International:
2007: Named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. Played all but four minutes at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. Led the U.S. in goals with six as she won the tournament's Silver Boot. Scored game-winners against Sweden, England and Norway while adding additional strikes against North Korea, the Swedes and the Norwegians. Also assisted Lori Chalupny's game-winning goal against Nigeria. Scored in the USA’s first four domestic games of the year. Recorded two-goal games against Canada, China and New Zealand. With her first goal against the Kiwis, she move into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time U.S. goal scorer list. 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, scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Mexico while playing on a bad ankle 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 Olympics (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. The 31-goal performance marks the second highest total in a calendar year by a U.S. player and she became one of only five players to score 20 or more goals in a year, joining Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly and Tiffeny Milbrett. Her 31 goals and 13 assists mark just the seventh time a U.S. players has recorded double figures in goals and assists in a calendar year, but four of those years came from Hamm. The 75 points mark the second highest point total in U.S. history, surpassed only by Michelle Akers in 1991 (39 G, 7 A = 85 pts) and ahead of Mia Hamm in 1998 (20 G, 20 A = 60 pts). The Denmark match on Nov. 6 was the first game the USA had lost in which Wambach had scored and following the 2005 Algarve Cup, the USA was 32-1-1 in games she has tallied. Averaged a goal every 74 minutes she was on the field in 2004. Tied a U.S. record for goals in a game on Oct. 23, scoring all five goals in the second half in the USA’s 5-0 win over Ireland in Houston, Tex. Entering 2005, she had scored 45 goals in her 55 career caps. After 55 career games, Mia Hamm had scored 16 career goals. In May, she played at forward, in the midfield, and for most of the second half, at left back, for the FIFA Women’s World Stars in Paris during a 3-2 win over Germany as part of FIFA’s Centennial celebrations at Stade de France. 2003: Played in just six matches, starting three, before the Women’s World Cup, but turned out to be one of the stars of the tournament. Ended the year having played 14 matches, starting nine, including five Women’s World Cup matches. Led the USA in scoring at the WWC with three goals, tallying one of the most important goals in U.S. history in the 1-0 win over Norway in the quarterfinal. Also scored against Nigeria and North Korea. She scored all nine of her goals in the last 12 matches of the year. 2002: Earned seven of her eight career caps to date, starting four matches, while scoring five goals. Had a hat trick against Scotland on Sept. 8. Was a member of the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup Team that qualified the USA for the 2003 Women’s World Cup, scoring against Panama in her only appearance of the tournament. Youth: A member of the 2001 U.S. Under-21 Nordic Cup championship team, she scored three goals over the first three matches, but was suspended from the final due to yellow card accumulation. Also played for the U.S. Under-16 National Team in 1996.
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.: Played several matches for Ajax of Los Angeles in the WPSL in the summer of 2005.
College:
As a senior, 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 UF'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 goals 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.
High School / Youth Club:
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. Was a three-year captain for the Rochester Spirit club. Was named All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year in 1995 and 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. The youngest of seven children, four boys and three girls. Parents came to all but four of her college games. Love 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, being outdoors and if she didn’t play soccer she would hike the Appalachian Trail. Sister Laura played soccer at Xavier. Sister Beth played basketball at Harvard.
Courtesy of USSoccer.com
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