The Triple-Edged Sword was the

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

line of the victorious United States women's national soccer team at the

1991 FIFA Women's World Cup The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national association football teams. It took place in Guangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991. FIFA, football's international gove ...

. The line-up in coach Anson Dorrance's 4–3–3 formation consisted of

center forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring Goal (sport)#Association footbal ...

Michelle Akers (then Michelle Akers-Stahl) and wingers Carin Jennings-Gabarra (then Carin Jennings) and April Heinrichs. The three players started their first international match together in a 4–1

friendly Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States * ...

win over Canada in Blaine, Minnesota on July 27, 1987. Akers missed almost two years of play after a serious concussion sustained at the

1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament The 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, or International Women's Football Tournament, was organised by FIFA in China from 1 to 12 June 1988. The competition was a test to study if a global women's World Cup was feasible following the experie ...

, but returned to play in 1990 as the three players contributed 18 of the United States' 26 goals that year, in six undefeated games. At the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, Jennings-Gabarra won the Golden Ball as the tournament's outstanding player and the Silver Boot as second top–goalscorer. Akers' 10 goals won the Golden Boot and she collected the Silver Ball as runner–up to Jennings-Gabarra. It was the media in host country

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

who bestowed the nickname "Triple-Edged Sword". After the 1991 World Cup win, team

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Heinrichs retired from playing due to a knee injury and focused on her coaching career. Mia Hamm, who had played as an attacking right-back in the World Cup, was elevated into the forward line and eventually became the record goalscorer in World women's football.

References

Nicknamed groups of association football players United States at the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup {{footy-stub