Photo Credit: Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP
Many athletes look at representing their home country as a true honor. The US Women’s National soccer team brought honor to all American citizens, making us all proud Americans this summer. It had been sixteen long years since the gold was brought back to the Unites States. The women headed into the World Cup with a roster that looked more like an All-Star team. Led by Abby Wambach who announced that she would be retiring at the end of the year, the team boasted Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, and goalie Hope Solo.
There was much controversy about Solo being selected for the team after he domestic violence arrest earlier this year. Many claimed that if she was a man there would be much more outrage, however, she made the team and could still face repercussions going into next year. The women were placed in a tough group with Australia, Sweden, and Nigeria. After coming out on top of the group, the team went on to face Colombia.
The girls soared in the knockout rounds with just Japan standing in their way of the gold. Captain Carli Lloyd made history early in the game becoming the fastest player to record a hat trick from kickoff in World Cup history. Lloyd did it in sixteen minutes; Tobin Heath and Lauren Holiday also knocked in a goal each. The team had an early 5-2 lead and were on their way to capturing their third World Cup title.
Before the game was over, Lloyd removed her captain arm band and passed it along to Abby Wambach to wear in her final minutes of her World Cup career. It was a beautiful moment for the players and the fans who greeted Wambach with a standing ovation. On their return back to the United States, they were treated to the true championship welcome. They had a rally in Los Angeles, a parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan, and met with President Obama who explained what it means to “play like a girl”. He addressed the team saying, “This team taught all America’s children that ‘playing like a girl’ means you’re a badass.” The 2015 United States Women’s National Team definitely taught us that and they are looking to repeat that performance in next year’s Olympics!
