Former Florida Gator Abby Wambach and the United States Women’s National Team are slated to compete for their third World Cup title Sunday against Japan in a rematch of the 2011 Women’s World Cup finale.
During her time in Gainesville from 1998-2001, the Rochester, New York, native was named to the All-Southeastern Conference team every year and was the SEC Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
In 1998, Wambach and the Gators won their only National Championship in school history.
Wambach, the UF career leader in goals (96), assists (50) and points (242) has played a reduced role for the national team during her fourth and final World Cup this summer.
This summer she’s transitioned from a full-time starter to substitute, and during the group stage of the World Cup, critics thought her scoring troubles were due to her not playing regularly for a club.
Wambach is the only player on the United States Women’s National Team roster that is unaffiliated with a soccer club.
She was able to silence the critics in the final group stage match against Nigeria when she scored her 14th career World Cup goal, putting her in a tie for second on the all-time list behind Brazil’s Marta, who has 15.
Before the tournament, head coach Jill Ellis told Wambach that her role would not be predetermined but would be decided by the situation the team is in.
"I know Abby, I know big moments, I know she’ll deliver," Ellis said to the Associated Press following the group stage.
The big moments Ellis was talking about could have easily been taken away from Wambach after the team’s 2-0 victory over Colombia in the Round of 16.
Wambach criticized the FIFA officials after two United States midfielders received their second yellow cards of the tournament, sidelining the pair from their quarterfinals match against China.
"I don’t know if they were yellows," Wambach said. "It seemed like she (the referee) was purposefully giving those yellows to maybe players that she knew were sitting on yellows. I don’t know if that was just a psychological thing, who knows. Who knows?"
Wambach’s complaints could have left her sidelined for the final two games of the tournament due to the citation regarding article 57 of FIFA’s disciplinary code concerning unsportsmanlike conduct.
The last international women’s soccer player to make comments about FIFA officiating was Canadian striker Christine Sinclair during the London Olympics — she was later suspended for four matches because of her unsportsmanlike behavior.
United States' Abby Wambach (20) celebrates her team's win with goalkeeper Hope Solo following the second half of a FIFA Women's World Cup soccer match on June 16, 2015 in Vancouver, New Brunswick, Canada.
