Growing up as a complete soccer fanatic and a US WNT maniac, it should come as no surprise that when I came home after my first game in May of 1999, I promptly took down my Hanson, Backstreet Boys, and N*SYNC posters and photos off my walls and replaced them with a news clipping chronicling the match I had just attended and a shiny new Mia Hamm poster. I amassed a good assortment of clippings, as you can imagine, in the media firestorm of the Women’s World Cup. The juggernaut of magazine covers, articles, and special features helped me eliminate any need to see the walls that my parents had just painstakingly converted from Sesame Street wallpaper to a gentle shade of lavender. One magazine, Goal Magazine, I believe, had a special feature on the US WNT’s young stalwart defender who had managed to crack the starting lineup. Entitled “Weird Science”, the spread was fronted by a shot of Kate Sobrero surrounded by beakers and test tubes, wearing a lab coat and goggles squeezing a bottle of ketchup into an Erlenmeyer flask.

Ketchup? Yes, ketchup. The article was a wonderfully written piece, describing Kate’s fearlessness as a defender, a charismatic individual, and someone who was delightfully and just plain-out weird. Kate had a stellar career at the University of Notre Dame. In her freshman year she helped the Irish to a National Championship in 1995, shutting down that year’s MAC Hermann award winner Shannon MacMillan and her fellow Portland Pilots in the NCAA Semi-Final. She was so impressive that despite being a freshman she earned player of the game and tournament honors for her play. Kate earned her first call-up to the national team in 1995 as a result of her stellar play. Things didn’t go so well for Notre Dame’s rookie, and Kate turned down invitations to training camp for the next three years. Forced with the realization that college was over, Kate agreed to attend training camp in January 1998.

The first camp back was rough for Kate, breaking her jaw during a training session, which had to be wired shut for six weeks. Despite the setback, Kate was called-up again after her recovery, where she earned herself a spot in a line-up amongst Carla Overbeck and Joy Fawcett. Her ability to defend one on one, combined with her ability to read plays before they happen and react accordingly made her simply one of the best. Kate was most distinguishable to fans for her edgy tongue-ring and hilarious hair, which she had dyed red losing a bet to Joy Fawcett, whom Kate believed wouldn’t score in the tournament.

Playing at central back next to Carla Overbeck, Kate was impressive in her ability to completely shut down China’s Sun Wen in the WWC Final. She had proven herself to be not just an asset to the WNT, but also its future. Her tenacity on the field is unsurpassed, as she never shied away from a single tackle — defining her impressive career on USA’s back line, as well as amassing a number of broken noses in her career. Winning two Olympic gold medals, a silver medal, and two consecutive Third Place finishes at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups. She was also a founding member of the WUSA, solidifying the back line for the Boston Breakers, who earned their first playoff berth in 2003 under then-coach Pia Sundhage.

Kate started all six matches for the WNT in 2003, earning her 100th cap in the team’s final match in group play of the Women’s World Cup. Never known for her offensive prowess, teammates poked fun as Kate’s status on the team as the only field player to not have scored a goal in 100 caps. Just shy of her 200th cap, Kate gleefully tucked home a penalty kick in front of an excited and adoring crowd in the fall of 2008. It seems wildly appropriate that she should score the only goal of her career at Toyota Park, where she also played her final professional match as a Chicago Red Star.

I’ve been mulling over in my head for a few days of what my favorite Kate Markgraf moment is. I was torn between on the field performance or hilarious off the field antics. I can’t isolate one on the field moment from Kate, although I would probably choose her performance in the WWC Final in 1999 as my favorite to watch. The moment that, to me, just seemed so perfect came just after scoring her lone goal. After she scores, she jumps around like a giddy kid in a candy store, making her way back to position. As the whistle blows after the kick off, Kate has her game face back on and is completely focused on the play at hand.

It wouldn’t be a true Kate Sobrero Markgraf career tribute without the Kate Sobrero song, which you can view here.

View Original Post at allwhitekit.wordpress.com

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