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Florida Sports Newsmakers in 2011
These people were exceptionally notable during the past year.
ABBY WAMBACH
Professional soccer player, Boca Raton
A World Stage
[Photo: Boris Streubel/Getty] |
Wambach's soccer and leadership skills emerged on an international stage last year, when Wambach, now 31, led the USA Women's National Soccer Team to the championship game of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The team's unexpected run in the tournament — which ended with a loss to Japan in the final — briefly lifted women's soccer to the sports world's top rung and made Wambach a star. With 13 career World Cup goals, she is second on the all-time scoring list.
Her 2011 didn't have a happy ending, though. In October, the Women's Professional Soccer League terminated the Boca Raton-based MagicJack franchise, the team that Wambach played for and coached.
— Art Levy