Rhythm and blues: after a long road to the top, Shannon MacMillan is drumming up support for the fictitious title of World's Greatest Female Soccer Player

Soccer Digest, August-Sept, 2002 by John Philip Wyllie

TIFFENY MILBRETT PROBABLY never thought she d emerge from the enormous shadow cast by international soccer's all-time scoring leaders Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers. Milbrett finally did in 2000, winning the first of her two consecutive U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year Awards. Now, just when she finally pulled away from the women's soccer pack, she has a glare in her rearview mirror. Her longtime friend and teammate Shannon MacMillan.

If MacMillan comes close to replicating her recent national team form over the course of the WUSA season, she should be a no-brainer for the 2002 honors. MacMillan outdid Milbrett and everyone else on the planet with an astonishing 11 international goals in the first three months of this year. She peaked in February, accounting for seven of the eight U.S. goals during the Algarve Cup. Through it all, Milbrett has been one of her biggest supporters. "I'm proud and happy for Shannon," says Milbrett, who has played with MacMillan at the University of Portland, in Japan's "L" League, and with the U.S. national team. "She is finally getting a chance to show what she can do as a forward. Shannon is dangerous, lethal, and an incredible goal scorer. We both have the ability to be dangerous at any time, but we attack in different ways. Mac is quicker over 20, 30, or 40 yards and I'm quicker with my initial burst."

MacMillan's play with the much-improved San Diego Spirit has also been impressive, although her WUSA statistics aren't as gaudy. MacMillan claims her difficulty in the WUSA is a result of her success with the U.S. "When you're hot, teams scout you," says MacMillan. "Teams are watching film and focusing on players such as myself. It's a lot of pressure."

Pressure or not, marquee players need to score--just as MacMillan did last year. In 2001, MacMillan's 12 goals fled her with the Atlanta Beat's Charmaine Hooper for second place in the WUSA, four off the torrid pace set by Milbrett. MacMillan's performance was particularly remarkable considering how little support she received from her teammates. (The Spirit's second-leading scorer, Mercy Akide, scored four goals.)

The arrival of China's Zhang Ouying prior this season has changed that. With the fleet-footed Zhang creating problems on the left flank, teams can no longer key on MacMillan the way they did last year. "Ouying gives us another spark and more flair up top," says MacMillan.

Spirit fans got a taste of what San Diego's dynamic duo can accomplish together in the season's second game, against the New York Power. MacMillan and Ouying each produced two goals and an assist in the 6-1 record-breaking rout.

Lining up alongside another finesse players has helped MacMillan's game become a bit more cultured, as well. She is still scoring the blistering goals that have become her trademark, but her arsenal now includes many creative methods of slipping the ball over, under, and around a goalkeeper. "Shannon is reaching a new threshold as an attacker," says U.S. national team coach April Heinrichs. "She's dangerous from distance and inside the box, she's dangerous with both feet, and she's getting more shots on goal--and everything she touches seems to turn to gold."

Although she is a 10-year veteran of the national team, MacMillan still retains the enthusiasm she displayed the first time she wore the national colors. "It's always an honor to play for your country," she says. "Every time I put that jersey on it gives me chills. The WUSA only exists because of the national team, so we can't take it for granted."

What's this? Taking the national team for granted? That seems unheard of, but MacMillan says international events are different today than they once were. "We were on the bus on the way to a game against Finland and Kristine Lilly was calling her Boston Breakers teammates while we were calling Spirit media relations director Jon Greene to get updates on the game between the two teams," says MacMillan. "Everybody was trying to find out how their respective WUSA teams were doing. Finally, April had to say, `O.K., let's focus on our game.'"

MacMillan's more elastic game--and late-career improvement--are due to a willingness to be flexible. Once solely a speed player, former U.S. coach Tony DiCicco positioned her at flank midfielder during his national team tenure to improve her defensive skills. Now that she is back in her more comfortable role as a striker, MacMillan has retained her defensive prowess and continues to look for ways to improve. "As I moved to higher levels of competition, relying on my speed was no longer good enough," says MacMillan. "You have to find other ways. Off the field, I'm always around a ball, even if I'm just juggling it. Getting touches on the ball is important In the past few years, that's helped me improve my play with my back to goal. I can't get away with just playing in the open field."

More than just a lethal goal-scorer, MacMillan consistently finds her way around defenders to provide service from the flank. She also possesses wonderful vision and few players are as deadly on free kicks. "MacMillan is a goalkeeper's nightmare," says Spirit goaltender Jamie Pagliarulo. "She has an unpredictable, powerful shot but also plays with finesse. If she has haft a chance on net, she is unstoppable, but she'll just as well set up a teammate."