Everything about Abby Wambach totally explained
|
cityofbirth = Rochester, New York |
countryofbirth = United States |
height = |
years = 2002-2003 |
clubs = Washington Freedom |
currentclub = |
clubnumber = |
position = Forward |
youthyears = |
youthclubs = |
caps(goals) = |
nationalyears = 2003-present |
nationalteam =
United States |
nationalcaps(goals) = 118 (95) |
pcupdate = |
ntupdate =
October 21,
2007|
}}
Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach (born
June 2,
1980 in
Rochester, New York) is an
Olympic medalist and professional
soccer player. She has been a regular on the
US Women's National Team since 2003.
Wambach is a 1998 graduate of
Our Lady of Mercy High School where she
lettered in soccer and basketball. She was named the
NSCAA Player of the Year and the
Umbro Player of the Year in her senior year.
Wambach went on to achieve success playing for the
University of Florida Gators. Wambach continued to earn accolades in college, taking the NSCAA first team all-American,
NCAA National Championship, and freshman All-American Awards (all in 1999). She is also the University of Florida's all-time leading scorer.
Wambach was the second overall draft pick in the
WUSA in 2002. She went on to play for the
Washington Freedom rather than completing her degree at Florida. Her contributions while in Washington, playing alongside greats like
Mia Hamm, helped to propel the Freedom to a victory in Founders Cup III (the WUSA championship match), where Wambach was the game
MVP. Wambach was also the recipient of a number of other soccer-related awards during her WUSA career.
Wambach's impressive WUSA credentials earned her a spot in the US Women's National Team's (US WNT) training camp. Initially thought to be a
bubble player, she increased her fitness, and her talents sealed her position with the
2003 World Cup team. Although the US Women didn't win the 2003 World Cup (having taken home a bronze), she scored a historic goal against arch-rival
Norway, helping the US team to a position in the semifinals.
After the suspension of the WUSA, Wambach trained with the US Women's National Team for the
2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens,
Greece, which they won on her header in extra time against
Brazil, 2-1. She finished the year with 31 goals and 13 assists, a one-year performance ranking with the best years of greats like
Michelle Akers and
Mia Hamm. She was recognized by coming in fourth in the voting for the
FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.
Also in 2004, she hit the campaign trail with previous teammate and captain,
Julie Foudy, in an effort to get
John Kerry elected to the Presidency of the
United States, as well as participating in exhibition games with the Freedom to raise awareness and garner support for women's soccer in hopes of reviving the league.
Since the Athens Olympiad, Wambach has been a major contributor to the US WNT, playing in the 2005
Algarve Cup and a number of exhibition games. The team ended the 2005 season without allowing a single goal.
At the end of 2006, Wambach had 66 goals in 84 international matches, scoring more goals in fewer games than any player since
Michelle Akers. She was one of twenty players nominated for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for 2006, though she wasn't named one of the three finalists.
Her current career totals stand at 86 goals in 105 international matches. The two goals she scored against
New Zealand on August 12, 2007 moved her past
Cindy Parlow for fifth place on the all-time United States goal scoring list.
In the
2007 Women's World Cup, Wambach scored six goals in six matches, despite receiving 11 stitches to her head after a collision with
Ri Kum-Suk, a
North Korean player, in the first game. In the quarterfinal match against
England on
September 22,
2007, she became the twentieth American woman, and thirtieth American soccer player overall, to reach the 100
cap plateau.
Further Information
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