Abby Wambach

Q & A

Got a Question for Abby Wambach? Ask it here.

Recent Q & A

Question:

Any advice for kids just starting out?

Answer:

Yeah. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not simple. It’s hard work. The sport itself is difficult to learn. I mean, look at us. We’re still making mistakes and we’ve been at it for the past 20 years. My advice to any newcomer is just to be patient and to work as hard as you can, because if you work as hard as you can, you won’t be able to look back with regrets. That’s how the women on this national team got here.

Question:

Have you thought about what you want to do after you’re done with soccer?

Answer:

I want to do a lot of things. I want to travel the world in a different capacity. Not as a soccer player but as a humanitarian, a philanthropist. I want to own restaurants, own real estate, stuff that I’m working now to afford and achieve.

Question:

Do you enjoy the travel?

Answer:

The travel is easy. When you’re younger it’s easy. The older you get, the more you start wanting to get a family and settle down. I’m not there yet. I’m really loving this whole experience. It’s not going to last forever. That’s something I’ve known since I got here, that I’m not going to be a soccer player forever. This is a very short time in the lifespan of a person. Soccer has given me a lot. All I can do now is keep playing well and hopefully give back to my country what it’s given me.

Question:

Who are some of the people who were influential in helping you advance in your career?

Answer:

I had a trainer at Florida named Randy Brower. Jerry Smith, the Santa Clara University coach, he was my Under-21 National Team coach. These people gave me the tools to be successful. It was then up to me, because at some point you have to accept the information and all the help you’re getting from the outside world and internalize it and put it into a product on the field. Obviously, as role models, the people I looked up to were Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, and obviously Kristine (Lilly). They paved the way for me to have an opportunity.

Question:

Was there a point at which you realized you had a special talent?

Answer:

I didn’t realize until late in my college career that it was actually something I could do after college, maybe for a living and as a career. Even then, you still had to be the best in the world. I was afforded the opportunity to play in the WUSA, which gave me the environment to learn at the next level what to do to achieve the success that you need to be on the national team. From there it steamrolled.

Updates

Fri, Mar 9th 2012, 10:11

1 on 1 with Abby

Thu, Mar 1st 2012, 12:28

Abby scores to help US past Denmark in Algarve opener

The U.S. Women’s National Team scored twice in the first half and three times in the last 15 minutes to defeat Denmark 5-0 in its Group B opener at the 2012 Algarve Cup.

U.S. forward Alex Morgan scored twice with one assist while Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd and Sydney Leroux added single goals as the USA took a commanding lead in its group after the first round of matches. Japan defeated Norway 2-1 in the other Group B contest.

The USA will meet Norway next on March 2 at 10 a.m. ET in Lagos. Fans can follow the action on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter at @ussoccer_wnt.

The USA played in a 4-4-2 formation with Morgan and Wambach…

Thu, Feb 9th 2012, 09:54

USOC names Abby Athlete of the Year

The U.S. Women’s National Team and Abby Wambach were awarded January Team and Athlete of the Month honors by the U.S. Olympic Committee thanks to their incredible performances at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament in Vancouver, Canada.

The U.S. Women earned the January Team of the Month title by breezing to a first-place finish at Olympic Qualifying. Between Jan. 19-29, the USA won all five tournament matches and outscored its opponents 38-0. In the first game of the tournament, the Women beat Dominican Republic in a 14-0 rout, a new record for most goals scored in a game. The previous U.S. best was 12 goals, set in 1991.

Abby Wambach was named January Female Athlete of the Month after…

Mon, Jan 30th 2012, 09:18

Abby moves into 2nd on all-time goal list

Now Abby Wambach only has Mia Hamm to beat.

The veteran striker scored twice Sunday night, moving into second place on the international scoring list, and the U.S. women’s soccer team beat Canada 4-0 in the championship game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.

Watch match highlights….

Wambach and Alex Morgan made for a formidable tandem, accounting for all the goals in a game for bragging rights among neighboring rivals. The U.S. and Canada already wrapped up berths in the London Olympics with their semifinal victories Friday.

Wambach’s head-flick provided the assist on Morgan’s goal in the fourth minute, then Morgan assisted in the 24th and 28th as Wambach pushed her career total to 131 goals, one ahead of longtime U.S….

Fri, Jan 20th 2012, 09:26

Abby wins US Soccer Player of the Year Award

For their excellence at the highest levels of the sport, U.S. Soccer named U.S. Men’s National Team forward Clint Dempsey as the 2011 Male Athlete of the Year and U.S. Women’s National Team forward Abby Wambach as the 2011 Female Athlete of the Year. U.S. MNT midfielder Brek Shea and U.S. WNT and U-23 WNT forward Sydney Leroux won the Young Male and Young Female Awards, respectively.

The U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award is the highest honor awarded to soccer players in the United States. Online votes registered at ussoccer.com counted for 50 percent of the total votes, while the other 50 percent was represented by votes compiled from members of the national media…