Abby Wambach
Position: Forward
Height: 5?11 (1.80 m)
Born: June 2, 1980, in Rochester, N.Y.
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
College: University of Florida
Pronunciation: Wahm-BOCK
U.S. National Team: Has developed into one of the most dangerous strikers in the world since debuting for the USA in 2001 ... Her size, speed and skills are perhaps unmatched in the world ... Has the best goals per game ratio in U.S. history, having scored 95 goals in her first 119 games heading into the Peace Queen Cup in June ... 39 of her 95 goals have come with her head ... At the end of 2007, the USA was 55-1-2 in games in which she scored ...
2008: Once again one of the USA's most dangerous players, starting 13 of the 14 matches the team has played heading into the Peace Queen Cup in June, while scoring nine goals with eight assists ... Scored several key goals for the USA, including the game-winner against Mexico in Olympic Qualifying ...
2007: Named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for the third time ... Led the USA in scoring with 20 goals, just the sixth time a player has scored 20 or more goals in a calendar year ... Became the first player to score 20 or more goals in a year twice in her career ... With her first goal against the New Zealand on Aug. 12, she moved into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time U.S. goal scoring list ... Became the 20th U.S. player to hit 100 caps, earning her century against England in the Women's World Cup quarterfinal win ... Scored six goals in the Women's World Cup to lead the USA and won the Silver Shoe as the second-leading scorer in the tournament ... Had seven two-goal games ... Scored her 20 goals in 21 total games ... Also had five assists ... Scored in eight of the USA's 11 domestic games ...
2006: Led the USA in scoring with 17 goals and eight assists ... Started all three games at the Four Nations, scoring against Norway in the first match for her 50th career goal ... Scored 50 career goals in 64 games, the second-quickest to 50 goals in U.S. history behind Michelle Akers ... Started all four games at the Algarve Cup, getting one goal against Denmark ... Recorded her fourth career hat trick in a 3-1 victory over Japan on May 7 in Kumamoto ... Came up huge for the USA at 2006 CONCACAF Qualifying while playing on a bad ankle, scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Mexico that sent the USA to the Women's World Cup ... Finished fourth in the voting for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year ...
2005: Started all eight games in which she played, scoring four goals with five assists ... Scored twice in her four starts at the 2005 Algarve Cup ...
2004: Named the 2004 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, her second in a row ... Finished fourth in voting for the 2004 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year ... Started all five matches she played at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (she was suspended for the final group game vs. Australia) and scored four goals with one assist ... She became the first U.S. player to score four goals in an Olympic tournament, helping the USA to the gold medal with goals against Greece and Brazil in the first round, Japan in the quarterfinals and the dramatic overtime game-winner in the Olympic Final against Brazil ... Enjoyed one of the greatest years in U.S. Women's National Team history, scoring 31 goals in the final 30 matches of 2004 ...
First Appearance: Sept. 9, 2001, vs. Germany ...
First Goal: April 27, 2002, vs. Finland.
Professional / Club: Was the second player taken in the 2002 WUSA Draft by the Washington Freedom ...
2003: Had a spectacular WUSA season, tying for the league lead in scoring with 33 points (13 goals, 7 assists) and was named to the All-WUSA First Team as she led the Freedom to the WUSA title ... Scored both of her team's goals in the Founders Cup Championship Game, the winner in sudden death overtime, and was named the MVP of the match ... Also won the 2003 WUSA Goal of the Year for a spectacular diving header ... Led the WUSA in fouls committed with 62 ... Had four multi-goal games ... Led the WUSA in points per game at 1.83 ... Was named as a starter to the WUSA All-Star Game ...
2002: Started 19 games for the Freedom, scoring 10 goals, and was named the WUSA Rookie of the Year ... Was named All-WUSA Second Team and finished tied for fourth in the WUSA in scoring while helping the Freedom to the WUSA title game ... Voted as a starter to the WUSA South All-Star Team and earned MVP honors with two goals and an assist in the South's 6-1 win ... Etc.: Was a three-year captain for the Rochester Spirit club ... Was named All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997 ... Played several matches for Ajax of Los Angeles in the WPSL in the summer of 2005.
College / High School: As a senior at the University of Florida, she scored 31 goals with 13 assists in 24 matches to help the Gators to the NCAA Final Four in 2001 ... Was the SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2001, making her the first player in league history to win player of the year or tournament MVP honors in consecutive seasons ... Was a First-Team All-SEC selection for the fourth consecutive season ... Was Florida's leading scorer with 31 goals, 13 assists and 75 points as a senior ... Also owns Florida's career records for goals (96), assists (49), points (241), game-winning goals (24) and hat-tricks (10) ... Led the NCAA Division I in points per game (3.26) and goals per game (1.34) ... Finished her NCAA career sixth all-time in both points (241) and goals (96) ... Had 10 multiple-goal matches in 2001, including hat tricks vs. Mississippi State, Kentucky (SEC Tournament semifinal) and Georgia (NCAA Second Round) ... Set a UF record with at least one goal in 10 consecutive matches (tied for third best in NCAA history) ... Named a finalist for the 2001 Hermann Trophy and Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year awards ... As a junior, she led the Gators with 23 goals and eight assists for 54 points in 2000 ... Finished third in the final balloting for the 2000 Hermann Trophy ... Her season goal total of 23 was tied for fourth in the nation ... As a sophomore in 1999, she started 22 matches and was named a First-Team NSCAA All-America selection ... Scored 23 goals with 16 assists for 62 points, which each ranking in the nation's top five for season totals ... Set a school record for assists in a season with 16 ... Led the SEC in total points and assists and was second in total goals ... Had seven multi-goal matches, including a collegiate-high four goals vs. LSU and a hat-trick vs. Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament semifinal ...As a freshman in 1998, she started all 26 games she played in, helping the Gators win the NCAA championship ... Second on the team in goals (19), assists (12), and points (50) ... Was a Soccer America Freshman All-America selection ... Scored five or more points in a match on four occasions ... Scored both goals in the Gators' SEC Tournament final victory over Vanderbilt ... During her high school career, she scored 142 goals, including 34 in 1997 ... Was the 1997 National High School Player of the Year for Our Lady of Mercy High School ... Was named an NSCAA All-American in 1996 and '97 ... Was named the Gatorade New York Player of the Year in 1997.
Personal: Full name is Mary Abigail Wambach ... Was a four-year varsity starter for her high school basketball team, earning All-Greater Rochester honors twice ... Is the youngest of seven children, four boys and three girls ... Parents came to all but four of her college games ... Loves listening to music, surfing, playing video games and playing with the kids of the USA's soccer moms ... Won three cars in her career as MVP of the WUSA Founders Cup in 2003 and for twice being named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year ... Likes mountain biking and being outdoors ... If she didn't play soccer she would hike the Appalachian Trail ... Sister, Laura, played soccer at Xavier ... Sister, Beth, played basketball at Harvard.