U.S. Women's Soccer: The 11 Best American Players of All-Time

Following their disappointing 2nd place finish at this summer's Women's World Cup, the U.S. Women are back in action tonight to start their preparations for next summer's Olympics in London.

As the women's team gets ready for their matchup against Canada, let's take a look at the best 11 American players of all-time.

Brandi Chastain

A member of both the 1991 and 1999 World Cup Championship teams, Chastain also won Olympic Gold in 1996 and 2004. She accumulated 192 caps in her career and became an iconic figure with her celebration of the winning penalty in the 1999 World Cup final.

Christie Rampone

At the age of 36, Rampone is still going strong and was one of the United States' most solid performers at this summer's World Cup.

The current captain of the Women's National Team, she has 241 caps, was a member of the 1999 World Cup Championship squad and won Olympic Gold in 2004 and 2008

Julie Foudy

More recently known for her role as an ESPN commentator, Foudy was a mainstay of the U.S. midfield for nearly 20 years.

In her career, she won the World Cup twice, Olympic Gold twice, accumulated an impressive 271 caps and found the back of the net 45 times.

Kristine Lilly

The iron woman of international soccer, Lilly accumulated an amazing 352 caps over a 24-year career.

Lilly also scored 130 international goals (second only to Mia Hamm), won the World Cup twice and Olympic Gold twice.

Tiffeny Milbrett

The leading goal scorer of the U.S. team that won the 1999 World Cup, Milbrett scored an impressive 100 goals in 205 caps over a 16-year career with the national team.

Milbrett finished 2nd in the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year balloting.

Abby Wambach

The least decorated player on this list, Wambach has nonetheless helped ease the transition from the golden generation of U.S. women's players to the current generation.

She won Olympic Gold in 2004 and was unlucky not to be part of the gold medal winning team in 2008, having suffered a broken leg in the team's send-off game. Wambach's competitiveness and persistence was evident in last summer's World Cup as her late goal against Brazil and go-ahead goal in the World Cup Final.

Unfortunate to not have won a World Cup, Wambach has scored almost a goal per game for the national team with 122 goals in 162 appearances.

Michelle Akers

While most Americans would recognize Mia Hamm as the greatest American player of all-time, many fans of Michelle Akers would disagree.

Akers, in an amazing career that spanned three decades, scored 105 goals in 153 appearances, won the World Cup twice, Olympic Gold, was the Golden Boot winner in the 1991 World Cup and was one of only two women named to FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living footballers.

Kate Markgraf

A member of three World Cup and three Olympic teams, Markgraf retired as one of the most capped players in U.S. history with 201 appearances for the national team.

A mainstay of the U.S. back line for over a decade, Markgraf won the World Cup in 1999 and Olympic Gold in 2004 and 2008.

Joy Fawcett

Fawcett, a member of an impressive four World Cup teams, retired as the fifth most capped woman in U.S. history with 239 appearances for the national team.

In her impressive career, she won the World Cup twice and Olympic Gold twice.

Mia Hamm

The most well known player in American history, Hamm even provided the inspiration for the Women's Professional Soccer league logo.

Playing over three decades, Hamm scored an all-time leading 158 goals in 275 appearances and was named FIFA World Player of the Year twice. She won the World Cup twice, Olympic Gold twice and was named to FIFA 100, along with Michelle Akers, the only two women on the list of the world's greatest living footballers.

Briana Scurry

A tough decision in net, as Greg Ryan found out in 2007.

However, Scurry's accomplishments outweigh those of her close competitor Hope Solo. With the national team, Scurry won the World Cup, Olympic Gold twice and 173 caps. She was named the Best Goalkeeper of the 1999 World Cup and made the save in the 1999 World Cup Final penalty shootout that set up Chastain's winning goal.

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