She's Done It!

After 192 scoreless games for the U.S. Women's National Team, three Women's World Cup tournaments and three Olympic Games, Kate Markgarf finally got her first-ever international goal in the 31st minute of her 193rd cap. The players had decided before the three-game series against Ireland that if they got a penalty kick, they wanted Markgraf to take it. At first, when Natasha Kai was chopped down in the box, the U.S. co-captain was hesitant, but a quick word from co-captain Christie Rampne (basically, "you gotta take it") sent her to the penalty spot. Markgraf, with ice-water in her veins, cooly deposited the ball in the lower left corner by talented and six-foot Irish goalkeeper Emma Byrne. Mia Hamm would have been proud of the finish. So ends the longest streak in U.S. history of games without a goal, a record Markgraf is likely to hold, well, forever. But now, she is not the only player field player of note that has never scored a goal. She has erased the goose-egg and her caps/goals reads 193/1...and that's pretty cool. So, Stephanie Cox (51 caps/0 goals) you're up next! By the way, please feel free to post your CONGRATULATIONS to Kate on her first-ever goal. It was defnitely one of the best moments of the three-game tour.