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MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany (AP) — The U.S. kept its fans breathless
again. And just like last time, Abby Wambach – who else – came up
big.
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Wambach broke a tense tie with a thunderous header in the 79th
minute, and the U.S. earned its first trip to the World Cup final
since winning it in 1999 with a 3-1 victory over France on
Wednesday.
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“We’ve achieved part of our goal. We’re in the final,” Wambach
said. “We want to complete it. We want to be world
champs.”
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Lauren Cheney and Alex Morgan also scored for the Americans, who
will play Japan – 3-1 winners over Sweden – on Sunday in Frankfurt.
If the U.S. wins, it would be the first team to claim three World
Cup titles.
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When the final whistle sounded, the Americans rushed onto the
field. Wambach found U.S. coach Pia Sundhage and gave her a bearhug
as the pro-American crowd of 25,676 serenaded the team with chants
of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and the party quickly spread across the
Atlantic. A thrilling win over Brazil in the quarterfinals
captivated fans back home, and a little thing called the workday
wasn’t enough to deter them.
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Dozens of fans crowded around TVs in the Phoenix airport to watch
the game, and less than an hour after it ended, “World Cup Finals”
was trending on Twitter. “My heroes. Wambach. Boxx. Rapinoe. Solo.
That TEAM! Our team!” actor Tom Hanks tweeted. Super Bowl MVP Aaron
Rodgers said, “Awesome job US Women, finish it off Sunday
now.”
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Wambach and company were glad to share the moment.
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“These wins, we can’t do it alone. We know a whole nation is
cheering us on,” Wambach said. “We believe in ourselves and we’re
in the final. I couldn’t be happier.”
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The Americans had only two days’ rest following the Brazil game,
their quickest turnaround of the tournament, and there had been
concern that fatigue or emotions might get the best of them. But
Wambach, who has been playing with an Achilles’ tendon so sore it
often keeps her out of practice, dismissed that idea.
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And she sure didn’t look hobbled.
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Lauren Cheney, who’d staked the Americans to an early lead with her
goal in the ninth minute, took a corner kick in the 79th and
immediately looked for the star forward. Wambach is one of the
world’s best in the air, and France was guarding her tightly. But
Cheney delivered the ball perfectly to the far post, and the
5-foot-11 Wambach soared over the scrum, pushing the ball past
French goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz.
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“I knew Abby was going to beat her,” Cheney said.
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Asked how, Cheney said, “Because she’s Abby Wambach.”
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Wambach let out a scream and did a sliding sprint into the corner,
where she was mobbed by her teammates. It was her third goal of the
tournament and 12th of her career, tying fellow American Michelle
Akers for third on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
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Alex Morgan added an insurance goal in the 82nd, the first for the
World Cup rookie. Fed by second-half sparkplug Megan Rapinoe,
Morgan outraced four defenders up the left side before
stutter-stepping to throw Sapowicz off before taking her
shot.
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“The priority is not to accept another goal,” France coach Bruno
Bini said through a translator. “When that happens, you’ve had it.
We conceded another goal and that was it for us.”
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Despite the loss, the World Cup was a resounding success for the
French, who made their first appearance in the semifinals and
qualified for next summer’s London Olympics.
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The U.S. was staked to an early lead by Cheney’s goal in the ninth
minute. But with the silky smooth Louisa Necib calling the shots,
France dominated for most of the game, finishing with a whopping
25-11 advantage in shots. The French missed two great chances in
the first half, with goalkeeper Hope Solo having to tip a Gaetane
Thiney shot away in the 30th and Sonia Bompastor rattling the
crossbar two minutes later.
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Finally, in the 55th, France got its equalizer. Bompastor floated
in a cross from about 30 yards and, with the dangerous Gaetane
Thiney right in front of her, Solo had little opportunity to move.
The ball flew right past her.
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But just as they did Sunday against Brazil, the Americans got
stronger and stronger as the game went on before Wambach – who
scored a critical goal in the waning moments against the Brazilians
– came through.
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“In the end, we’re in the finals,” Wambach said, “and that’s all
that matters.”
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