April Heinrichs (born February 27, 1964 in Denver, Colorado) was among the first players on the United States women's national soccer team, and was captain of the United States team which won the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991. She finished her international playing career with 47 caps and 38 goals. In 1998 she became the first female player inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

She joined the United States national team as an assistant coach in 1995. She later became the team's head coach upon Tony Dicicco 's retirement in 2000.

During her tenure, Heinrichs was often criticized for failing to lead the previously unstoppable national squad to a major international championship until the 2004 Summer Olympics. While she did lead the United States to wins in international tournaments such as the Algarve Cup , her team failed to win in the 2000 Summer Olympics or 2003 Women's World Cup, despite the unexpected home field advantage gained when the tournament was moved to the United States from China due to the SARS outbreak.

Because of her sparse success record, and gossip regarding her strained relationship with team members, Heinrichs' tenure as US coach was long rumored to be questionable. She resigned as coach on February 15, 2005.

External links

• National Soccer Hall of Fame biography