The U.S. National Team

Her rise to the National Team is a unique story in that she made the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team without ever previously earning a full national team cap (the only player in history to do so) … Uncapped heading into the final two pre-2003 WWC matches, she was one of the revelations of the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup … The rugged Boxx developed into one if the world’s best defensive midfielders had started every game but one that she played since debuting in 2003, before hip and knee surgery sidelined her in 2006 … She finished third in the voting for the 2005 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year … She had started 130 of her 136 career matches heading into 2011 … Has scored in four of the five matches she has played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., just minutes from her hometown of Redondo Beach …

2010: Started all 18 matches the USA played, one of just two players to do so, and her 1,474 minutes were second on the team … Scored one goal, the 21st of her career, in a win over Mexico … Had five assists on the year … Started all five matches at the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament, registering two assists, and played all 180 minutes in the two-leg WWC playoff against Italy …

2009: Continued her consistent run in the center of the U.S. midfield by starting seven of the eight matches the USA played in 2009 and playing in them all, scoring two goals … Scored the tying goal in regulation with just seconds left in the championship game of the Algarve Cup and opened the scoring with an early goal during a 4-0 win over Canada in Toronto … Led the USA in minutes played with 614

2008: Displayed the form that has made her one of the world’s best at her position, starting all 33 games she played … Finished second on the team in minutes played with 2,807 … Scored just scored one goal, but it was a crucial game-winner in a 1-0 victory over China in January to give the USA the Four Nations Tournament title … Played every minute of all six matches at the 2008 Olympics and was one of the USA’s most important players … Assisted on the game-winning goal in the Olympic quarterfinal win over Canada … Was on the 10-player short list for FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year …

2007: Returned to the U.S. team at the Algarve Cup after recovering from major knee surgery, starting against Finland in the second group match and playing 90 minutes before coming off the bench in the final two games … Tallied her first goal of the year, and first since her injury, against Japan with a header in a 4-1 win over Japan on July 28 at Spartan Stadium … Started 14 of the 18 games she played, scoring four goals with three assists … Scored against England in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal … She started four of the five games in the Women’s World Cup, but was given an undeserved red card in the semifinal against Brazil and was suspended for the third-place match …

2006: Started all three games at the Four Nations Tournament in China, helping the USA to the title, while scoring on a header against Norway … Started all four games at the Algarve Cup and was named Tournament MVP for the second time (also won the award in 2004) … After recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in her hip, she tore the MCL and ACL in her right knee during practice in mid-July at Residency Training Camp and was out for eight months …

2005: Started all four games at the Algarve Cup, playing all but 23 minutes of the tournament … Started all nine games the USA played, was third in minutes played, and scored one goal (against Iceland) with one assist …

2004: Started 31 of the 32 matches she played and was second on the team in minutes played with 2,714 … Scored eight goals with five assists, including a goal in Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy’s last game on Dec. 8 … Scored her first career hat trick against T&T at the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Costa Rica … Started all six games at the 2004 Olympics, scored the opening goal of the tournament against Greece and had the game-winning assist against Japan in the quarterfinal … She captained the FIFA Women’s World All-Star Team against Germany in Paris in May, leading her team to a 3-2 victory … Named MVP of the prestigious Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal in March as the USA defeated Norway, 4-1, in the title game … Finished 7th in the voting for FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year

2003: Played in the final two matches before the Women’s World Cup, her first two career caps and starts, and scored goals in both games … Started all five games in which she played at the 2003 Women’s World Cup … Scored against Sweden in the opening game of the tournament and also against Canada to help clinch the third-place match, which was the 1,000th goal in U.S. WNT history … She was one of three U.S. players named to the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team… Set a U.S. record by scoring in her first three full National Team matches, against Costa Rica and Mexico right before the Women’s World Cup, and then in the tournament opener vs. Sweden …

2002: Called into training camp in January 2002 in Charleston, S.C. …

2001: Participated in training camp in October of 2001 in San Diego, Calif. … Youth National Team: A member of the U.S. Under-21 National Team pool during 1995-96 … First Appearance: Sept. 1, 2003, vs. Costa Rica … First Goal: Sept. 1, 2003, vs. Costa Rica.

Full name is Shannon Leigh Boxx … Nickname is “Boxxy” … Her sister Gillian won a gold medal in softball at the 1996 Olympics and is now a firefighter in San Jose, Calif. … Her and her sister have identical Olympic rings tattoos on their ankles … Also played softball, volleyball and basketball in high school … The Ocean League Scholar Athlete in 1995 and her high school's female athlete of the year … A three year honor roll member in both high school and at Notre Dame … Participated in the Avon 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer Research from Santa Barbara to Malibu, Calif. … Favorite meal is mom's homemade chili … Always tries to eat banana pancakes the morning before a game … Loves stale Peeps … Favorite non-soccer athlete is Michael Jordan … Prior to breaking into the National Team, she was accepted into a Master’s program for clinical psychology at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.