Wambach beats out Marta, teammate Alex Morgan to win FIFA Women's World Player of the Year

ussoccer.com News Release:

U.S. WNT FORWARD ABBY WAMBACH NAMED FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR;
PIA SUNDHAGE NAMED WORLD COACH OF THE YEAR FOR WOMEN'S SOCCER

 

Alex Morgan Voted Third in Women's World Player of the Year Voting;
Wambach's Honor Marks Third Time American Woman Named World Player of the Year
Following Mia Hamm's 2001 and 2002 Selections

 

CHICAGO (Jan. 7, 2013) - Abby Wambach, the co-captain of the U.S. Women's National Team, has been named the 2012 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, and Pia Sundhage, who led the USA to the 2012 Olympic gold medal, has been named the 2012 World Coach of the Year for Women's Soccer.

• Quote Sheet
• Wambach Climbs the Charts
• Sundhage Wins in Final U.S. WNT Game | Pia Plays Her Final Encore

Wambach and Sundhage received the awards today at the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich, Switzerland, as the world's governing body for soccer held its annual event. Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Argentina was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the fourth year in a row.

Beat Brazil, Marta and USWNT advance to Semis

It is not an easy task by any measure but the equation is simple - beat Marta (click HERE to see what the U.S. defense faces) and Brazil to advance to the semi-final round of the 2011 Women's World Cup. Now all U.S. Head Coach Pia Sundhage has to do is figure out how to stop slow down 5-time FIFA Women's World Player of the year. Or, in the words of ESPN sportscenter anchors, you can't stop her you can only hope to contain her.

Sundhage On the USA's quarterfinal match with Brazil:


“What we will talk about from now on is playing in the final. In order to play in the final we need to step up and be sharper with our chances. We start with Brazil. That will motivate the players more and this is a big chance.”
 
This is not the easiest way to win a third Women's World Cup for the USWNT but it may be just the medicine this team needs. A win against a very strong Brazilian side would immediately pay dividends to boosting the confidence of the U.S. women (even though they say they already are confident).

The history is there for the Red, White, and Blue as well as for goalkeeping standout Hope Solo with the team having beat Brazil 1-0 to win the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal in China.

Solo On facing Brazil in the quarterfinal:


"We knew it could happen. Brazil's a great team with great individual players. Of course they have the best individual player [Marta] but there are holes. You can find holes in their defense and their midfield and there's space to play. If we come to play and play as a team we can come out on top. If we play well we can really take it to Brazil."
 
The U.S. plays Brazil July 10 in Dresded, Germany. The game will be on ESPN at 11 a.m.

Sundhage Names 23-Player USWNT Roster for England match: April 2 in London

CHICAGO (March 15, 2011) – U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named a roster of 23 players to travel to the United Kingdom on March 21 in preparation for the USA’s first match in England on April 2 at Brisbane Road in East London. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET.

U.S. Women's National Team Ready to Open 2011 Algarve Cup against Japan

U.S. WOMEN OPEN ALGARVE CUP AGAINST JAPAN: The U.S. Women’s National Team will open the 2011 Algarve Cup against Japan on March 2 at Municipal Stadium in Vila Real de San Antonio in what will be the first meeting between the teams since the semifinal of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. It will also be a clash of two of the top teams in the world with the USA currently ranked first and Japan fifth. All of the USA’s Group A games will kick off at 3 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET) and fans can follow the action as it happens on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt. The Algarve Cup is a key component for U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup preparation as this will be the final tournament for the USA before it heads to Germany in mid-June. By the time the match against Japan kicks off, the USA will have trained in Portugal for 10 days, with one day off, as Sundhage continues to formulate her roster, lineup and tactics for the sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Five Washington Freedom/magicTalk SC players selected to 2011 Algarve Cup roster

CHICAGO (Feb. 10, 2011) – Following a seven-day training camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named a 24-player preliminary roster for the 2011 Algarve Cup in Portugal.
This year’s tournament is being staged from March 2-9 and the U.S. team will depart for Europe on Feb. 18. The venues and kickoff times have yet to be confirmed. Sundhage will name 20 players to the tournament roster prior to the start of the matches.

All the games will be played at small venues across the Algarve region on the southern coast of the country, and the placement matches will take place on March 9. Fans can follow the USA’s intense schedule of four games in eight days online via ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, on Twitter @ussoccer_wnt and watch highlights on ussoccer.com.

The U.S. team, which has been placed into Group A at the annual tournament, will open play on March 2 against first-time Algarve Cup participants Japan, will face Norway on March 4 and will finish the first round on March 7 against Finland. Group B features Sweden, China, Iceland and Denmark. Group C features host Portugal, another first-time Algarve Cup participant in Chile, Wales and Romania.

Since the expansion to 12 teams 10 years ago, the Algarve Cup format has been as follows: The teams in Group A and B will compete for the title as the group winners will play on Wednesday, March 9, in the championship game. The two second-place finishers in Groups A and B will play for third place while the third-place finishers will play for fifth. The Group C teams will be competing for a chance to play for spots 7-12 as the winner of Group C will play the best fourth place team from Groups A or B for seventh place. The second place team in Group C will play the worst fourth place team from Groups A or B for ninth place, and the third and fourth place finishers in Group C will play each other for 11th place.

This will be the 16th trip to the Algarve Cup for the U.S. Women, who have won the tournament seven times, including an unprecedented three straight championships from 2003-05 at what has become one of the world’s most competitive international women’s events. Last year, the USA defeated Germany 3-2 in the championship game on a sloppy field at Stadium Algarve in Faro.

Sundhage will bring a slightly larger roster to the tournament as U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo (who is attending her ninth Algarve Cup) is not yet cleared for game competition, but will come to train as she enters the final stages of her rehabilitation from major shoulder surgery. The larger roster will also give more players the chance to train in preparation for this summer’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Four of the eight teams over Groups A and B will be participating in the World Cup in Germany.

The USA scored nine goals at last year’s tournament, including one own goal, credited to Sif Atladottir of Iceland, and each of the U.S. goalscorers return this year. Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Lauren Cheney, who all scored in the championship game, accounted for the eight goals with Cheney netting four and Wambach three.

After missing January’s Four Nations Tournament in China, Wambach returns to the roster looking to build on her career total of 117 goals. The U.S. roster is stocked with veteran players, led by U.S. captain Christie Rampone (who missed last year’s tournament while preparing for the birth of her second daughter), Shanon Boxx (the 2004 and 2006 Algarve Cup MVP), Wambach (15 career goals at the Algarve, best of any U.S. player), and 100-plus capped midfielders Lloyd, Lindsay Tarpley and Heather O’Reilly. Lloyd was the MVP of the 2007 Algarve Cup after scoring in all four games. O’Reilly will be playing in her team-leading ninth Algarve Cup.

Joining Wambach in a quartet of forwards is Amy Rodriguez, Lauren Cheney and Alex Morgan, the top pick in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash. Sundhage chose nine midfielders with Yael Averbuch, Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, Lori Lindsey and Kelley O’Hara – all of whom contributed to the Four Nations title – rounding out the group.
Seven defenders were chosen. Heather Mitts will not make the trip due to injury, but outside back Ali Krieger, currently playing her club soccer in Germany for FFC Frankfurt, will join the U.S. team in Portugal. Veterans Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet and Stephanie Cox will be joined by Becky Sauerbrunn (five caps) and the uncapped Whitney Engen on the back line.
Nicole Barnhart, who has started the past 11 games in goal for the USA, is joined by uncapped Ashlyn Harris and Alyssa Naeher as the USA will bring four ‘keepers to Portugal. This is the eighth Algarve Cup appearance for Boxx and seventh for Wambach.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position – Detailed Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash), Alyssa Naeher (Boston Breakers), Hope Solo (out of contract)

DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Whitney Engen (Western New York Flash), Ali Krieger (FFC Frankfurt), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Washington Freedom), Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom),

MIDFIELDERS (9): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (Washington Freedom), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (Washington Freedom)

FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)



18th Annual Algarve Cup

The Algarve, Portugal

Group A

Japan, Finland, USA, Norway

Group B

Sweden, China, Iceland, Denmark

Group C

Portugal, Chile, Wales, Romania



March 2

Group Teams

A Norway vs. Finland

A USA vs. Japan

B Sweden vs. Iceland

B China vs. Denmark

C Portugal vs. Wales

C Romania vs. Chile



March 4

Group Teams

A Japan vs. Finland

A USA vs. Norway

B Iceland vs. China

B Denmark vs. Sweden

C Portugal vs. Chile

C Wales vs. Romania



March 7

Group Teams

A Norway vs. Japan

A USA vs. Finland

B China vs. Sweden

B Denmark vs. Iceland

C Chile vs. Wales

C Portugal vs. Romania



March 9

Placement Matches

11th-Place Match

9th-Place Match

7th-Place Match

5th-Place Match

3rd-Place Match

Championship

- ussoccer.com -

U.S. Women's National Team to face Sweden in China

U.S. WNT SET TO FACE SWEDEN AS 23 PLAYERS TRAVEL TO CHINA: U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named 23 players to the roster for the 2011 Four Nations Tournament taking place in Chongqing, China, where the USA will face Sweden, Canada and the host. With the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup commencing in late June, the tournament will be a key part of Sundhage’s crafting of the eventual Women’s World Cup roster as the USA takes on three strong nations, including Sweden, which is the USA’s third Group C opponent at the Women’s World Cup in Germany. Follow the WNT Blog from China

U.S. WNT Roster by Position  Detailed Roster GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (out of contract), Ashlyn Harris (Western New York Flash)
DEFENDERS (7): Rachel Buehler (Boston Breakers), Stephanie Cox (Boston Breakers), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (out of contract), Christie Rampone (out of contract) Becky Sauerbrunn (Washington Freedom), Brittany Taylor (Sky Blue FC)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Yael Averbuch (Western New York Flash), Shannon Boxx (out of contract), Tobin Heath (Sky Blue FC), Meghan Klingenberg (Washington Freedom), Lori Lindsey (Philadelphia Independence), Carli Lloyd (Atlanta Beat), Kelley O’Hara (Boston Breakers), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Philadelphia Independence), Lindsay Tarpley (out of contract)
FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (Boston Breakers), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alex Morgan (Western New York Flash), Amy Rodriguez (Philadelphia Independence)

ussoccer.com’s WNT Coverage

• Features: Letter from Yael | Four Nations Tournament History
• Video: WNT Arrives in China
• Four Nations Tournament Home
• 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Home | Groups
• U-23 WNT Feature: Pressing Matters with Christen Press
• WNT Blog | WNT on Twitter

Coming back from this situation, I have a lot to prove. There’s always going to be opportunities, but you have to earn them and an experience like this shows how you can take the little things for granted, like just being able to run. It sounds so silly, but when you can’t do it, it’s not so amusing.

 – U.S. WNT midfielder Tobin Heath on coming back from a lengthy time on the sidelines due to injury