Wambach takes misfortune in stride
Soccer star confident team will win without her
If there were an Olympic gold medal for courage and poise, it would certainly be presented to U.S. soccer player Abby Wambach. The former college All-American displayed amazing composure in the minutes and days after breaking her leg during a July 16 exhibition match against Brazil, costing her a trip to the Beijing Olympics.
Team USA left for China on Wednesday without its top scorer (99 career goals) and most vocal leader. She will be laid up for at least 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to have a titanium rod and two screws inserted in her left leg.
Wambach knew when she collided with a Brazilian defender that her dream would be delayed – “It was gnarly to see it again on YouTube, my knee pointing up, foot in a different direction” – but she remained calm, never screamed or writhed in pain (more than we can say about many male stars, known to dive and roll when somebody sneezes nearby).
“I realized in that moment and accepted in that moment that my Olympic dreams were not going to be what I had planned,” she told reporters on a conference call. “I accepted the reality of this situation. I wasn’t freaked out. I was only scared, because I had never experienced that before or ridden in an ambulance. The most important thing at that moment was winning the game and showing my teammates by example that they have to lean on each other a little bit more to get that gold medal that we’ve been desperately training for over the months.”
The U.S. is unbeaten in 22 matches this year, and Wambach wanted to stress to her teammates that they can win without her. “I’m a very important player on the team, but it made me realize even more how insignificant one player is in a team environment.”
Whatever you do, don’t pity Wambach. This is a woman who returned to the field during the 2007 World Cup after getting 11 stitches in her head.
“This is an occupational hazard, and we all take the risk, knowing that this is possible every time we step onto the field,” she said.
“Have I cried tears over this accident? Yes. Do I feel sorry for myself? Not for one second. This is very bad timing, but these are the cards that I’ve been dealt. In terms of being there with my friends and training for so long, all of the sacrifices; those are what weigh down on me. In those hard times is when your character really shines through.”
Wambach plans to watch the Olympic matches at her Hermosa Beach, Fla., house with a few other injured players.
“With the missing parts, the bus moves a little bit differently, but there’s no doubt that this team can win a gold medal,” she said. “They have to play with passion and ultimately with honor. I am going to be fine, this team is going to be fine, and I hope that our team can bring home gold for this country.”