Abby Wambach, All-Time Soccer Great and Pride of Rochester, Announces Retirement
Abiodun Elegbede with agency report
Abby Wambach announced her retirement Tuesday on the heels of a career that began in Pittsford and ended with her holding world records as one of the best soccer players in history.
According to U.S. Soccer, Wambach’s 184 goals top any player’s international career, ever, and ended her career with a 2015 World Cup win.
Wambach is an alumnae of Our Lady of Mercy High School in Brighton, where it was apparent early on that she was a transcendent talent. Wambach scored 142 goals in her high school career, including 34 in 1997 alone.
Wambach’s final match with the national team is set for Dec. 16 in New Orleans. She’ll remain with the team as they continue their World Cup Championship tour, playing four games in December.
On Tuesday, Wambach and her teammates were honored in a White House ceremony. The team won the World Cup in July, beating Japan 5 – 2 in a memorable final in Canada.
“We’ve had a lot of amazing experiences, I have throughout my career, but this absolutely will go down as one of, if not the best thing I have ever been part of in my life,” Wambach said during the victory parade in New York City. It was the first ticker-tape parade celebrating an entire women’s athletic team.
In 2011, after losing to Japan in the World Cup, Abby Wambach guaranteed Olympic Gold for 2012, and she delivered a gold for the U.S. Wambach also took home gold in 2004 in Athens. She missed the 2008 Olympics in Beijing after suffering a broken leg.
Abby played 25 World Cup matches, which is 2nd all-time in U.S. history, and scored 14 goals.
According to U.S. Soccer, the American team record when Wambach scored at least one goal in a game stands at 116-2-8.