2007 National Champions: A Decade Later
October 12, 2017 | Women's Soccer, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
Click the play button on the video to watch a recap of the 2007 USC women's soccer national championship!
"When that whistle blows, it's unbelievable, I mean everything you've worked for has really paid off and been worth it," former USC women's soccer goalie Kristin Olsen recounted that championship moment. "It's extreme relief — you work, for some of us, our whole career, all the way through club, and your next goal is to go to college and play for a team and hopefully makes it to the tournament, but to win a national championship is something you can never really explain."
Fourteen years after USC women's soccer began competing in the NCAA, the program reached the peak of achievement. The second-seeded Trojans beat the top-seeded UCLA Bruins in the NCAA semifinals, 2-1, before topping Florida State, 2-0, in the title match on Dec. 7, 2007, an emotional day for a team that was finally able to reap the rewards of its hard work.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of that championship season, and it comes just a year after USC women's soccer's second national title.
"You take it for granted when you're in it, and then looking back you're just like, 'Those are some of the best memories I've ever had," said former defender Stacey Strong.
Ashli Sandoval, who was a starting freshman on the national championship team, reciprocated a similar feeling of delayed realization.
"It took a few days for it to sink in for me," Sandoval said. "It was kind of surreal, thinking that we were the best team in the nation, and I just thought it was pretty awesome to be at that level."
After losing in the second round of the 2006 tournament and getting a new head coach for the 2007 season, an NCAA Championship was not the most probable outcome that year. Regardless, 11 months and 13 days after hiring a new coach, the women were national champions.
USC hired Ali Khosroshahin (pictured below) from Cal State Fullerton, where he took his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, one of which was in the second round of the 2005 bracket against USC, (a 3-1 CSUF win).
"I remember while we were playing against them, looking at the group and going, 'Wow, there's some serious talent there,'" Khosroshahin said of the Trojans. His familiarity with the team helped ease his transition. "There were a couple of girls [on the team] that I had connections to from the past, and that helped that buy-in to happen quicker."
Khosroshahin affirmed that the coaches knew "there was a lot of really good talent" on the team, but they didn't know "how far we could take them." Training started in January and there were some clashes with the new coaching regime, as they implemented two 5:30 a.m. workouts a week.
"I'll tell you that the one thing that the group always stood out in one area for me was how incredibly competitive they were," Khosroshahin said. "So whenever you challenged them, they might've moaned and groaned about it, but they always stepped up to the challenge."
Not to mention, the team faced a bit of an uphill battle, as it wasn't known for its performance in the tournament. However, the relative ripeness of the USC program enticed some key players to commit to the school in the first place.
"USC was a place I knew I could contribute and be a part of a team that hadn't really reached the tournament too many times, but I just felt like it was a place I could make a good contribution and be part of a team that was building something rather than a team that was already established," Olsen said.
Despite some admitted growing pains, the team's leading scorer Amy Rodriguez felt the 2007 championship team helped her grow and improve a lot.
"The championship year was one of my most hard-working and disciplined years on the soccer field," said Rodriguez, who went on to win two Olympic gold medals and a 2011 World Cup title. "I learned a lot about team unity and going the extra mile to be the best. I had a wonderful squad of players and coaches who helped me be successful on the field."
Khosroshahin, Sandoval, Olsen, Rodriguez and Strong all mentioned the team's tight bond, which, combined with immense talent, made the Trojans unstoppable.
"Everybody put the team first rather than themselves," Sandoval said. "If they were a starting player and they weren't starting anymore, they were still supporting the team."
This sentiment lasted from training all the way until the NCAA Finals. Khosroshahin, however, had a very distinct moment in mind during the season when he realized his team could take it all the way, and it had absolutely nothing to do with soccer.
"We were up in Northern California and we ordered food in for the team to eat in a room we had for them to study in," Khosroshahin said. "Next door, and we didn't know this when we reserved the room, they had an Elvis impersonation contest. So, they had to study in that room with all the music going on next door. To their credit, they were laser focused on doing their job, which was studying at that point, and that's when I knew the group was very special and that they could handle a lot of distractions while maintaining good focus. That is when I knew the group could overcome anything that was thrown in front of them."
Olsen agreed, saying that the team was too strong to not succeed.
"We just all clicked very well from the start," Olsen said. "From the start it was always great and I think you could tell our chemistry was really great on and off the field, and that is how we ultimately ended up winning."
Despite going 20-3-2 and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans weren't considered a favorite, and the women knew that going in.
"We were the underdogs going into the tournament, we had no expectations, so we just took every game as it came and didn't look too far into the future and we just stayed level-headed," Olsen said. "Coach Ali was pretty big on not celebrating or getting too big-headed. When we won a game it wasn't like we had won the championship, we had just won a game we hadn't proven anything yet to anybody."
Khosroshahin said he liked the team's draw from the moment he saw it, but that didn't mean he was overly confident.
"I was a nervous wreck before every game of the tournament," Khosroshahin said. "I think I threw up before every single game, it was nerve-wracking to say the least, but we all kept focusing on what our jobs were, we didn't celebrate any of the wins, we just said, 'This is what we expect,' and each game we got a little better.
"After we were able to beat Florida in the third round, I remember Megan Ohai and Kasey Johnson were interviewed after the game…and they asked how they think they would do, and Megan Ohai just with a real matter-of-fact face said, 'We're going to win this thing,' and that's when I knew the girls believed that it could happen."
Ohai and Johnson's teammates felt the same way, and they kept the train rolling.
"We just kept winning," Rodriguez (pictured) said. "Each playoff game was a battle, and we felt like the underdog every time, but we just kept winning. We stuck to the game plan, we worked hard for each other, and we believed in ourselves."
The second-seeded Trojans played Creighton in the first round, defeating them, 3-0, then they beat Missouri, 1-0, in the second overtime period, outplayed third-seeded Florida, 1-0, in the third round, beat fourth-seeded West Virginia, 1-0, in the quarterfinals, number-one seed UCLA, 2-1, in the semifinals, and finally third-seeded Florida State, 2-0, in the championship.
The team was elated after beating the rival Bruins in the semifinals, but, again, they did not celebrate, and focused on the championship game.
"Getting to the finals I think we all had this feeling that we were going to win," Strong said. "We had made it so far and there was no doubt that we were going to win."
Strong's confidence and excitement even shined through in the championship game, to which a teammate reminded her the game was not over until the whistle sounded.
"I remember we were up, 2-0, with probably about five or ten minutes left in the game," Strong said, "and I looked over to our center defender who was next to me, Jannesa Currier, and I just smiled at her and she told me, 'Relax, we still have five minutes left, it's not over yet,' and it was just a hard year with transitioning to a new coach and it was just a relief when we won, like we did all of this and it was just a lot of emotions boiling up at once."
The players recognized how emotional soccer can be, and they relished the opportunity to finally let everything go after capturing the ultimate prize.
"To share those experiences with some of your best friends who you played club with or grown up with is … I mean, the girls on that team, I'll never forget them and I'll never forget the experience that we shared," Olsen said.
Once the Trojans held the trophy up high the games may have been over, but the celebrations were just beginning.
"USC did such a great job of incorporating us into all these different events that we attended," Olsen said. "We went to the Capitol and got to meet Governor Schwarzenegger, we went to the White House and got to meet President Bush, I mean those are experiences you couldn't have anywhere else, and I'm thankful to have been a part of such a great experience."
Those shared experiences forged lifelong friendships. One of Sandoval's teammates was at her wedding, another is still her best friend. Rodriguez stays in touch with most of the players and keeps tabs on everyone through social media, and Strong does too, saying, "That's soccer, playing on a team just really brings everyone together."
The alumni also follow the current women's program, including the team that won USC's second national title last year.
Olsen got dinner with last year's championship goalie, Sammy Jo Prudhomme.
"I got dinner with Sammy Jo after they had won and it was fun to talk to her and talk about the experiences she had because it was different but also the same to ours," Olsen said. "And it's just great for the school and great for the girls and I hope they can pull through this year again."
Strong agreed, saying that she has seen tremendous progression in the program over the last 10 years.
"I don't think up to that point USC had really been known for women's soccer, and it just kind of put us on the map and it made it easier for recruiting and more players then wanted to play there," Strong said.
That wasn't the only connection the old champions had with the new champions, though, as Strong went to the championship game herself, neglecting to let the team know and simply watching as a spectator.
"I live in Northern California, so I was like, 'It's in San Jose, we're in it, I have to go,'" Strong said. "And that was super fun to watch. I had like the same emotions and knew exactly how they felt and it was just so exciting to see that, and I try and catch this year's games whenever I can too."
The team is currently 10-1-1, and is looking to capture a third championship for USC.
"I was ecstatic to see the program win another championship," Rodriguez said. "I'm hoping it's the beginning of a soccer dynasty at USC. Fight On!"
Fourteen years after USC women's soccer began competing in the NCAA, the program reached the peak of achievement. The second-seeded Trojans beat the top-seeded UCLA Bruins in the NCAA semifinals, 2-1, before topping Florida State, 2-0, in the title match on Dec. 7, 2007, an emotional day for a team that was finally able to reap the rewards of its hard work.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of that championship season, and it comes just a year after USC women's soccer's second national title.
"You take it for granted when you're in it, and then looking back you're just like, 'Those are some of the best memories I've ever had," said former defender Stacey Strong.
Ashli Sandoval, who was a starting freshman on the national championship team, reciprocated a similar feeling of delayed realization.
"It took a few days for it to sink in for me," Sandoval said. "It was kind of surreal, thinking that we were the best team in the nation, and I just thought it was pretty awesome to be at that level."
After losing in the second round of the 2006 tournament and getting a new head coach for the 2007 season, an NCAA Championship was not the most probable outcome that year. Regardless, 11 months and 13 days after hiring a new coach, the women were national champions.
USC hired Ali Khosroshahin (pictured below) from Cal State Fullerton, where he took his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, one of which was in the second round of the 2005 bracket against USC, (a 3-1 CSUF win).
"I remember while we were playing against them, looking at the group and going, 'Wow, there's some serious talent there,'" Khosroshahin said of the Trojans. His familiarity with the team helped ease his transition. "There were a couple of girls [on the team] that I had connections to from the past, and that helped that buy-in to happen quicker."
Khosroshahin affirmed that the coaches knew "there was a lot of really good talent" on the team, but they didn't know "how far we could take them." Training started in January and there were some clashes with the new coaching regime, as they implemented two 5:30 a.m. workouts a week.
"I'll tell you that the one thing that the group always stood out in one area for me was how incredibly competitive they were," Khosroshahin said. "So whenever you challenged them, they might've moaned and groaned about it, but they always stepped up to the challenge."
"USC was a place I knew I could contribute and be a part of a team that hadn't really reached the tournament too many times, but I just felt like it was a place I could make a good contribution and be part of a team that was building something rather than a team that was already established," Olsen said.
Despite some admitted growing pains, the team's leading scorer Amy Rodriguez felt the 2007 championship team helped her grow and improve a lot.
"The championship year was one of my most hard-working and disciplined years on the soccer field," said Rodriguez, who went on to win two Olympic gold medals and a 2011 World Cup title. "I learned a lot about team unity and going the extra mile to be the best. I had a wonderful squad of players and coaches who helped me be successful on the field."
Khosroshahin, Sandoval, Olsen, Rodriguez and Strong all mentioned the team's tight bond, which, combined with immense talent, made the Trojans unstoppable.
"Everybody put the team first rather than themselves," Sandoval said. "If they were a starting player and they weren't starting anymore, they were still supporting the team."
This sentiment lasted from training all the way until the NCAA Finals. Khosroshahin, however, had a very distinct moment in mind during the season when he realized his team could take it all the way, and it had absolutely nothing to do with soccer.
"We were up in Northern California and we ordered food in for the team to eat in a room we had for them to study in," Khosroshahin said. "Next door, and we didn't know this when we reserved the room, they had an Elvis impersonation contest. So, they had to study in that room with all the music going on next door. To their credit, they were laser focused on doing their job, which was studying at that point, and that's when I knew the group was very special and that they could handle a lot of distractions while maintaining good focus. That is when I knew the group could overcome anything that was thrown in front of them."
Olsen agreed, saying that the team was too strong to not succeed.
"We just all clicked very well from the start," Olsen said. "From the start it was always great and I think you could tell our chemistry was really great on and off the field, and that is how we ultimately ended up winning."
Despite going 20-3-2 and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans weren't considered a favorite, and the women knew that going in.
"We were the underdogs going into the tournament, we had no expectations, so we just took every game as it came and didn't look too far into the future and we just stayed level-headed," Olsen said. "Coach Ali was pretty big on not celebrating or getting too big-headed. When we won a game it wasn't like we had won the championship, we had just won a game we hadn't proven anything yet to anybody."
Khosroshahin said he liked the team's draw from the moment he saw it, but that didn't mean he was overly confident.
"I was a nervous wreck before every game of the tournament," Khosroshahin said. "I think I threw up before every single game, it was nerve-wracking to say the least, but we all kept focusing on what our jobs were, we didn't celebrate any of the wins, we just said, 'This is what we expect,' and each game we got a little better.
"After we were able to beat Florida in the third round, I remember Megan Ohai and Kasey Johnson were interviewed after the game…and they asked how they think they would do, and Megan Ohai just with a real matter-of-fact face said, 'We're going to win this thing,' and that's when I knew the girls believed that it could happen."
Ohai and Johnson's teammates felt the same way, and they kept the train rolling."We just kept winning," Rodriguez (pictured) said. "Each playoff game was a battle, and we felt like the underdog every time, but we just kept winning. We stuck to the game plan, we worked hard for each other, and we believed in ourselves."
The second-seeded Trojans played Creighton in the first round, defeating them, 3-0, then they beat Missouri, 1-0, in the second overtime period, outplayed third-seeded Florida, 1-0, in the third round, beat fourth-seeded West Virginia, 1-0, in the quarterfinals, number-one seed UCLA, 2-1, in the semifinals, and finally third-seeded Florida State, 2-0, in the championship.
The team was elated after beating the rival Bruins in the semifinals, but, again, they did not celebrate, and focused on the championship game.
"Getting to the finals I think we all had this feeling that we were going to win," Strong said. "We had made it so far and there was no doubt that we were going to win."
Strong's confidence and excitement even shined through in the championship game, to which a teammate reminded her the game was not over until the whistle sounded.
"I remember we were up, 2-0, with probably about five or ten minutes left in the game," Strong said, "and I looked over to our center defender who was next to me, Jannesa Currier, and I just smiled at her and she told me, 'Relax, we still have five minutes left, it's not over yet,' and it was just a hard year with transitioning to a new coach and it was just a relief when we won, like we did all of this and it was just a lot of emotions boiling up at once."
The players recognized how emotional soccer can be, and they relished the opportunity to finally let everything go after capturing the ultimate prize.
"To share those experiences with some of your best friends who you played club with or grown up with is … I mean, the girls on that team, I'll never forget them and I'll never forget the experience that we shared," Olsen said.
Once the Trojans held the trophy up high the games may have been over, but the celebrations were just beginning.
"USC did such a great job of incorporating us into all these different events that we attended," Olsen said. "We went to the Capitol and got to meet Governor Schwarzenegger, we went to the White House and got to meet President Bush, I mean those are experiences you couldn't have anywhere else, and I'm thankful to have been a part of such a great experience."
Those shared experiences forged lifelong friendships. One of Sandoval's teammates was at her wedding, another is still her best friend. Rodriguez stays in touch with most of the players and keeps tabs on everyone through social media, and Strong does too, saying, "That's soccer, playing on a team just really brings everyone together."The alumni also follow the current women's program, including the team that won USC's second national title last year.
Olsen got dinner with last year's championship goalie, Sammy Jo Prudhomme.
"I got dinner with Sammy Jo after they had won and it was fun to talk to her and talk about the experiences she had because it was different but also the same to ours," Olsen said. "And it's just great for the school and great for the girls and I hope they can pull through this year again."
Strong agreed, saying that she has seen tremendous progression in the program over the last 10 years.
"I don't think up to that point USC had really been known for women's soccer, and it just kind of put us on the map and it made it easier for recruiting and more players then wanted to play there," Strong said.
That wasn't the only connection the old champions had with the new champions, though, as Strong went to the championship game herself, neglecting to let the team know and simply watching as a spectator.
"I live in Northern California, so I was like, 'It's in San Jose, we're in it, I have to go,'" Strong said. "And that was super fun to watch. I had like the same emotions and knew exactly how they felt and it was just so exciting to see that, and I try and catch this year's games whenever I can too."
The team is currently 10-1-1, and is looking to capture a third championship for USC.
"I was ecstatic to see the program win another championship," Rodriguez said. "I'm hoping it's the beginning of a soccer dynasty at USC. Fight On!"
USC Men's Basketball vs Manhattan Post Game Press Conference (11/09/25)
Sunday, November 09
USC Men's Basketball vs Manhattan Highlights | Trojans win 114-83
Sunday, November 09
Women's Volleyball - USC 3, Washington 1: HIghlights (11/9/25)
Sunday, November 09
USC RB King Miller | USC defeats Northwestern, 38-17
Friday, November 07
