Wambach joked that it was fitting to lose in her last match, but the result was a remarkable one. The problem was China.
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In Wednesday night’s game, Wambach figured into several scoring opportunities but couldn’t put the ball in the net.
A day after Abby Wambach criticized U.S. Men’s Soccer Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and questioned the men’s team’s reliance on foreign-born players, one of those imports has clapped back.
In her time with the United States, she’s won virtually everything a player can win, including two Olympic gold medals and the 2012 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, an honor that she and Mia Hamm are the only Americans to receive. Wang Shuang scored the only goal, in the 58th minute.
Abby Wambach looks on during the women’s soccer match against China at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 16, 2015 in New Orleans.
But don’t stop there.
In a video for Gatorade which uses “forget me” as a recurring motif, she says she hopes “the next generation accomplishes things so great that I’m no longer remembered”.
“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.
The loss snapped an epic 104-match home unbeaten streak for the US Women, who had not dropped a match at home since November 6, 2004. Abby Wambach has saved the usa’s life.
She was part of an unsuccessful player lawsuit that sued Federation Internationale de Football Association over its decision to play this year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada on artificial pitches. It nearly seemed to be a relief to get the game over with.
Last night marked the end of one of the most iconic careers in American sports. “It was very emotional for me”.
“There are now players that are better than I am that will take this game into the next decade”, Wambach continued.
While every US coach has recruited dual nationals to supplement the team, Klinsmann is particularly noted for being able to bring high-end talent to the program such as Gedion Zelalem, Julian Green and Johnson, amongst others. Meanwhile the U-23 team failed to qualify for the Olympics and must defeat Columbia in a home-away series down in Brazil before the Rio Games next summer. Whereas, if we go three and out, I’ll be devastated’. Everybody needs to get that through their heads. Some have felt that players based overseas are getting minutes over domestic based, and trained, players despite repeated poor showings.
Wambach said her teammates apologized profusely to her afterward, but she told them, “There’s nothing to be sorry about”.
Wambach made over 250 appearances for US and scored 184 goals, but was unable to find the net in her swansong. The game is faster. Because if you see us as the group to disenfranchise, then at least let it be known who we are.
There will be other prolific scorers, other players who will move the game forward. She did it loud.
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“When I got into the locker room it was a little different”, Wambach said. I learned that from a young age. “First of all, [Klinsmann] hasn’t really focused, I feel like, enough attention on the youth programs”.
