AKERS, Michelle Anne

(b. 1 February 1966 in Santa Clara, California), soccer player who was the most prolific woman scorer in U.S. soccer history, with 136 goals in 153 international contests, and was a key player in U.S. World Cup and Olympic competitions.

Akers was the elder of two children of Robert D. Akers, a family counselor, and Anne Falaschi, a firefighter. Akers began to play soccer at age eight. Her initial experience in the sport was less than pleasant. She hated losing, and being the goalie on a team that frequently lost did not help. That experience did not last long. In the summer of 1975 the family moved to Seattle and Akers's mother signed her up for a local soccer club. Playing as a midfielder, Akers soon discovered her own talent and began to enjoy the game. At age fourteen she was invited to join the Union Bay Flyers, one of the strongest under-nineteen club teams in the Pacific Northwest. At Shorecrest High School in Seattle she was a three-time high-school All-American (1982–1984) and led the team to the state championship her senior year.

Akers earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, where she was a four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American (1985–1988). In 1988 she received the Hermann Trophy for being the best female collegiate soccer player. Akers graduated from UCF in 1989 with a B.S. in liberal studies and health. After graduation, Akers accepted an assistant coaching job with the women's soccer team at UCF. In spring 1990 she married the former professional soccer player Roby Stahl. Shortly after their honeymoon, Akers went to Sweden to play for the Tyreso Football Club, a semiprofessional soccer team. She also played for Tyreso in 1992 and 1994.

Back in spring 1985, during her first year at UCF, Akers joined the first U.S. national women's soccer team in history. In August 1985, at an international tournament in Italy, Akers scored the first-ever U.S. women's national team goal against Denmark's national team. Six years later, Akers ensured her place in the annals of women's soccer history. At the inaugural Women's World Championship in 1991 in China, Akers scored ten goals in six games, winning the tournament's Golden Boot award. In the title game against Norway, with the score tied 1–1 and fewer than five minutes to play, Akers drove home the game-winning goal to give the United States the championship.

In 1991 Akers scored thirty-nine goals in twenty-six international games. Representing the Fédération Internationale Football Association (FIFA), she traveled around the world promoting women's soccer. She also wrote a regular column in Soccer Junior magazine. But her health began to decline. In 1992 she was diagnosed with a severe case of mononucleosis, and became very ill in 1993. "Just surviving through the day seemed like an accomplishment," recalled Akers. Finally in 1994 she tested positive for Epstein-Barr virus, commonly known as chronic fatigue dysfunction syndrome, a more serious form of mononucleosis. The disease was like a thief, wrote Akers, that was "stealing everything that had been important to me. My health. My physical strength. My soccer career. My independence. My identity." In the course of her playing career, she had thirteen knee surgeries, five shoulder surgeries, and repeated concussions. Also contributing to her physical decline was the unhappiness of her failing marriage.

In the summer of 1994 Akers retreated to her family's mountain cabin in the Cascades outside of Seattle. The summer hiatus did not mend her health, but it did renew her spirit. Returning to her home in Oviedo, Florida, that autumn, Akers began to work out with her new training partner, Steve Slain. Also, under Slain's influence, she began to attend church services and a Bible study fellowship program.

In January 1995 Akers and Stahl were divorced, marking the first step of her comeback. Soccer had consumed her life, and it also had been the focal point of her marriage. Everything else—her relationships with her family, friends, and religion—had been relegated to the sideline. Attending church services helped to change her perspective. By the time of the 1995 Women's World Cup, Akers had regained much of her health. Injuries, however, kept her out of much of the competition. The U.S. team was eliminated by Norway in the semifinals, and Norway went on to win the championship. After the disappointing finish at the World Cup, the U.S. team set their sights on the first-ever Olympic soccer tournament in 1996, where they defeated the world champion Norway team 2–1 in the semifinals. They also defeated China in the final by the same score, capturing the first-ever women's soccer Olympic gold medal.

After the Olympics, Akers became more actively involved in missionary work, using soccer as a tool. In 1998 she founded Soccer Outreach International, an evangelistic Christian ministry. By early 1999 Akers had recovered significantly from the Epstein-Barr virus. She was convinced that God's plan for her life included one more World Cup. At age thirty-three, Akers was the oldest player on her team and the heart and soul of U.S. women's soccer. She led the team to a championship match against China in the Rose Bowl. After 120 minutes of scoreless regulation time and two overtimes, with the field temperature at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and in front of 95,000 spectators, the game had to be decided by penalty kicks. The United States won by a score of 5–4. After the medal award ceremony, the crowd at the Rose Bowl spontaneously gave Akers a special tribute acknowledging her contributions to U.S. women's soccer.

On 24 August 2000 Akers announced her retirement, and her plans to devote her time to the work of Soccer Outreach International. She attributed her achievements to God. "I can't make it through life by myself. I need God's help and strength." Soccer, to Akers, had become more than just a game. "I've got a new game plan now. On and off the field, I want to play, work, and live for His glory."

Akers has written, with Gregg Lewis, The Game and the Glory: An Autobiography (2000). See also Kelly Whiteside, "World Beater: Michelle Akers, Soccer's Top Female, Is Ready to Lead the U.S. to Another Title," Sports Illustrated (5 June 1995); M. Bamberger, "Dream Come True: Michelle Akers and the Nineteen Other Members of the World Cup–Winning U.S. Soccer Team Gave America a Summer to Savor Forever," Sports Illustrated (20 Dec. 1999); FIFA Women ' s World Cup USA 1999 Official Program (1999); and Michelle Akers: The Most Decorated Woman in Soccer (2001).

Ying Wushanley