Ridge Native Tobin Heath to Play for World Cup Title

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Basking Ridge native Tobin Heath is midfielder on the winning U.S. women's soccer team that heads to the World Cup Final against Japan, to be played Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany.

The game will be televised in a presentation to start at 2 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN3.com and on Galavision, according to the U.S. Women's Soccer website.

Heath was part of Wednesday's 3-1 victory over France that carried the U.S. women's soccer team to its first game in the World Cup final since 1999, the website said.

Rich Shello, athletic director at Ridge High School, recalled that Heath, a 2006 graduate, participated in team soccer during her first three years at the high school, but was unable to play as a senior because she was already involved in professional soccer.

"It's just phenomenal," Shello said of Heath's participation in the World Cup games.

Shello recalled Heath as an outstanding player who might have appeared even more so, except that she was a team player who was just as likely to pass the ball to another team member to give that player an opportunity to score.

"We've followed her since she left," Shello said of Heath's post-high school career, which included playing soccer at the University of North Carolina and competing in the Olympics.

Heath played on the team under former Ridge soccer coach Todd Hebden, he said.

Shello said the Heath family was very supportive when their daughter juggled professional soccer and her high school obligations as a senior.