history when she became the first female to suit up and play with men on the Raleigh Capital Express a team in the second level division in the United States at the time. Nearly 2,000 fans showed up for the game, one of the largest crowds for the season.[5]

International

Gebauer played for the United States women's national soccer team from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, she was part of the team that won the first Women's World Cup in China and scored a goal during the final group match.[5]

Sports broadcasting career

Gebauer was the color commentator for collegiate women's soccer on the Fox Sports Network for five years. For seven years, she was the lead analyst for coverage of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team on ESPN, including the 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cup. In 2001, she was an analyst for TNT during their broadcast of WUSA games, the first women's professional soccer league in the United States.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Women's Monogram Awards—Fall Sports: Soccer". Annual Commencement. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. May 10, 1987. p. 45. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Hall of Fame". Virginia DC Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Gebauer's Goals Are Lofty Yet". Washington Post. June 25, 1999.
  4. ↑ "Gebauer Crunches Numbers and the Competition". Capitol Broadcasting, Inc. June 30, 1998. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Gebauer Makes History As Central Express Player". Capitol Broadcasting, Inc. May 27, 1999. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Women Ready to Kick-Start Soccer League of Their Own". Los Angeles Times. April 1, 2001.


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