Abby Wambach - International Career

International Career

Wambach's WUSA credentials earned her a spot at the U.S. Women's National Team's training camp, and was named to the 2003 World Cup team. She scored a goal against arch-rival Norway, helping the U.S. team to a position in the semifinals and a bronze medal.

After the suspension of the WUSA, Wambach trained with the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Her header in extra time against Brazil gave the U.S. team a 2–1 victory and the gold medal. She finished the year with 31 goals and 13 assists. She finished fourth in the voting for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

After the Athens Olympics, Wambach was a major contributor to the U.S. Women's National Team, playing in the 2005 Algarve Cup and a number of exhibition games. The team ended the 2005 season without allowing a single goal.

At the end of 2006, Wambach had 66 goals in 84 international matches, scoring more goals in fewer games than any player since Michelle Akers. She was one of twenty players nominated for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for 2006; she was not named as a finalist.

In the 2007 Women's World Cup, Wambach scored six goals in six matches, despite receiving 11 stitches to her head after a collision with Ri Kum-Suk, a North Korean player, in the first game. In the quarterfinal match against England on September 22, 2007, she became the twentieth American woman, and thirtieth American soccer player overall, to reach the 100 cap plateau.

Wambach was named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team on June 23, 2008. In the final match before the Olympics on July 16, she broke her left leg in a collision with Brazilian defender Andréia Rosa, preventing her from playing in the Beijing Olympics. Wambach was the team's leading scorer and had just reached 99 goals, one shy of becoming the fifth U.S. player and ninth female player in world history to notch 100 career international goals.

The goal she scored against Germany on October 29, 2009 moved her past Tiffeny Milbrett for fourth place on the all-time United States goal scoring list.

As of October 23, 2012, Wambach has 148 goals in 193 international matches. She currently stands second only behind Mia Hamm (158) on USA's all-time scoring list. Her 100th goal was scored in a friendly match against Canada in her hometown of Rochester on July 19, 2009. She reached 100 goals in fewer games than any of the four other American players who had previously reached 100 goals: (Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers and Tiffeny Milbrett).

Wambach is a five-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Federation's U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011) and was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 2011.