May 24, 2001
HOUSTON - Santa Clara incoming freshman Jessica Ballweg, of Metuchen, N.J., and Leslie Osborne, of Menomonee Falls, Wis., will participate in the in third annual adidas Cup as members of the U.S. U-18 National Team. The competition begins May 29 in Houston, Texas.
Taline Tahmassian, a third Santa Clara incoming freshman, was named to the U.S. Youth Soccer All-America Team that will also compete in the adidas Cup, but she will not participate. The forward from Great Falls, Va., is recovering from an injury sustained in a high school playoff game.
Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith is also taking part in the tournament as coach of the U.S. Youth Soccer All-America Team.
The event, which, in lieu of a world championship, stands as the most prestigious tournament for U-18 women's teams, runs through Saturday, June 2, with the championship game beginning at 6:00 p.m. All games will be played at Elizabeth K. Meyer Park, and admission is free.
Joining these two U.S. teams will be national teams from Canada, Finland, Japan and the People's Republic of China. They will compete for world bragging rights until the Federation Internationale de Futbol Association (FIFA) hosts the first-ever U-19 Women's World Championship next summer. This year's adidas Cup provides the opportunity for the teams to see each other and evaluate their opponents.
