Abby Wambach

By Jonathan Castner

With 86 goals in 105 international matches, Rochester native Abby Wambach, now at 27, is quickly becoming one of the game’s all-time greats. This issue Wambach tells us about the USA's disappointing finish at the World Cup and about their new quest for Olympic gold.

The team seems like it’s coming together nicely. Tell me about it. We’re starting to narrow our focus on the Olympics. There is this new energy we have. The team is reemerging so it’s a renaissance in a way.

Are you and your teammates just as motivated to succeed as in the past? It’s about taking part in something bigger than each of us. It’s about representing women’s professional sports and helping it to grow. That spirit is still very strong.

	"The best way of promoting the new league is for the national team to perform well."

Are your teammates doing enough to promote Women’s Professional Soccer? The best way of promoting the new league is for the national team to perform well. The league can piggyback on the success of the national team. We don’t want anything to take the focus away from a gold medal in Beijing.

Tonya Antonucci recently said that the new league needs male fans in order to be successful. Do you agree? All sports leagues in this country need male and female fans. The bigger question is, can we get them? I think we can.

Players you looked up to when you were younger? I looked up to Michelle Akers when I was growing up. She was more of a physical presence. She was a larger woman like myself. I definitely watched the Olympic team in 1996 and the World Cup in 1999.

You campaigned for John Kerry in 2004. Will we see you on the campaign trail again this year? No. There’s just too much going on this year with the Olympics and with everything else.

4/2/2008