It marked the 255th cap for Wambach, who leads all players – men or women – with 184 worldwide goals. She’s won virtually everything possible with the United States, including two Olympic gold medals and the 2012 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, which she and Mia Hamm are the only Americans to win.
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AdAge.com notes that in a Gatorade campaign, the Pittsford native is urging people to “forget me” so that that the game of soccer can move forward. In added time, Marietta native Emily Sonnett’s header went just over the cross bar. “When thinking about her retirement, we wanted to honor and celebrate Abby and her tremendous impact on the game while supporting her final message to fans with a campaign inspired by her own words”.
It is apparent Wambach’s American teammates will miss the stout, 5-foot-11 forward known for her passionate speeches and playing style, often highlighted by headed goals that are as exquisite as they are determined and powerful. Wambach is the fourth member of the World Cup team to retire in the past year, joining Lauren Holiday, Shannon Boxx, and Lori Chalupney. It turns out Wambach has very strong opinions on Klinsmann’s leadership style, and she doesn’t see him fulfilling his promises to the US soccer program – not just the national team’s play, but the country’s development infrastructure. Her fame was made with games like the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal header against Brazil, which has not only been voted the best ever in Women’s World Cup history, but the best in USA soccer history.
GREENE: Can you look back over your 15 years and tell me if women’s soccer has changed? Wambach was part of a generation of American soccer players that helped bring the sport into the public eye, where they continued to prove their excellence to a hesitant sports audience. The standard is even higher and that’s the way it should be.
The US women’s national team faces China tonight (Dec. 16) in a friendly soccer match in New Orleans. “It’s so weird and fitting that we ended up losing after a big winning streak because it really is a closing of one chapter and the opening of another”.
If you are interested in watching what is sure to be a historic game, then it will air on Fox Sports at 8 PM Eastern time, and there is no broadcast outside the United States.
A festive crowd of almost 33,000 acknowledged Wambach at seemingly every opportunity.
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WAMBACH: Right. And to be fair, I think that that’s not an uncommon question that I get now or thought.
