I think making the referee aware of a situation, there is nothing wrong with that.
— Abby Wambach
2014 was physically a tough year because I injured my knee, and you know how that goes with your emotions and the mentality.
Sometimes there has to be a goat on some level, and I'm totally fine with that being me.
My sole focus is to help bring a World Cup back to the U.S.
People don't think an athlete nowadays can have a team-first mentality and I do.
It's a heavy burden to look up at the mountain and want to start the climb.
As soon as I started to realize that I could make a living playing professional soccer, I went to that place where I could torture myself because I knew it would make me better for the championship game.
Having different people come together and be on a team and win a world championship is literally, I think, the definition of being American.
I know that I'll end up being a role model for many, many people out there for all kinds of reasons.
You know me, I'm not that kind of person that cares to unveil all of my personal things to the world because frankly, in terms of my soccer, it doesn't matter.
When I was in college, I learned to really take care of my body and figured out what works best for me and what doesn't work for me when it comes to my nutrition. That helped so much on the field because soccer is such a fitness-oriented game.
I want to reduce my risks as much as possible and hopefully be able to go to the World Cup fit, ready and healthy.
My go-to karaoke? 'Alone' by Celine Dion.
I always think that struggle can bring out the best in people - or the worst.
There are standards of the game that FIFA governs and promises to uphold.
Sometimes when you fail, it allows you the opportunity to grow more motivation and get more intense about your training.
The truth is, I've been on a team my whole life. I'm the youngest of 7, so I've been training to be an athlete my whole life.
I haven't won a World Cup. There's things that haven't been finished, and I'm not afraid to fall flat on my face trying.
I've always been motivated more by negative comments than by positive ones. I know what I do well. Tell me what I don't do well.
This might sound masochistic or narcissistic, I don't know, but when I'm not playing the game, the validations I feel about life are always through the hardships. I relate more to sadness, in a lot of ways, when I'm not playing.
My parents, they're the kind of people that didn't want me to get a big head, so they just kept challenging me and challenging me.
I'm honestly not the kind of person who wants to step up to a podium, test the microphone and be like, 'Hey, I'm homosexual and this is who I am, hear me roar.' That's not who I am.
If I can help a kid feel more comfortable in their skin because they're struggling with maybe the things I struggled with in high school, that's great.
I'm a pretty decent cook. I like to grill. I have a smoker that I love. I love me some steak. And I'll make a huge salad with a ton of vegetables.
For any athlete growing up, the Olympics is the one thing you watch with your family, and it's the one thing you dream about. Seeing your country's flag go up as you get a gold medal is the best thing you can achieve.
I want to do what I can to give the next generation of athletes added advantages in the game.
I would say Hope Solo is competitive.
Winning, you can overlook so many things.
To win a championship, you have to have a little bit of luck on your side.
The most important thing is that sometimes you have to go through hard times to get to the good stuff.
My nephew has type 1 diabetes, and it's my goal and hope that in his lifetime there will be a cure for diabetes. There's no place better to give the money to than the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
As an athlete, you are literally programmed to endure a specific amount of pain.
I've always had a dream of owning a restaurant.
I know that I was put on this planet to be an athlete.
A few goals is the way soccer is meant to be played.
I can't speak for other people, but for me, I feel like gone are the days that you need to come out of a closet. I never felt like I was in a closet. I never did. I always felt comfortable with who I am and the decisions I made.
I'm not in the business of politics.
I'm pretty goofy. I laugh at my own jokes.
I think, as you grow older, you have figure out the best way to utilize not only your body but your skill.
The most important thing is to get better at your craft, and concussions and head impacts are a setback.
When you can score three goals without the most prolific scorer in the world, you know you have a lot of depth, and it gives you confidence.
