Tobin Heath
Encyclopedia
Tobin Powell Heath (born May 29, 1988) is an American soccer player
, an Olympic
Gold medalist, and a FIFA Women's World Cup
Finalist. According to United States Soccer Federation
, Heath is "perhaps the USA's most skillful player" and is "one of the team's best and most crafty dribblers". Heath usually plays as a flank midfielder or the attacking midfielder.
She was the 1st overall pick in Women's Professional Soccer
2010 draft. She currently plays for Sky Blue FC
.
(New Jersey) in 2006, where she was a Parade All-American in soccer.
She also played for the PDA Wildcats team that won the 2003 Club National Championship.
Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2006 by Soccer Buzz magazine.
Four-year letter winner in soccer.
Named to the Parade Magazine All-America team in 2005.
Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year.
Newark Star Ledger's First Team All-State squad.
Newark Star-Ledger's New Jersey Player of the Year.
and was a member of the UNC team that won the 2006, 2008 and 2009 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
. Heath's academic major at UNC was Communications. UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance said himself that Heath preferred to nutmeg
opposing players rather than dribble the ball around them. Heath played under #98 at UNC.
Heath's 2008-2009 University of North Carolina Honours
• 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
• M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
• Soccer Buzz National Player of the Year Finalist
• First-Team Top Drawer Soccer All-America
• Second-Team Soccer America MVP
• Second-Team NSCAA All-America
• Second-Team Soccer Buzz All-America
• Soccer America Preseason All-America
• Soccer Buzz Preseason All-America
• First-Team All-ACC
• Women's College Cup All-Tournament Team
• All-ACC Tournament
• First-Team NSCAA All-Southeast Region
• First-Team Soccer Buzz All-Southeast Region
• Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Soccer America National Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• 2009 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year
and with the USA Women's U-20 National Team at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
in Russia. She was a standout at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Russia, was one of five players to make the World Cup roster without participating in CONCACAF Qualifying, and was the third youngest player on the World Cup roster. Heath played in 24 matches for the U-20s in 2006, scoring five goals including two in international matches (scored her first international goal at the U-20 level against Canada in April in Brazil). Heath finished her U-20 international career with 14 caps and two goals. Heath started for the silver medal winning USA Women's team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil
.
After playing for several U.S. national youth teams, Heath made her first appearance for the senior team on January 18, 2008 against Finland
in the Four Nations Tournament. Heath nutmegged a Finland player on her first touches in her first cap. She was a reserve midfielder on the U.S. squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics and was the youngest squad member (age 20). She earned three caps during the tournament where the Women's National Team went on to win the Gold Medal. Heath was one of just three active collegians chosen to play on the U.S. Team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In 2008 alone, Heath earned her first 17 caps and scored her first two goals, the first-ever WNT goal against China at the Algarve Cup.
Heath was named the 2009 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year and played in two matches for the USA WNT, both against Canada in July 2009. Heath did not play for the USA in 2010 as she recovered from illness and a major ankle injury suffered early in the WPS season that eventually required surgery.
Heath made her FIFA Women's World Cup
debut at the age of 23 during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, playing in the second half during the USA WNT's group-stage match
against Colombia
. Heath earned a total of 4 caps in the Women's World Cup Tournament, the remaining three coming from the quarter-final against Brazil
(108th minute substitution), the semi-final against France
(87th minute substitution), and the final
against Japan
(114th minute substitution and third penalty shooter).
2010 college draft and went to the expanding Atlanta Beat.
On December 10, 2010, Heath, along with Beat teammates Eniola Aluko
and Angie Kerr
were traded to Sky Blue FC
in return for the 4th and 8th pick in 2011 Women's Professional Soccer Draft and "future considerations in 2012".
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
, an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold medalist, and a FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
Finalist. According to United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
, Heath is "perhaps the USA's most skillful player" and is "one of the team's best and most crafty dribblers". Heath usually plays as a flank midfielder or the attacking midfielder.
She was the 1st overall pick in Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
2010 draft. She currently plays for Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC is an American professional soccer club based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey which participates in Women's Professional Soccer....
.
Youth
Heath graduated from Ridge High SchoolRidge High School
Ridge High School is a four-year public high school serving students from Bernards Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Bernards Township School District...
(New Jersey) in 2006, where she was a Parade All-American in soccer.
She also played for the PDA Wildcats team that won the 2003 Club National Championship.
Ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2006 by Soccer Buzz magazine.
Four-year letter winner in soccer.
Named to the Parade Magazine All-America team in 2005.
Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year.
Newark Star Ledger's First Team All-State squad.
Newark Star-Ledger's New Jersey Player of the Year.
College career
She attended the University of North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer
The North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I soccer...
and was a member of the UNC team that won the 2006, 2008 and 2009 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
. Heath's academic major at UNC was Communications. UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance said himself that Heath preferred to nutmeg
Nutmeg (football)
A nutmeg is a technique used in football or field hockey, in which a player rolls the ball through an opponent's legs. This can be whilst passing to another player, shooting or occasionally to carry on and retrieve it themselves.- Origin :...
opposing players rather than dribble the ball around them. Heath played under #98 at UNC.
Heath's 2008-2009 University of North Carolina Honours
• 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist
• M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
• Soccer Buzz National Player of the Year Finalist
• First-Team Top Drawer Soccer All-America
• Second-Team Soccer America MVP
• Second-Team NSCAA All-America
• Second-Team Soccer Buzz All-America
• Soccer America Preseason All-America
• Soccer Buzz Preseason All-America
• First-Team All-ACC
• Women's College Cup All-Tournament Team
• All-ACC Tournament
• First-Team NSCAA All-Southeast Region
• First-Team Soccer Buzz All-Southeast Region
• Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Soccer America National Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week (September 30, 2008)
• 2009 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year
National team
Heath played on the U-16 USA Women's National Team from 2003–2004, with the U-17 team in 2004-05and with the USA Women's U-20 National Team at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
The 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship was held in Russia from 17 August to 3 September 2006. It was the officially recognized world championship for women's under-20 national football teams...
in Russia. She was a standout at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Russia, was one of five players to make the World Cup roster without participating in CONCACAF Qualifying, and was the third youngest player on the World Cup roster. Heath played in 24 matches for the U-20s in 2006, scoring five goals including two in international matches (scored her first international goal at the U-20 level against Canada in April in Brazil). Heath finished her U-20 international career with 14 caps and two goals. Heath started for the silver medal winning USA Women's team in the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
.
After playing for several U.S. national youth teams, Heath made her first appearance for the senior team on January 18, 2008 against Finland
Finland women's national football team
The Finland women's national football team represents Finland in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Finland , reached the semi-finals of the 2005 European Championship, surprising the female football world having drawn with Sweden and beaten Denmark...
in the Four Nations Tournament. Heath nutmegged a Finland player on her first touches in her first cap. She was a reserve midfielder on the U.S. squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics and was the youngest squad member (age 20). She earned three caps during the tournament where the Women's National Team went on to win the Gold Medal. Heath was one of just three active collegians chosen to play on the U.S. Team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In 2008 alone, Heath earned her first 17 caps and scored her first two goals, the first-ever WNT goal against China at the Algarve Cup.
Heath was named the 2009 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year and played in two matches for the USA WNT, both against Canada in July 2009. Heath did not play for the USA in 2010 as she recovered from illness and a major ankle injury suffered early in the WPS season that eventually required surgery.
Heath made her FIFA Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
debut at the age of 23 during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, playing in the second half during the USA WNT's group-stage match
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Group C
Group C of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup consisted of the teams from , , and . The games were played on 28 June, 2 July and 6 July 2011. The top two teams advanced to the knockout stage.-Standings:All times are CEST .- Colombia vs. Sweden :...
against Colombia
Colombia women's national football team
The Colombia women's national football team represents Colombia in international women's football.Colombia were runners-up in the 2010 South American Women's Championship, their best ever finish, earning the team a place in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup finals in Germany.-World Cup...
. Heath earned a total of 4 caps in the Women's World Cup Tournament, the remaining three coming from the quarter-final against Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
(108th minute substitution), the semi-final against France
France women's national football team
The French women's national football team represents France in international women's football. The team is directed by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer...
(87th minute substitution), and the final
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
The final of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was played between and the . The match took place in Commerzbank-Arena, in Frankfurt, Germany, on 17 July 2011...
against Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
(114th minute substitution and third penalty shooter).
Women's Professional Soccer
In 2010, she was the 1st overall pick in the Women's Professional SoccerWomen's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
2010 college draft and went to the expanding Atlanta Beat.
On December 10, 2010, Heath, along with Beat teammates Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko
Eniola "Eni" Aluko is a Nigerian-born, English football forward currently playing for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer. Aluko moved with her family to Birmingham when she was one year old. Since she grew up in England, she chose to represent England at international level.-Birmingham...
and Angie Kerr
Angie Woznuk
Angela Beth "Angie" Woznuk Kerr is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team...
were traded to Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC is an American professional soccer club based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey which participates in Women's Professional Soccer....
in return for the 4th and 8th pick in 2011 Women's Professional Soccer Draft and "future considerations in 2012".