Monday, July 20, 2009

ROCHESTER, NY -- Former W-League player Abby Wambach scored her 100th career goal in her hometown to lead the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-0 victory against Canada in front of 8,443 wildly appreciative fans at Marina Auto Stadium, the current home of her former Rochester Ravens (and the USL-1 Rochester Rhinos) side that she played for in 1998 before going on to international stardom.

Despite numerous current and former W-League players being in the US and Canadian lineups, all the attention at the final whistle was on Wambach, who became the ninth woman in soccer history to score 100 career international goals, and the fifth American, joining Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (129), Michelle Akers (105) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100). Wambach’s 100th goal comes in just her 129th career match, giving her the best goals-to-games ratio in U.S. history.

The milestone comes one year and three days after Wambach broke her left leg in the USA’s final tune up for the 2008 Olympics. It was Wambach’s first international goal since the injury and makes her the second U.S. players to score her 100th goal in Rochester after Hamm became the first in 1998.

Read the original profile on Wambach's drive for 100...

Wambach W-League profile [+]

Wambach was not alone in the opportunity to strike number 100. Former Vancouver Whitecaps star Christine Sinclair was also at 99 career international goals heading into the contest and will have another shot when the two sides meet again Wednesday in Charleston, SC, the home of the USL-1 Charleston Battery.

Read the original preview on the duo's showdown for 100...

On the Verge of a Century [+]

Twenty-one-year-old forward Lauren Cheney, who replaced Wambach on the Olympic roster, came into the game in the 63rd minute and 15 minutes later set up the historic goal.

“I think it’s pretty fitting that Lauren Cheney, the girl that replaced me going to the Olympics after my leg breaking, played me an amazing ball,” said Wambach. “I took a great first touch, and just hit it far post. Thankfully, it didn’t go wide. I was peeling out, truckin’ to the sideline because I thought it was going in. I can’t really describe the emotion. I don’t think it’s really set in quite yet. It’s been a long year and to come home to score the 100th goal here in Rochester couldn’t be more of a picture perfect ending.”

Full US Soccer Report [+]