Abby Wambach
Encyclopedia
Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach (born June 2, 1980) is an American professional soccer player, coach and Olympic
gold medal
ist. A four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
award, she has been a regular on the U.S. women's national team
since 2003. Wambach currently stands as the third highest all-time goal scorer for the USA Women's National Soccer Team
, after Kristine Lilly
and Mia Hamm
.
and raised in its suburb Pittsford
, the youngest of seven children of Pete and Judy Wambach. In her first youth soccer league, she was transferred from the girls' team to the boys' team after scoring twenty-seven goals in only three games. Wambach attended Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, New York
, where she lettered in soccer and basketball. Following her high school senior season, she was named to Parade
magazine's high school All-America
team, and the national Player of the Year by Umbro
and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where she played for coach Becky Burleigh
's Florida Gators women's soccer team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1998 to 2001. While she was a Gator soccer player, the team won an NCAA national championship (1998), and four consecutive Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championships (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). Individually, she was the SEC Freshman of the Year (1998), a first-team All-SEC selection for four straight seasons (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), and a two-time SEC Player of the Year (2000, 2001), and twice received SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors (2000, 2001). She was also a freshman All-American (1998), and a three-time first-team All-American (1999, 2000, 2001).
In addition to leading the Gators to the Final Four of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament as a senior in 2001, she set school career records for assists (50), points (242), game-winning goals (24), and hat tricks (10). Ten years after she played her last college soccer game, she remains the Florida Gators' all-time leading scorer with ninety-six goals. Wambach will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in Spring 2012.
. She went on to play for the Washington Freedom
rather than completing her degree at Florida. Her contributions in Washington, playing alongside Mia Hamm
, helped to propel the Freedom to a victory in Founders Cup III (the WUSA championship match), where Wambach was the MVP
.
In the Women's Professional Soccer
allocation draft for the 2009 season, Wambach was assigned back to the Washington Freedom. She was voted WPS Player of the Week for the week of April 26 (Week 5) after scoring two goals in the Washington Freedom's 4-3 victory over the FC Gold Pride
, the Freedom's first victory in the new league. On May 3, 2009, in the Freedom's next game, she received a yellow card for a tackle on St. Louis Athletica midfielder Daniela that left Daniela with two damaged knee ligaments and a crack in the tibia and sidelined her for the rest of the season. Wambach was suspended for one game after the challenge was reviewed by the WPS commissioner. She won the WPS player of the week for the week of July 28 (Week 18) for scoring two goals against the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC and for the week of Aug 11 (Week 20) for scoring two goals and having one assist against the Sky Blue She ended the 2009 season with eight goals—more than any other American player in the WPS. She returned to the Washington Freedom for the 2010 WPS season, winning the WPS player of the week in week 2 for scoring one goal and having two assists against the Atlanta Beat.
The Washington Freedom
, founded in 2001 as part of the Women's Professional Soccer
league, relocated to Boca Raton, Florida
and became the magicJack
in 2011.
On July 22, 2011, Wambach was named the player-coach for the magicJack for the rest of the 2011 WPS season.
On October 26, 2011, the Women's Professional Soccer League Governors voted to terminate the magicJack franchise.
, helping the U.S. team to a position in the semifinals and a bronze medal.
After the suspension of the WUSA, Wambach trained with the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece. Her header in extra time against Brazil
gave the U.S. team a 2–1 victory and the gold medal. She finished the year with 31 goals and 13 assists. She finished fourth in the voting for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year
.
After the Athens Olympics, Wambach was a major contributor to the U.S. Women's National Team, 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; she was not named as a finalist.
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.
Wambach was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team on June 23, 2008. In the final match before the Olympics on July 16, she broke her left leg in a collision with Brazilian defender Andréia Rosa
, preventing her from playing in the Beijing Olympics. Wambach was the team's leading scorer and had just reached 99 goals, one shy of becoming the fifth U.S. player and ninth female player in world history to notch 100 career international goals.
The goal she scored against Germany
on October 29, 2009 moved her past Tiffeny Milbrett for fourth place on the all-time United States goal scoring list.
As of July 10, 2011, Wambach's international career totals stood at 120 goals in 158 international matches. Her 100th goal was scored in a friendly match against Canada in her hometown of Rochester on July 19, 2009. She reached 100 goals in fewer games than any of the four other American players who had previously reached 100 goals: (Mia Hamm
, Kristine Lilly
, Michelle Akers
and Tiffeny Milbrett).
Wambach is a four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Federation's U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
award (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010).
, the USA WNT finished second in their group and went on to face Group D
first-place finishers Brazil
. On July 10, 2011, during the USA Women's National team's quarterfinal game against Brazil, Wambach scored a header goal in stoppage time after the 120th minute (120th+2 minute injury time) to even the score at 2–2 against the Brazilians; Team USA went on to win the game on penalty kicks and advanced to the semi-finals. In all World Cup matches – men's or women's – her goal stands as the latest ever scored. Her last minute goal was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. Wambach scored her third goal for USA in Team USA's semi-final 3–1 win over France. In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
against underdogs Japan
, Wambach's trademark header goal, her fourth in the tournament, in the first half of extra-time made her the United States' all-time scoring leader in FIFA Women's World Cup with 13 goals, second to Brazil's Marta
and Germany's Birgit Prinz
(14 all-time goals each). Team USA was forced to a penalty shootout after a late equalizer by Japan. In the PSO, Japan won 3–1, with Wambach converting the fourth and only penalty. Wambach's final goal tally for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was four goals and one assist, an effort that earned her the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Boot after Brazil's
Marta
(4 goals, 2 assists, Silver Boot) and Japan's
Homare Sawa
(5 goals, 1 assist, Golden Boot). Interestingly, all 4 of Wambach's goals in the tournament were scored using her head. For her efforts, Wambach was awarded the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Ball to go alongside her Silver Medal and Bronze Boot.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist. A four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
award, she has been a regular on the U.S. women's national team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
since 2003. Wambach currently stands as the third highest all-time goal scorer for the USA Women's National Soccer Team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
, after Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
and Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
.
Early life
Wambach was born in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and raised in its suburb Pittsford
Pittsford (town), New York
Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and is an affluent suburb of Rochester. The population was 29,405 at the 2010 census....
, the youngest of seven children of Pete and Judy Wambach. In her first youth soccer league, she was transferred from the girls' team to the boys' team after scoring twenty-seven goals in only three games. Wambach attended Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, where she lettered in soccer and basketball. Following her high school senior season, she was named to Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
magazine's high school All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
team, and the national Player of the Year by Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
College career
Wambach received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where she played for coach Becky Burleigh
Becky Burleigh
Rebecca Lund "Becky" Burleigh is an American college soccer coach and former college soccer player. She is the current head coach of the Florida Gators women's soccer team of the University of Florida...
's Florida Gators women's soccer team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1998 to 2001. While she was a Gator soccer player, the team won an NCAA national championship (1998), and four consecutive Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championships (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). Individually, she was the SEC Freshman of the Year (1998), a first-team All-SEC selection for four straight seasons (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), and a two-time SEC Player of the Year (2000, 2001), and twice received SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors (2000, 2001). She was also a freshman All-American (1998), and a three-time first-team All-American (1999, 2000, 2001).
In addition to leading the Gators to the Final Four of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament as a senior in 2001, she set school career records for assists (50), points (242), game-winning goals (24), and hat tricks (10). Ten years after she played her last college soccer game, she remains the Florida Gators' all-time leading scorer with ninety-six goals. Wambach will be inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in Spring 2012.
Professional career
In 2002, Wambach was the second overall draft pick in the WUSAWomen's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States...
. She went on to play for the Washington Freedom
Washington Freedom
The Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...
rather than completing her degree at Florida. Her contributions in Washington, playing alongside Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
, helped to propel the Freedom to a victory in Founders Cup III (the WUSA championship match), where Wambach was the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
In the Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
allocation draft for the 2009 season, Wambach was assigned back to the Washington Freedom. She was voted WPS Player of the Week for the week of April 26 (Week 5) after scoring two goals in the Washington Freedom's 4-3 victory over the FC Gold Pride
FC Gold Pride
FC Gold Pride was an American professional soccer club based in Santa Clara, California which participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The club replaced the San Jose CyberRays of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association as the top-level women's soccer team in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, the Freedom's first victory in the new league. On May 3, 2009, in the Freedom's next game, she received a yellow card for a tackle on St. Louis Athletica midfielder Daniela that left Daniela with two damaged knee ligaments and a crack in the tibia and sidelined her for the rest of the season. Wambach was suspended for one game after the challenge was reviewed by the WPS commissioner. She won the WPS player of the week for the week of July 28 (Week 18) for scoring two goals against the Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC and for the week of Aug 11 (Week 20) for scoring two goals and having one assist against the Sky Blue She ended the 2009 season with eight goals—more than any other American player in the WPS. She returned to the Washington Freedom for the 2010 WPS season, winning the WPS player of the week in week 2 for scoring one goal and having two assists against the Atlanta Beat.
The Washington Freedom
Washington Freedom
The Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...
, founded in 2001 as part of the Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
league, relocated to Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
and became the magicJack
MagicJack (WPS)
MagicJack was an American professional soccer club based in Boca Raton, Florida. The team competed in Women's Professional Soccer. MagicJack was originally founded in 2001 as the Washington Freedom of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. In 2011, the team relocated to Boca Raton, Florida...
in 2011.
On July 22, 2011, Wambach was named the player-coach for the magicJack for the rest of the 2011 WPS season.
On October 26, 2011, the Women's Professional Soccer League Governors voted to terminate the magicJack franchise.
International career
Wambach's WUSA credentials earned her a spot at the U.S. Women's National Team's training camp, and was named to the 2003 World Cup team. She scored a goal against arch-rival NorwayNorway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
, helping the U.S. team to a position in the semifinals and a bronze medal.
After the suspension of the WUSA, Wambach trained with the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece. Her header in extra time against Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
gave the U.S. team a 2–1 victory and the gold medal. She finished the year with 31 goals and 13 assists. She finished fourth in the voting for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
.
After the Athens Olympics, Wambach was a major contributor to the U.S. Women's National Team, playing in the 2005 Algarve Cup
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
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
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...
. She was one of twenty players nominated for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for 2006; she was not named as a finalist.
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
Ri Kum-Suk
Ri Kum-Suk is a North Korean footballer who plays for the 4.25 Sports Team. She plays a key role not only for her club, but also for her national teams in the AFC Women's Asian Cup, Asian Games and FIFA Women's World Cup.-Club career:...
, a North Korean
Korea DPR women's national football team
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea women's national football team represents North Korea in international women's football. North Korea were the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship winners, and won the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2001, 2003 and 2008....
player, in the first game. In the quarterfinal match against England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
on September 22, 2007, she became the twentieth American woman, and thirtieth American soccer player overall, to reach the 100 cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
plateau.
Wambach was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team on June 23, 2008. In the final match before the Olympics on July 16, she broke her left leg in a collision with Brazilian defender Andréia Rosa
Andréia Rosa de Andrade
Andréia Rosa de Andrade, generally known as Andréia Rosa , is a football defender who currently plays for the Brazilian Women's National Team.-External links:**...
, preventing her from playing in the Beijing Olympics. Wambach was the team's leading scorer and had just reached 99 goals, one shy of becoming the fifth U.S. player and ninth female player in world history to notch 100 career international goals.
The goal she scored against Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
on October 29, 2009 moved her past Tiffeny Milbrett for fourth place on the all-time United States goal scoring list.
As of July 10, 2011, Wambach's international career totals stood at 120 goals in 158 international matches. Her 100th goal was scored in a friendly match against Canada in her hometown of Rochester on July 19, 2009. She reached 100 goals in fewer games than any of the four other American players who had previously reached 100 goals: (Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
, Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
, Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament...
and Tiffeny Milbrett).
Wambach is a four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Federation's U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year is given by the United States Soccer Federation to the American soccer players judged best in the calendar year. It is the longest running major American soccer award...
award (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010).
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
On May 9, 2011, the U.S. roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament in Germany was announced, including Wambach. The 2011 Women's World Cup tournament is the third in which she has played. After playing without scoring a goal in the USA's first two group stage matches against North Korea and Colombia, Wambach opened her tournament scoring in a 2–1 loss to Sweden in Team USA's final group stage match. Having lost to SwedenSweden women's national football team
Sweden women's national football team are a football team officially representing Sweden in women's football. They won the unofficial European Championships in 1984, a success the team has not managed to repeat, it has however won one World Cup-silver as well as three European Cup-silvers...
, the USA WNT finished second in their group and went on to face Group D
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Group D
Group D of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup consisted of the teams from , , and . The games were played on 29 June, 3 July and 6 July 2011. The top two teams advanced to the knockout stage.-Standings:All times are CEST ....
first-place finishers Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
. On July 10, 2011, during the USA Women's National team's quarterfinal game against Brazil, Wambach scored a header goal in stoppage time after the 120th minute (120th+2 minute injury time) to even the score at 2–2 against the Brazilians; Team USA went on to win the game on penalty kicks and advanced to the semi-finals. In all World Cup matches – men's or women's – her goal stands as the latest ever scored. Her last minute goal was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. Wambach scored her third goal for USA in Team USA's semi-final 3–1 win over France. In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final
The final of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was played between and the . The match took place in Commerzbank-Arena, in Frankfurt, Germany, on 17 July 2011...
against underdogs Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
, Wambach's trademark header goal, her fourth in the tournament, in the first half of extra-time made her the United States' all-time scoring leader in FIFA Women's World Cup with 13 goals, second to Brazil's Marta
Marta
Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...
and Germany's Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz is a former German female professional association football player. She last played for 1. FFC Frankfurt and the German national team. Prinz is one of the game's most prolific strikers and the FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals . She has been named FIFA...
(14 all-time goals each). Team USA was forced to a penalty shootout after a late equalizer by Japan. In the PSO, Japan won 3–1, with Wambach converting the fourth and only penalty. Wambach's final goal tally for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was four goals and one assist, an effort that earned her the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Boot after Brazil's
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
Marta
Marta
Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...
(4 goals, 2 assists, Silver Boot) and Japan's
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
Homare Sawa
Homare Sawa
is a female football player from Japan. She currently plays for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the Nadeshiko League Division 1.- Career :Long considered Japan's finest female footballer, she made her debut in Japan's highest domestic league at age 12. On December 6, 1993, at age 15, she made her Japanese...
(5 goals, 1 assist, Golden Boot). Interestingly, all 4 of Wambach's goals in the tournament were scored using her head. For her efforts, Wambach was awarded the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Ball to go alongside her Silver Medal and Bronze Boot.
Professional statistics
| League | Year | G | A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WUSA | 2002 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| WUSA | 2003 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| WPS | 2009 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| WPS | 2010 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| WPS | 2011 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators soccer players
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians