 "I'm The Watergirl," a straight-faced Julie Foudy says by way of introduction, before cracking up and revealing her true identity.
Foudy is, of course, far from being the team lackey: She's a national team co-captain, an 11-year veteran of the squad and the one who provides its comic relief.
Last summer Foudy took her motor mouth -- one of her nicknames is Loudy -- and her quick wit to ESPN's studios, where she was an analyst for the men's World Cup. Her first week was nerve-racking, but she soon settled down and received glowing reviews for her commentary. "I think she's a natural," said John Paul DelaCamera, who does soccer play-by-play for ESPN.
For now, though, her vocal cords get their biggest workout on the pitch. As a midfielder, the 1993 Stanford grad is the soccer equivalent of a quarterback, barking out instructions to teammates and occasionally woofing at refs. "If I was quiet," she says, "people would think something was wrong."
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