NEW ORLEANS
Abby Wambach tried to get by with a little help from her United States teammates during her final career match at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome vs. China on Wednesday night. For 71 minutes, the all-time leading international goal-scorer was hungrily fed by her pals.
The Rochester, N.Y. native bid farewell to her team and fans, then prepared for what she said would be an epic retirement party here in The Big Easy. The goal was to try to get the 35-year-old champion one last goal to pad her career mark of 184.
The effort fell short, as did the U.S in a 1-0 loss, but not for lack of trying. In the end, the 5-foot-11 striker had to settle for exiting with her legacy solidly etched in the annals of sports history.
Fourteen years and 255 matches after she first put on her U.S. women's national team jersey, Wambach said goodbye. Wambach, who made her debut with the United States in 2001 at the age of 21, has declined to divulge her retirment plans, though she recently scored a book deal with Dey Street Books detailing her Olympic and Women's World Cup exploits. The book, also coming in a young adult edition, is called "Forward" and is scheduled for the fall of 2016.
"I am going to change the world and I'm talking to everybody in the possible world that I can get to that can help me to do that,'' Wambach told reporters earlier in the week. "I'm going to do anything I can do, whether that's being part of FIFA or creating some sort of movement that can actually impart real equality across all lines, in every country, every city, every sector all over the world. That's what I'm going to do."
Wambach added: "I have a team of people and I'm strategizing. I've got many different people in my circle that I trust and we're kind of creating this thing. Nothing's set, nothing's solid. We'll see.''
Information from FOXSoccer.com's newswire services and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
