Carla Werden Overbeck (née Werden; born May 9, 1968) is an American former soccer player who is currently an assistant coach for the Duke Blue Devils women's soccer team. Captain of the United States national team from 1993 to 2000, she helped lead the team to two FIFA Women's World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. She played collegiately for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She has been an assistant coach for Duke since 1992, overseeing its defensive unit principally. She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006.

Carla Overbeck
Overbeck in 2014
Personal information
Full name Carla Werden Overbeck
Birth name Carla Werden[1]
Date of birth (1968-05-09) May 9, 1968 (age 56)[2]
Place of birth Pasadena, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Defender
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1989 North Carolina Tar Heels
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998 Raleigh Wings[3] 5 (1)
2001–2003 Carolina Courage 45 (2)
International career
1988–2000 United States 170 (7)
Managerial career
1992– Duke Blue Devils (assistant)
Medal record
Women's football (soccer)
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team competition
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team competition
FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1991 China Team competition
Gold medal – first place 1999 USA Team competition
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Sweden Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Youth

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Overbeck began playing soccer at the age of 11, playing for club soccer team the Dallas Sting. With the Sting, she won two national championships.[4][5]

College

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Overbeck played college soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1986 to 1989, where she won the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship each of her four seasons. She was an NSCAA All-America selection three times. During her time as a central defender with the Tar Heels, the team tallied a 95-match unbeaten streak (89–0–6).[4][6]

Overbeck was a four-time member of the NCAA All-Tournament Team and a two-time All-ACC selection. In addition, she was a member of the 1986 Soccer America All-America Freshman Team and was the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the 1988 NCAA Tournament.[7]

On May 6, 2006, Overbeck was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and was a 2010 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

Club

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Overbeck played for the Raleigh Wings of the W-League in 1998 and helped the team finish with a 14–0 record and clinch the league's championship title.[8][9]

From 2001 to 2003, Overbeck played for the Carolina Courage in the WUSA, the first professional soccer league for women in the United States. She was also on the WUSA Board of Governors.[10] In August 2002, her overtime goal in the semifinal match helped lift the Courage to the WUSA Founders Cup II, the league's championship game against the Washington Freedom, led by Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.[11] The Courage defeated the Freedom 3–2 to clinch the championship title on August 24, 2002.[12]

International

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Overbeck signing autographs in 2007

Overbeck first appeared with the U.S. national team on June 1, 1988, and was a member of the U.S. team that won the first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991. Playing central defender, she led a defense that allowed five goals in six matches. She became captain of the team in 1993.[4]

She was one of two players to play every minute of each of the team's games at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 1999 Women's World Cup. In 1998, she captained the national team to win the first-ever Goodwill Games.[4]

Overbeck retired from international competition following the 2000 Summer Olympics, finishing her career with 168 caps.

Coaching career

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Overbeck has been an assistant coach for Duke University's women's soccer team since 1992.[6]

Media coverage

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Overbeck appeared with her national team teammates on the cover of Sports Illustrated's December 20, 1999 issue.[13] She was featured in the film Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team in 2007.[14]

Overbeck was featured in the ESPN series Nine for IX in "The 99ers" episode.[15]

Personal life

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Born in Pasadena, California, Overbeck grew up in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where she attended Richardson High School.[4] She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in psychology in 1990. In late 1999, Overbeck was diagnosed with Graves' disease.[16] In December 2009, she became an official spokesperson for Instaflex.[17] She and her husband, Greg Overbeck, have one son, Jackson, and a daughter, Carson Elizabeth.[7]

Honors and awards

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Individual

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Team

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  • Sports Illustrated Sportswomen of the Year, December 1999[13]
  • WUSA Founders Cup II, 2002

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "May 13, 1990 Degree Candidates – The College of Arts and Sciences – Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees: Bachelors of Arts". 188th Commencement. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. May 13, 1990. p. 32. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Carla Overbeck". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "1998 Wings Player Stats". Raleigh Wings. Archived from the original on February 24, 1999. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Carla Overbeck". North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  5. ^ "History and accomplishments". Sting Soccer Club. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Carla Overbeck". Duke University. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Carla Overbeck Bio". Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  8. ^ Blevins, David (2011). The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 739. ISBN 978-0810861305.
  9. ^ "USISL W-League: Raleigh Wings". Soccer Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  10. ^ "WUSA Restructures Senior Management and Relocates Headquarters to Atlanta". US Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  11. ^ "Overbeck's OT goal sends Carolina to title game". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  12. ^ "Courage won 2002 WUSA title with McDermott at helm". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 19, 2002. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Sportswomen of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  14. ^ "SEE RANK Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team". IMDB. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  15. ^ "Carla Overbeck still inspires". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  16. ^ "U.S. Women's National Team Captain Carla Overbeck Diagnosed with Grave's Disease". US Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  17. ^ "Instaflex Signs Deal With Soccer Legend, Hall of Famer Carla Overbeck". New York Sports Journalism. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  18. ^ "Lalas, Overbeck elected to soccer Hall of Fame". USA Today. May 6, 2006. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  19. ^ "Lalas, Overbeck highlight Hall of Fame class". ESPN. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  20. ^ "Carla Overbeck". North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
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