Wambach’s gripe with gender inequality in the sports industry expands past salary.
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As Wambach prepares to take on China Wednesday in her global finale, she made it clear that she thinks the men’s national team needs a new coach and new direction.
Wambach, 35, has had a very successful career. Wambach scored 184 goals for the national team, the most ever in global soccer, men or women.
Some of the greats in women’s soccer were drawn to the Superdome for Wambach’s 255th game with the national team, including Hamm and Brandi Chastain, who starred on the 1999 World Cup-winning squad.
Seventy-seven of those goals came on headers.
Her career is winding down from those iconic moments, but she will likely be looking for that 185th goal to add to her resume tonight.
The Americans had beaten China 1-0 in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinals as well as 2-0 on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. Wambach headed the ball to tie the game in stoppage time and went on to win in penalty kicks.
Wambach also took issue with numerous dual citizens that Klinsmann has recruited to the American team, many of them with American and German citizenship. She is going to work to make that change happen.
“(They) have given me a lot of leeway to make these last couple of weeks what I really wanted them to be like”, Wambach said.
“She’s been vocal about everything, whether it’s turf-related issues, whether it’s just making this team atmosphere better, whether it’s fighting for women’s rights, equal pay, she’s done it all”, team mate Carli Lloyd said.
She edged Brazilian Marta and teammate Alex Morgan for the honor after scoring five goals in the 2012 London Games. Wambach’s team, too, spoke about their admiration for the star player, fighting back tears while describing the massive impact she’s had on their lives and as a role model for girls and soccer fans everywhere. But as Wambach points out, the 2015 World Cup proves the tide is turning. And, again, the record-breaker was a header off a corner from Rapinoe. I hope that’s the legacy she leaves behind. And just last week the team was named Olympic Team of the Year at the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of the Year.
The legend steps away.
She got her wish. China defeated the United States 1-0.
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Wambach showed her usual hustle in the match but just couldn’t find the net as her teammates were clearly looking to get her a goal. “It’s the wholehearted truth”.
