Abby Wambach is a soccer fan. Two-time Olympic gold champion, FIFA World Cup champ, and U.S. women’s team captain, Wambach has been making headlines for a variety. She has many accolades to her name and is often cited in the media. But where is she now? How does she fit into the professional women's football world?
Abby Wambach won two Olympic gold medals
Abby Wambach was a star in 2004, scoring 31 goals in 30 games and providing 13 assists. Her performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics earned her a gold medal after scoring the winning goal against Brazil in extra time. Abby Wambach's final game against the U.S. in this World Cup victory tour will be against China on December 16. Before this year's World Cup, she said she would wait until after the World Cup before making a decision about her Olympic future.
FIFA World Cup Champion
Abby Wambach, FIFA World Cup Champion, scored a stunning goal against Brazil on July 20, which was one of the highlights of the tournament. The goal tied the match at 122 minutes and forced penalties. The USA won. It was the most memorable moment of the tournament according to the FIFA poll. The American was so overwhelmed by joy that she cried in joy. Wambach shouted "Score in ten minutes!" at her teammates. She then steered the ball to the back of her net.
U.S. women's national soccer captain
Mary Abigail Wambach is a former American soccer player, coach, and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. She was a six time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete Of The Year award. Wambach was a regular player on the U.S. women’s national soccer team from 2003 through 2015. Her first cap came in 2001.
Angel City's founder
The new women's soccer team is owned by former Olympian Abby Wambach, who was a Rochester native before becoming a star on the world stage. Wambach is a founding investor and the first woman to hold a majority ownership position in the NWSL. Wambach's relationship with the team started after she attended Time's Up and discovered that there was no women's team in Los Angeles.
Investment in women's soccer
It's a positive development that recent investments have been made in women’s soccer. One quarter of FIFA member countries do not have a senior national women's soccer team. Even Pakistan is one of these countries, even though it played little competitive soccer prior the 2015 Women's World Cup. Mauritania invested more that $100,000 in women's football since 2016 and has now played its first official matches with Spain.