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Olympic odds: U.S. women's soccer team loses star
By Jordan WaltersWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
| Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook |
Abby Wambach, the leading scorer for the U.S. women's soccer team this year, is out of the Olympics after suffering a broken left leg Wednesday night during an exhibition game against Brazil.
Wambach was carted off the field after a violent collision in the first half of a 1-0 win over Brazil. She is expected to be out for 12 weeks and will miss the Games, which start in three weeks.
The match was the final tuneup for the team before it begins defense of its Olympic title on Aug. 6 against Norway. Wambach has 13 goals and 10 assists this year and is one of the top scorers in U.S. history with 99 goals in 127 games.
"We will miss her," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said.
Wambach is seeking to become just the ninth female player to reach 100 goals and the fifth American. She is also one of the most experienced U.S. players on a young squad.
"I'm excited to watch them and cheer them on during this challenge they've been presented with," Wambach said. "It's really going to take everyone coming together.”
Alternate Lauren Cheney, 20, is the top candidate to replace Wambach on the Olympic roster. She has four goals in 12 career appearances.The U.S.team is 21-0-1 this year but has been slipping internationally. The Americans defeated Brazil to win a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but they were soundly defeated by the South American champions, 4-0, in the semifinals of the 2007 women's World Cup.
Even before Wambach got hurt, injuries had begun to deplete the American depth. Defender Cat Whitehill and midfielder Leslie Osborne have already been lost for the Olympics after tearing anterior cruciate ligaments in their knees.
After facing Norway to open the Games, the American women also face Japan and New Zealand in group play.
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