Rachel Buehler

One of the USA’s toughest and most experienced defenders, she had an extensive youth international career before breaking into the full team in 2006 and 2007 … 2012: Played in 31 of the USA’s 32 matches, starting 26 and had one goal with four assists, doubling her career assist total to that point … Her 2,433 minutes marked the first time she had played more than 2,000 minutes in a year for the USA … Earned her 98^th career cap in the final match of the year, putting her in position to be the 29^th female player to play 100 times for the United States … Started all six games at the 2012 Olympics, playing all but 38 minutes of the tournament in helping the USA to the gold medal, her second … Played four matches at Olympic qualifying, starting three games, and scored her one goal of the year against the Dominican Republic, giving her three for her career … 2011: A full-time starter for the USA in 2011, she played in 19 of the USA’s 20 matches, starting 18 … The only match she missed came when she was suspended for the Women's World Cup semifinal after getting a controversial red card in the quarterfinal win against Brazil ... Started all five games she played in the Women's World Cup in Germany and scored her first-ever World Cup goal in the 2-0 victory over Korea DPR to clinch the USA's opening match of the tournament … It was just her second career goal … Was second on the team in minutes played with 1,608 … 2010: Had a breakthrough year for the U.S. WNT, becoming a starter and named co-captain … Started 17 matches and led the team in minutes played with 1,474, playing in the central defense and at outside back … Played four matches in the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament and scored her first career goal against Haiti in a 5-0 win … Played all 180 minutes in the two-leg Women’s World Cup playoff against Italy … 2009: Played in all eight WNT matches, making five starts, including the huge win against Germany in Germany at the end of October … Also started the final two matches at the Algarve Cup in Portugal … Solidified her role as an impact player on the USA’s backline as she passed 30 career caps … 2008: Made her first WNT roster and debuted for the full team in March of 2008 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, starting and playing the entire game against China … Earned the first 23 caps of her career in 2008, playing well enough – mostly at outside back – to earn a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team … Played in two matches at the Olympics, starting one, in which she played all 90 minutes against New Zealand in group play … Started eight total matches during the year and picked up one assist … 2007: Attended training camps throughout the winter and spring with the Women’s National Team and participated in the Residency Training Camp ... 2006: Got her first call-up to training camp in July 2006 … Youth National Team: Played extensively with the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team (earning 17 U-21 caps), playing in the Nordic Cup in Sweden (2005), Norway (2006) and Finland (2007), while winning the title in 2005 and 2007 … Was a starter for the USA in two FIFA youth world championships … Played on the U.S. team that took third place in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Thailand and on the team that won the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Canada, but suffered a torn ACL right at the beginning of the championship game in Edmonton … She had started five of six games in the tournament to that point, scoring a goal off a penalty kick against England … Started all five games at the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in Canada in 2004, playing every minute while scoring two goals with one assist … Finished her U-19 international career with 30 U-19 caps … In 2003, she did not play with the U-19s as she was recovering from another ACL injury, this one to her other knee which came on the first day after returning to the field after rehabbing her first torn ACL … Played with the U-17 and U-16 National Teams … First Appearance: March 5, 2008, vs. China … First Goal: Oct. 28, 2010, vs. Haiti.

Allocated to the Portland Thorns for the inaugural NWSL season … 2012: Signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Beat before the WPS folded … 2011: Signed with the Boston Breakers and played 895 minutes over 10 matches, starting them all … Scored one goal, the third of her professional club career, and helped the Breakers to the WPS playoffs … 2010: Played in and started 22 matches for the Gold Pride, scoring one goal while captaining the club to the WPS title … Named a starter in the WPS All-Star Game and to the WPS Best XI … Committed just 13 fouls over 1,958 minutes … 2009: Allocated to FC Gold Pride for the inaugural WPS season … Started 17 matches, playing every minute of each game as she anchored the back line … Had one goal and one assist … Committed just 10 fouls in more than 1530 minutes … Youth: Competed for the San Diego Surf for seven years ... Named the club’s 2003 Player of the Year ... Was an NSCAA U-16 and U-17 Youth All-American.

Finished a decorated career at Stanford in the fall of 2007 and was named by the NCAA Honors Committee as a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Top VIII Award … A three-year captain for the Cardinal, she was an All-Pac-10 Conference First-Team selection …She was an NSCAA First-Team All-American Scholar Athlete and was chosen as the ESPN Academic All-American of the Year … As a red-shirt senior, she started all 23 of Stanford’s games during one of the school’s most successful years ever … As a redshirt junior in 2006, she was an All-Pac-10 First Team selection and named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team, one of two players in the conference to be named to both First Teams ...  She was also an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American First Team selection ... Started all 23 games for the Cardinal, one of four Stanford players to start every game ... Led the defense to 15 shutouts and a 0.55 goals-against average ... As a redshirt sophomore in 2005, she started all 20 games for the Cardinal and earned Second Team All-Pac-10 accolades ... Named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second-Team ... Tallied two goals on the year, both game-winners during the Stanford Nike Invitational ... Her first collegiate goal came against Santa Clara ... Followed up with her second goal two days later against Colorado College ... As a sophomore in 2004, she redshirted the season, spending the fall with the U.S. Under-19 National Team … As a freshman in 2003, she played in 15 games and made eight starts … High School: At Torrey Pines High School, she was twice named a Parade Magazine All-American (2002 and 2003) and named the Torrey Pines’ Defender of the Year in 2000 and Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002 ... Captained her high school squad during her junior and senior seasons ... Named the 2001 and 2002 Palomar League Player of the Year ... Earned First Team All-CIF and All-Palomar League honors for three straight years (2000-02).

Full name is Rachel Marie Buehler … Nicknames are Rach, Buehles, Bue, Boo and, of course, the Buehldozer … Married Bobby Van Hollebeke in San Diego in October of 2012 … Father, Donald, a heart surgeon, was a member of Stanford’s water polo and wrestling teams ... Is the proud daughter of the ultimate soccer mom, Mary Ellen … Graduated pre-med with a degree in human biology … Took her medical school entrance exams in July of 2008 and hopes to be in the medical field one day after her soccer career is over … Has been accepted into medical school at the University of San Diego, but has deferred for now to pursue her soccer career … Received an NCAA post-graduate scholarship  … She is one of 27 Buehlers to have attended Stanford … Has one sister, Anna, who played soccer for the Surf and graduated from Stanford … Enjoys going to the beach, rocking out to oldies, trying new restaurants, reading novels, and hanging out with her family, friends and husband Bobby … Loves to hike and be in nature, and to explore the many places to which the U.S. WNT travels … Was named one of the Girl Scout’s Cool Women of the Year in 2013 … She is known for being dedicated to warming up before practices and games and for being extremely prepared by having everything she might need at training in her backpack … Loves to go to farmers markets on the weekends … Has a vast collection of fun socks … Considers ladybugs her lucky charm … When she has free time, she volunteers at local elementary schools and a children’s hospital and spends time with senior citizens.