Portland Thorns defender Rachel Van Hollebeke has experienced the highest level of women's soccer. She won two gold medals with the U.S. National Team in 2008 and 2012 and she experienced all the highs and lows of a FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011.
In that 2011 tournament, Van Hollebeke started five matches and proved an integral part of a U.S. team that advanced all the way to the final against Japan.
She also proved an unlikely goalscorer.
It was during that tournament that Van Hollebeke experienced one of the highlights of her long professional and international soccer career, scoring her first World Cup goal.
"My favorite World Cup memory is when I scored against North Korea at the 2011 World Cup," Van Hollebeke recalls. "I was up for a set play and the ball was bouncing around a bit in the box. I remember being so ready and thinking that the ball might come my way. The ball ended up dropping in my area and I just let a shot go. I could not believe I had scored. My celebration and the expression on my face was hilarious! It was such a wonderful moment in my career."
