Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

by FriscoSoccer2004 07/01/13, 10:31 pm

Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Pia Sundhage was voted top women's coach after leading Wambach and the U.S. team to the gold medal at last summer's London Olympics.

The 32-year-old Wambach joined Mia Hamm in 2001 and 2002 as the only Americans to win the award. She edged teammate Alex Morgan and five-time winner Marta of Brazil in the voting.

Wambach received the trophy from teammate Hope Solo at FIFA's annual ceremony.

She scored five goals in London as the U.S. won its third straight Olympic title. She has 152 international goals, six shy of Hamm's record.

Voting was by national team coaches and captains around the world, and invited media.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1291738/u.s.-forward-abby-wambach-voted-fifa-world%27s-best-women%27s-player

by bigtex75081 08/01/13, 07:16 am

Pia Sundhage also won the award for "Most Uncomfortable Acceptance Speech Ever".

by Guest 08/01/13, 10:12 am

Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

by Uncle Numanga 08/01/13, 10:53 am

3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

by Guest 08/01/13, 11:18 am

Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

Abby sucks and you're smarter than the national team coaches around the world who had to defend her. If I can pay for select soccer another 5 years I'll be smarter than professionals too.

by Gunners 08/01/13, 11:23 am

3-4-3 wrote:
Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

Abby sucks and you're smarter than the national team coaches around the world who had to defend her. If I can pay for select soccer another 5 years I'll be smarter than professionals too.

From what I hear she's more of a lick'er.

by bigtex75081 08/01/13, 11:45 am

Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

I had the exact same sentiment.

When I watched it last night I thought Alex Morgan was more deserved. Since Morgan and Wambach's numbers were so close to one another, and they shared the same team results, I thought this year's was given as more of a lifetime achievement award. Wambach has had a great career but I thought Morgan's year had a bigger impact on the game. Their stats were very similar but I thought a lot of Wambach's success this year was because of Alex Morgan's big strides forward.

by Guest 08/01/13, 12:06 pm

bigtex75081 wrote:
Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.
I had the exact same sentiment.

When I watched it last night I thought Alex Morgan was more deserved. Since Morgan and Wambach's numbers were so close to one another, and they shared the same team results, I thought this year's was given as more of a lifetime achievement award. Wambach has had a great career but I thought Morgan's year had a bigger impact on the game. Their stats were very similar but I thought a lot of Wambach's success this year was because of Alex Morgan's big strides forward.

How many USWNT games did you watch? The stats don't even begin to tell the story for me. Abby was the one doing the holdup grunt work and feeding Alex, not the other way around.

One could make a case Abby made Morgan. Yeah Alex had a breakout year, but substitute LeRoux or any other speedy kid with a decent shot for Morgan and it's likely you'd have gotten similar results at the Olympics. They're a dime a dozen.

You can't substitute a dominant target forward because they don't make em too often. It seemed clear to me Abby was the team leader on USWNT, and when you factor that in with her contributions on the field I don't think it was too hard a decision for those who watched the games.

by Uncle Numanga 08/01/13, 01:45 pm

3-4-3 wrote:
Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

Abby sucks and you're smarter than the national team coaches around the world who had to defend her. If I can pay for select soccer another 5 years I'll be smarter than professionals too.

Thanks. I think I am smarter than the national team coaches as well. At least the ones in the US. Hopefully the new guy will prove me wrong.

By the way, I watched very little USWNT events. I would rather watch the EPL, Champions League, etc. Anything is better than watching Boxx, Lloyd, Buehler or LePelbet, et al try and impersonate soccer players.

by Guest 08/01/13, 03:13 pm

3-4-3 wrote:
bigtex75081 wrote:
Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.
I had the exact same sentiment.

When I watched it last night I thought Alex Morgan was more deserved. Since Morgan and Wambach's numbers were so close to one another, and they shared the same team results, I thought this year's was given as more of a lifetime achievement award. Wambach has had a great career but I thought Morgan's year had a bigger impact on the game. Their stats were very similar but I thought a lot of Wambach's success this year was because of Alex Morgan's big strides forward.

How many USWNT games did you watch? The stats don't even begin to tell the story for me. Abby was the one doing the holdup grunt work and feeding Alex, not the other way around.

One could make a case Abby made Morgan. Yeah Alex had a breakout year, but substitute LeRoux or any other speedy kid with a decent shot for Morgan and it's likely you'd have gotten similar results at the Olympics. They're a dime a dozen.

You can't substitute a dominant target forward because they don't make em too often. It seemed clear to me Abby was the team leader on USWNT, and when you factor that in with her contributions on the field I don't think it was too hard a decision for those who watched the games.

Agreed. Morgan is a good player but very much hot/cold from game to game. Wambach is always a threat and her presence impacts the entire game, every game. And to be able to do that even at age 32? Credit where credit is due.

by go99 08/01/13, 03:37 pm

she impacts the game because she is a 6ft shebeast. A good percentage of her goal have come thru heading the ball against defenders who are not tall enough nor strong enough to offer much resistance. She won the Balon but lets not go on a rant to make her out as a soccer artist.

by Guest 08/01/13, 06:24 pm

go99 wrote:she impacts the game because she is a 6ft shebeast. A good percentage of her goal have come thru heading the ball against defenders who are not tall enough nor strong enough to offer much resistance. She won the Balon but lets not go on a rant to make her out as a soccer artist.

[Rant Begin]
You make it sound as if heading accurately on goal isn't a skill requiring years of practice. Great players always perfect that one something, that one quality in their game that makes them stand out.

Abby brings toughness, smarts and dominating aerial play. She was more dynamic when she was younger, but like most she adapted her game as she aged. MJ couldn't shoot a 15-foot jumper until he could no longer jump out the gym, and he didn't win championships until he learned how to make others around him better.

Abby doesn't mesmerize with 25 stepovers or run past people with shoulda been a track star speed. She is not a marta/sawa/ronaldinho or a alex morgan/walcott, but she is in the mold of a sinclair/prinz/drogba, and those players had major impacts on the game in their own way.

I do get a chuckle out of the "lumbering" and "shebeast" negative comments you so often read on Abby...as if you can take any big, strong gal, throw her out there, and get the same quality or production. Really?

Forget comparing her to women, I'd take Abby finishing an aerial cross over 80% of FC Barcelona current starters and probably half of La Liga. Throw marta out there trying to hold the ball up as a striker and let center backs beat on her...she'd be broken after one season.

And I could care less about her sexual orientation. None of my business, but I do appreciate her modesty vs. Rapinoe's wearing it on her sleeve. IMO She represents herself and USWNT well, and you'd have to be soccer deaf, dumb and blind not to respect her contributions to the women's game.

[/Rant]

by futbollove 08/01/13, 07:00 pm

3-4-3 wrote:
go99 wrote:she impacts the game because she is a 6ft shebeast. A good percentage of her goal have come thru heading the ball against defenders who are not tall enough nor strong enough to offer much resistance. She won the Balon but lets not go on a rant to make her out as a soccer artist.

[Rant Begin]
You make it sound as if heading accurately on goal isn't a skill requiring years of practice. Great players always perfect that one something, that one quality in their game that makes them stand out.

Abby brings toughness, smarts and dominating aerial play. She was more dynamic when she was younger, but like most she adapted her game as she aged. MJ couldn't shoot a 15-foot jumper until he could no longer jump out the gym, and he didn't win championships until he learned how to make others around him better.

Abby doesn't mesmerize with 25 stepovers or run past people with shoulda been a track star speed. She is not a marta/sawa/ronaldinho or a alex morgan/walcott, but she is in the mold of a sinclair/prinz/drogba, and those players had major impacts on the game in their own way.

I do get a chuckle out of the "lumbering" and "shebeast" negative comments you so often read on Abby...as if you can take any big, strong gal, throw her out there, and get the same quality or production. Really?

Forget comparing her to women, I'd take Abby finishing an aerial cross over 80% of FC Barcelona current starters and probably half of La Liga. Throw marta out there trying to hold the ball up as a striker and let center backs beat on her...she'd be broken after one season.

And I could care less about her sexual orientation. None of my business, but I do appreciate her modesty vs. Rapinoe's wearing it on her sleeve. IMO She represents herself and USWNT well, and you'd have to be soccer deaf, dumb and blind not to respect her contributions to the women's game.

[/Rant]

So being a big striker and able to head the ball is all it takes to be player of the year? Then why is everyone spending so much time on skills? Abby is a good player, but POTY? Give me a break.

by Guest 08/01/13, 07:15 pm

futbollove wrote:
So being a big striker and able to head the ball is all it takes to be player of the year? Then why is everyone spending so much time on skills? Abby is a good player, but POTY? Give me a break.

She is FIFA POTY because of production and results on an international stage in the last year. I watched the WNT during warm up/practice when they played New Zealand in Frisco. Every single one of them has skills, including Abby. If an American was to win it this year - had to be her.

by go99 08/01/13, 11:00 pm

she is poty I see it as down to her and morgan. I would have given it to morgan. Abby started strong and morgan came on late to overshadow her. It wasn't a good year for Marta and the Japan team was outstanding but really hard to pick any individual from there. Possibly Sawa but injuries took alot of her year. I think its great for Abby the Wombat and it's well earned. I am just not getting carried away with her ability. Nobody is more driven and dedicated. Nobody fights harder or gives more and that makes her a winner, poty and dominant soccer player. It does not make her a highly skilled one.

by bigtex75081 09/01/13, 07:17 am

3-4-3 wrote:she is in the mold of a sinclair/prinz/drogba

You left out another name she could easily be compared to at this point in her career... Peter Crouch. Crouch's significant size advantage helped him score most of his goals off his head. That's what Abby does at this point. Is heading a fantastic skill? Yes, but why hasn't Peter Crouch won the POTY award?

Abby has had a great career, and she has deserved this honor now and in the past. I think the tie-breaker this year though between her and Morgan, because their stats were so close, was her career achievements. In my opinion, Morgan had a bigger impact on the game THIS YEAR. Morgan did a better job creating goal scoring chances for the USWNT. Abby was an excellent finisher but she was not the team's creator this year.

If I had been forced to make a game plan to go against the USWNT during their gold medal run, I would have been more focused on trying to contain Morgan. A lot of Abby's goals this year came off of some fantastic assists. When it comes to Abby, your team either has a 6" defender that will stay marked on crosses and set pieces or you don't. If you don't have a 6" defender, then you know Abby is going to get a couple goals.

I’m glad Abby won it. There would have been a glaring hole in this award if she hadn't won it at some point during her career. Her name, as one of the most dominant forwards in women's soccer history, needed to be on that trophy.

by Slakemoth 09/01/13, 01:18 pm

Just FYI, here is the list of 10 players who were nominated for the award. This list of ten is voted on "by the captains and head coaches of the women’s national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football magazine."
The top three from that voting are announced before the gala, and then the one who received the highest percentage of votes is the winner. In this case I believe Abby received something like 23%, Marta 13%, and Alex 10%(memory not exact).

I think somebody here mentioned Homare Sawa.. she was last year's winner if I recall.

Anyway... here is the list of ten.

Camille Abily (France)
Miho Fukumoto (Japan)
Carli Lloyd (USA)
Marta (Brazil)
Aya Miyama (Japan)
Alex Morgan (USA)
Megan Rapinoe (USA)
Homare Sawa (Japan)
Christine Sinclair (Canada)
Abby Wambach (USA).

by Lawnboy 09/01/13, 04:44 pm

Gunners wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:
Uncle Numanga wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:Congrats to Abby. She seems like a classy lady and has had an outstanding career without drawing much attention to anything other than her play on the field. She deserves it.

She deserved it a couple of years ago. Alex Morgan should have won it this year. It's not a life achievement award.

Abby sucks and you're smarter than the national team coaches around the world who had to defend her. If I can pay for select soccer another 5 years I'll be smarter than professionals too.
From what I hear she's more of a lick'er.

Well played, sir.

by Guest 10/01/13, 09:38 am

bigtex75081 wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:she is in the mold of a sinclair/prinz/drogba
You left out another name she could easily be compared to at this point in her career... Peter Crouch. Crouch's significant size advantage helped him score most of his goals off his head. That's what Abby does at this point. Is heading a fantastic skill? Yes, but why hasn't Peter Crouch won the POTY award?

How can you compare Abby to Peter Crouch? He is a decent #9 but he played on a national team that has done squat and hasn't been more than a occasional sub for years at the international level. He's never been in any discussion about top male strikers of all time, never carried his NT to any major results, and he's much more a finesse player than Abby. Abby doesn't have his skill, but she is more Drogba than Crouch (to me).

Having said that, I went back and reviewed all Abby's 2012 goals I could find...hoping to put a video collage stating her case. Ending up seeing lots of Alex Morgan brilliance. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em. Alex Morgan's year was phenomenal.

Have to agree a solid case could've been made for either athlete, but I would've still given Abby the nod for her leadership, performance in the big moments and yes - lifetime achievement.

by Guest 10/01/13, 10:36 am

3-4-3 wrote:
bigtex75081 wrote:
3-4-3 wrote:she is in the mold of a sinclair/prinz/drogba
You left out another name she could easily be compared to at this point in her career... Peter Crouch. Crouch's significant size advantage helped him score most of his goals off his head. That's what Abby does at this point. Is heading a fantastic skill? Yes, but why hasn't Peter Crouch won the POTY award?

How can you compare Abby to Peter Crouch? He is a decent #9 but he played on a national team that has done squat and hasn't been more than a occasional sub for years at the international level. He's never been in any discussion about top male strikers of all time, never carried his NT to any major results, and he's much more a finesse player than Abby. Abby doesn't have his skill, but she is more Drogba than Crouch (to me).

Having said that, I went back and reviewed all Abby's 2012 goals I could find...hoping to put a video collage stating her case. Ending up seeing lots of Alex Morgan brilliance. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em. Alex Morgan's year was phenomenal.

Have to agree a solid case could've been made for either athlete, but I would've still given Abby the nod for her leadership, performance in the big moments and yes - lifetime achievement.

Darn impressive info 3-4-3 that is what I would call legit!

by Slakemoth 10/01/13, 04:26 pm

3-4-3 wrote:.....Abby doesn't have his skill, but she is more Drogba than Crouch (to me).

Having said that, I went back and reviewed all Abby's 2012 goals I could find...hoping to put a video collage stating her case. Ending up seeing lots of Alex Morgan brilliance. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em. Alex Morgan's year was phenomenal.

Have to agree a solid case could've been made for either athlete, but I would've still given Abby the nod for her leadership, performance in the big moments and yes - lifetime achievement.

If you watch the post Gala video interviews with Alex and Abby I think you will see why Abby was the right choice for this award. She gives more than enough credit to those that deserve it, especially to Alex and what she has done for the team "I think Alex was responsible for more than half of my goals last year".... On the flip side you see the love and respect for Abby through the eyes of Alex (most likely a reflection of the feelings of the entire team). She is the physical and mental leader for the USWNT right now. All things being equal statistically... the "leader" qualities tip the scale.
No doubt this award should be in Alex's future.... she is something to behold. I still firmly believe that had she been brought in as a sub 10 minutes earlier in the World Cup final it would have been USA #1.

Studio 90: Ballon d'Or Reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu9uXfO2dSY

Whats crazy is if you look at the statistics for the past winners, how dominant Marta and Birget Prinz were/have been... Marta still going strong, Prinz has seemingly fizzled, but what a career!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Player_of_the_Year#List_of_female_winners

by 34blast 11/01/13, 06:18 pm

I don't necessarily disagree with 3-4-3 and others but I watch a ton of U.S. womens soccer. For that matter, soccer all the time, premier league, champions, etc.

From my perspective, which is much less relevant than those who voted, is that Abby's game is no where near what it used to be. Before she broke her leg in 2008 she was maybe the greatest woman every. Now when I watch her plod along, its not comparable to the player that she used to be. So I too find it odd that she wins it now and not before.

by Gunner9 11/01/13, 06:46 pm

34blast wrote:Before she broke her leg in 2008 she was maybe the greatest woman ever.

C'mon now.

by Guest 11/01/13, 07:46 pm

Sophia Vergara is the greatest woman ever.... just saying. Haha

by 34blast 11/01/13, 08:21 pm

Yeah, I might have been a little over the top with my opinion of her, but it is my opinion. here are a few other opinions, never the less I don't back off in that she ain't what she used to be

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1199060-10-greatest-female-soccer-players-in-history
http://www.rankopedia.com/Greatest-Female-Soccer-Player-Of-All-Time/Step1/7032/.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/ten-best-u-womens-soccer-players-time-170000949--oly.html

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Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade

Re: Abby Wambach has been voted FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, becoming the first American to win the award in a decade