Hi Everyone. Alot has happened since camp! Our first game back from the bye weekend we traveled to NJ. After a disappointing result last time we were hoping to bounce back. They got on the board early from a miscue on a corner kick and we were chasing the game once again. Not once has a team in the WPS come back from behind and won. That didn’t deter us though.

Unfortunately in the 43rd minute I went up for a header with Kelly Parker and hit heads. It hurt but once I realized I didn’t win the ball, I went running back to win it back. That was when, the play stopped because Kelly Parker was still down and my teammates realized I had blood gushing down my right side. I had no clue. So I walked off and we played down.

The doctor came over and was quizzing me. I felt fine. So I wanted stitches and to get back on the field. He said, well let me check with you in 10-15 minutes. I got frustrated because were playing down a man and I wanted to go back in. He said, I have to go with the NJ team. So I sat there with a towel on my head waiting for him to come stitch me up. Come to find out they had two doctors on duty and one was stitching Kelly Parker up. So that meant the other one could have been stitching me up. I swear it was planned! So Tony had to sub me and I got 7 stitches in my head and we suffered a 1-0 loss. Atleast we saw some fireworks on the way home for my 4th of July!

So… remember when I mentioned, if I didn’t score, I agreed to a pie in the face? Yes well, I took one for the team, a boston creme in the kisser. It stuck to my face and didn’t give at all. I had to pull it off my face but a bet’s a bet. 

Last week, I had the amazing honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Red Sox game! I brought along a few of my teammates to go on the field and was pretty satisfied with my result. We arrived at the field at 6 for the 6:55 pitch. My teammates were posting comments on their facebook status. Kristen Luckenbill said she trying to come up with something evil to do to me, so she could throw out the pitch. Ali Lipsher, just said don’t mess up Mitts. As I was waiting on the field, eye ing the distance from the mound to the plate and watching thousands pile into the historic stadium, I actually started to get nervous. This isn’t something I do everyday. Even if I haven’t thrown a baseball in years, I am still a professional athlete, so the pressure is on!!!!!

Atleast I didn’t skip it like the President at the All Star Game.  I shook off the pitch, gave it the okay, the wind up and it seemed like slow motion but it landed over the plate in the catchers glove. SUCCESS!!!!! My face in the photos prove it.

Thanks Troup Parkinson!

So we followed that amazing experience up with another home game vs. NJ ,Sunday night. The dreaded Fox Soccer games. We have yet to win one on t.v. We have beat and tied the number one team in the league, yet we have the NJ and FSC jinx. Still do. Kelly Smith didn’t play and we just struggled to finish our chances. Another miscue to get NJ on the board and bad defending from myself and some teammates to give them their 2nd goal. We were chasing the game again and even though we scored, we couldn’t get the equalizer. Its just frustrating when you know how good you can play and we aren’t getting the results. 

The good news…We are still in 3rd, and play tonight vs Chicago which is a must win. Once again playing without Kelly Smith and Alex Scott who are away with the English National Team. Playing at home should always be huge advantage so we are hoping thats the case tonight. 4 spots in the play-offs. Its crunch time. 

Tomorrow Angela Hucleus, Amy Lepelbit, Amy Rodriguez and I fly to Rochester, NY to train with the US Team. Candace Chapman will join the Canadian team and we will meet for the 2nd of 3 games, this Sunday at 3 p.m on

ESPN. http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_13959170.html

Monday we travel to Charleston to play Wednesday July 22nd at 8 p.m on FSC. 

We rejoin our WPS team Saturday July 25th at 7 p.m. Oh Yes! Its Heather Mitts Bobble Head night, the first 1,000 get one of these beauties! It looks just like me!!!!! Check it out for yourselves.http://www.womensprosoccer.com/boston
I have included some new pictures from the events above!

Talk soon. -Heather Read More » | Write a Comment »

How can I top 2008?

Hope you all had a great holiday and Happy 2009 to everyone! What an amazing year. Winning a GOLD medal in the Olympics and getting engaged. How do I top that? Two of the things that I love most in life were very good to me this year. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I am so thankful for my health, happiness and for my family and friends. Love you all. 

What lies ahead? A busy year of soccer. The victory tour ended with a 1-0 win over China in Detroit. The 2009 season begins January 20th in LA with a training camp followed by 18 players being selected for the Algarve Cup in March. Directly from Portugal we all depart to our new cities for pre-season for the new league. The beginning of the new Women’s Professional Soccer league begins in April. It is going to be awesome. I am really excited to be playing in Boston for the Breakers. More to come on that….

Back in Philly, I am in awe that the Eagles made it to the playoffs under all the circumstances. Crazy how it all happened and can’t wait to see what the outcome will be in the end. As I root for my Eagles, I also look forward to attending the National Championship game to cheer on my Gators next week! That’s all I have for now. Will promise to be a better blogger in 2009.

Ciao. -Heather Read More » | (3) Comments »

Hi Everyone! After the last three games which we won 2 and tied 0-0 in Cincy, we are focusing on China for the next set. After the final game in Tampa, I hung around for a extra day with my old University of Florida and National Teammate, Danielle Fotopolos….love that girl. She just gave birth to her third man child, Michael, who is adorable. So it was a great ending to the trip. Then I headed back home to Cincinnati for the week to hang with the fam and friends. It was a busy week. Running here and there spending time with Mom and Dad who are divorced and trying to see the rest of the family.

Wednesday, my High School, Saint Ursula Academy, held a pep rally in honor of the soccer team who just won state for the second year in a row and for my Olympic gold. It was great and as always made me a little emotional. I guess when my life everyday revolves around playing and winning a World Cup and Olympics, sometimes you don’t realize the impact you make and aren’t able to enjoy the success of it all. In the Olympics, every athlete over there has trained and dreamt of that opportunity. You don’t really sit back and think about all the hard work you put in to being there and for me coming back from my injury, it was amazing that I was even on the team much less winning another gold medal. Pretty surreal.

The rest of the week, was spent in meetings as I have a new company helping run my camps. For the first four years I tried to do alot of it with the help of a soccer family and friends, the Byrnsides. I am very happy with the way it went but the new Women’s Professional Soccer League starting up complicates things so Procamps is taking over. The meetings were great as they have a ton of connections in the Cincinnati area and we are looking for sponsorship help to expand.

I am pretty excited since we decided to add a new component which is really special to me. With sponsorship dollars we are hoping to have a large amount of underprivledged kids attend the camp. Soccer is a great outlet and can lead to college scholarships and a bright future, so I am happy to be bringing this to the area for the first time. Just to be able to brighten their day or give them hope is exciting for all of us.

Friday, I was able to catch up with the girls and Saturday Aj came into town and we went to dinner with the family. Sunday the Cincinnati Bengals honored me at the beginning of the game and took amazing care of me and my family. We had a great time and were witness to one of the craziest games in NFL history, ending in a 13-13 tie. I am still in awe, like Donovan McNabb, that a game could end like that. Its like the BCS. They should keep playing OTs til you get a winner in the NFL and there should be a play-off system in CFB. That’s my two cents. I headed from Cincy to Philly for a night then to Baltimore to shoot another UA commercial. I took the train home and was on a flight the next day. After a short little trip to Orlando to see my best friends Angie and Sarah from UF, I am back in Philly finally!

This traveling thing is really getting old. Its only for a short time as I head to Boston Dec 4-6 with the Boston Breakers. If I have time, I suppose I will fit some apartment hunting in. Monday Dec 8 we head to LA to prepare for the last 3 games of the tour against China. Dec 8 and 13th we play at the Home Depot Center at 6pm before we travel to Detroit. There we play Dec 17th at 7pm at Ford Field. Thank goodness its inside, that’s all I have to say!!!! Hope to see you there. Talk soon. Read More » | (3) Comments »

So just liked planned, I took my month off then started training 2 weeks before leaving for Richmond. We arrived here Thursday and played Saturday night beating S. Korea 3-1. I played the first 45, felt great and played well. Pia brought in two players who weren’t on the Olympic roster to get some playing time and decide whether to put them on contract so we have a ton of numbers especially in the backline. Its nice to have subs available since the past games we only had 3 subs. 

We are hanging at the hotel, watching the NFL and getting ready to head to Cincinnati! Although the weather is going to be freezing, I am pretty excited to be heading home to play. We will practice Monday and Tuesday then head to the Boathouse Tuesday night for ribs and Grater’s Ice Cream. It’s not my typical night before a game meal but what can you do? We play Wednesday night at 7:30 at Paul Brown Stadium. My entire family will be at the game so I am really looking forward to it. 

We have one more game on the tour in Tampa, Sat. Nov 8th at 7 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium. Then it is back to Cincinnati for the week as St. Ursula Academy is holding a pep rally, Nov 12th at 2 p.m. and I will be honored before the Bengals game on Nov. 16th. Otherwise I will be enjoying my time with my family and friends. More to come…

– Heather Read More » | Write a Comment »

Hello Everyone! Lets just say I AM enjoying my time off but I’m definitely starting to feel rather lazy. Miraculously, I have kept pretty busy, playing tennis, taking spinning and pilates classes, went to Six Flags and on a haunted hay-ride and have been watching a ton of movies but its a lot of sitting around. Believe me though, for the first time in my life, I needed a break mentally and physically. Its been about 2 weeks now and I have another week to enjoy. 

Tomorrow I head back to Hermosa Beach to pack up my stuff and say Ciao to the West Coast for now. I have made a lot of great friends and will be especially sad to say bye to my roommate, Jenny Benson, who I played with on the Philadelphia Charge. We have a busy weekend ahead of us though. Friday night the kickball team is throwing me a going away party. Saturday packing and moving my stuff. Sunday I hop back on a plane to head to Under Armour’s headquarters in Baltimore. We will be shooting another holiday spot for two days with Dick’s Sporting Goods so that should be fun. Then I get to enjoy the Eagles bye week with a trip to Connecticut and onto New York City. 

The following week its back to soccer and cramming for the next set of games. 

I need to make sure I can go a full 90 when we play in my hometown on Nov 5th! Yikes. I haven’t been home since the Olympics so I am really looking forward to this. Going to the Nati!

Tour info is below. Talk soon.

-Heather 

The tour, which is taking the Olympic champions across the USA to celebrate its historic run to the top of the podium in Beijing, will resume on Nov. 1 at the University of Richmond Stadium in Richmond, Va. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be a homecoming for Virginia native and University of Virginia alumna Angela Hucles, who led the team in scoring during the Olympics with four goals.

The USA will travel from Virginia to Cincinnati, hometown of U.S. defender Heather Mitts, for a match on Nov. 5 at Paul Brown Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET. Mitts, who has 91 caps for the USA, will play for the USA in her hometown for the second time as the USA passed through Cincinnati on the 2004 Victory Tour to celebrate the gold medal in Athens, Greece.

The three-game set against the Koreans will conclude on Nov. 8 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., with a kickoff at 7 p.m. ET. It will mark the first visit to Florida by the U.S. Women in more than eight years.

Tickets for the matches in Richmond and Tampa go on sale to the public Friday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. ET. For the game in Cincinnati, tickets become available starting Sunday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. ET. For all three contests, tickets can be purchased through ussoccer.com, by phone at 804-262-8100 (Richmond), 513-562-4949 (Cincinnati) and 813-287-8844 (Tampa), and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers in the metro areas of the three games. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for these matches before the sale to the general public. This advance sale will take place for the games in Richmond and Tampa from Thursday, Oct. 9, at 8 a.m. ET until Friday, Oct. 10, at 8 a.m. at ussoccer.com. For the game in Cincinnati, the sale will run from Friday, Oct. 10, at 8 a.m. ET until Sunday, Oct. 12, at 8 a.m. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply. Read More » | Write a Comment »

On Tuesday, 21 players from the US Women’s Olympic Soccer Team and those returning from injuries or pregnancy were allocated to the new Women’s Professional Soccer League which begins April 2009.

Investor, Steve Nash and Tonya Antonucci announced the allocations for each team. I had chosen LA, Chicago and Boston as my top three and was chosen along with (Leading Olympic Goal Scorer) Angela Hucleus and (The Legend) Kristine Lilly to the Boston Breakers. I love Beantown and know it is an amazing sports town so, for an athlete I get the best of both worlds. The Breakers were one of the original teams from the WUSA with the same management so they have one leg up on some of the new franchises. Tony DiCicco, coached the 1999 World Cup Championship team so I am excited to be playing for him. He loves for the outside backs to get into the attack so it’s a perfect fit for me. I look forward to moving to the area and for this league to get started!

In the meantime, we are finishing up our first three game block of the Achieve Your Gold Tour. We traveled to Philly, New Jersey and tonight we play in Chicago at 7pm vs Ireland. We have 7 games left and hopefully will be coming to a city near you. Our next block of games are Nov 1, 5 and 8th. I am hearing rumors that we might head to my hometown Cincinnati, Ohio for the November 5th game! That would be amazing but it’s going to be freezing! Guess I should get use to it since I will be in Boston in March for preseason. Tampa, FL is the tenative site for the November 8th game so will confirm as soon as I know. Go Gators!

After tonight’s game, I think it’s time for a little break. Since our games are running all the way until December 15th, it looks like this will be our biggest chunk of time off. Of course then we need to start preparing for the games on Nov 1st against S. Korea. The tour is a chance for us to travel around and play in front of our fans in a celebration of winning gold. We practice together the day before the games but otherwise its up to us to train on our own. Needless to say, we hope to win even though we might not be as sharp as normal and have fun out there on the field. So far we are 2-0 and aren’t killing the competition but we are having a lot of fun on the field and off.

Well I am off to my pre-game meeting. I will check in soon. -Heather Read More » | (5) Comments »

What an amazing year it’s been! It’s crazy to think I couldn’t even jog a year ago due to my ACL injury and now I’m a gold medalist. All I wanted was to give myself a chance to make the Olympic roster. I guess everything does happen for a reason!

I wanted to be a part of this team because I knew the chemistry was so special and good things were to come. Even after losing 3 players to injuries, including our goal scorer and one of the best in the world in Abby Wambach. I know a lot of people counted us out — especially after losing the first game against Norway.

We can now thank all the doubters because it just made us want it more. It gave us that extra motivation we needed. We were underdogs for the first time in a long time and we loved it. What’s to lose? We only had everything to gain. This team has been living in the shadow of the women who got us on the map since they retired. It’s just nice to say we made our own history. I know we couldn’t have done it without all the amazing fans, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Winning this gold medal is the best feeling in my life. Winning in Athens was awesome but this one means so much more to me personally. Between coming back from injury, losing our best player, actually starting and playing, losing the first game and then beating our rival, Brazil. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that. There was never a moment I doubted we wouldn’t win and we did it with the contribution of 18 players.

In OT, when we looked over and saw the Brazilians sitting on the ground, exhausted and some cramping … it gave us that extra motivation. We knew if we kept pressing we would get one. Thanks to Carli Lloyd, we beat one of the best teams of all times. Marta really is the most impressive player I’ve ever played against. Between her and Cristiane we had our hands full the entire game. Luckily for me, Christie Rampone was there to back me up if I got beat, and Kate Markgraff and Lori Chalupny shut down the left side. Our defense was sick and not to mention Hope Solo came up with some huge saves. Brazil is so talented and we couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

After the win, it was a whirlwind and has continued to be. That’s why it’s taken me so long to write! We were whisked away the day after the final to do media then we celebrated til we left China the day after the closing ceremony. I spent a few days in LA before heading to Philly. The team heads to Chicago on Wednesday for Oprah next. Then the Victory Tour begins here in the states for 10 games across the country. We start off by playing Ireland on Sept 13th at Lincolin Financial in Philadelphia. Then, Sept 17th at the Meadowlands in NJ and Sept 20th in Chicago at Toyota Park. The rest will be announced shortly and I will post them on the site so stayed tuned!

Thanks to Dr. Tibone, my surgeon, to Omi Iwasaki, my therapist, James Galanis, my soccer trainer and Pia Sundhage, my coach. I couldn’t have been back playing if it weren’t for them. I owe them everything. Thanks to you all for the continued support. It kept me going and I appreciate everything so very much. This gold is for you. Chat soon!

-Heather Read More » | (2) Comments »

August 18 – I know the family members, friends and this amazing group of 18 never doubted this team could win this thing. When Abby Wambach went down, people counted us out immediately. It has been a long journey here so far but we couldn’t have asked for a better adventure and have been overcoming adversity along the way! Everything happens for a reason and that’s what has happened so far.

Our 4-2 victory over Japan felt amazing going into the finals and gives us so much confidence. We get ready for the revenge match of the WC loss to Brazil. It will be a battle til the end but the team with the most heart will win that day. Thursday 9am ET on MSNBC. Be there!!!!

Thanks for reading my blogs and thanks for supporting the USA. Hope to make you all proud. Talk soon.

– Heather

August 17 — We’ve arrived in the Olympic Village in Beijing for the semi’s which will be played Monday vs. Japan at 9am ET on MSNBC. The game against Canada went into OT and Tasha Kai scored for a 2-1 win! Yes, I know I should have kept dribbling on my break-away then taken the shot!!! Hopefully I’m saving it for Japan. Hope you can watch. Go USA! Talk after the game.

August 12 – After a disappointing loss to Norway in the opener, it looked as if they would finish at the top of our group. Thanks to a 4-0 win over New Zealand and Japan beating Norway 5-1, we moved to top of our group.

We are heading to Shanghai as we speak to play Canada, Friday 6 am ET on USA Network and in High Def on Olympic soccer channel. Quarterfinals here we come! Thanks for the support. Read More » | (5) Comments »

We’ve arrived in the Olympic Village in Beijing for the semi’s which will be played Monday vs. Japan at 9am ET on MSNBC. The game against Canada went into OT and Tasha Kai scored for a 2-1 win! Yes, I know I should have kept dribbling on my break-away then taken the shot!!! Hopefully I’m saving it for Japan. Hope you can watch. Go USA! Talk after the game.

-Heather 

August 12 – After a disappointing loss to Norway in the opener, it looked as if they would finish at the top of our group. Thanks to a 4-0 win over New Zealand and Japan beating Norway 5-1, we moved to top of our group.

We are heading to Shanghai as we speak to play Canada, Friday 6 am ET on USA Network and in High Def on Olympic soccer channel. Quarterfinals here we come! Thanks for the support.

Talk soon — Heather

August 8 – Hi from Qinhuangdao. It’s the day after a disappointing loss to Norway and the team is regrouping and getting ready to face Japan.

Waking up in the morning with the realization that things didn’t go the way we wanted was hard deal with, but we also know we have Japan and New Zealand in front of us and we can determine the outcome of those games.

We all just feel like everything that could have gone wrong in the first five minutes did, but there is nothing else we can do except put it behind us. I really don’t think it was nerves. It was just two unfortunate mistakes and that’s soccer sometimes. It just happened at a terrible time. We were down 2-0 and Norway is great at sitting back and clogging up the field. Even though we attacked a lot, they defended well and have made big strides from the few times we played them this year.

I know this team is capable of so much more and I just hope we can show that in the next two games, and after.

We sat down with our coach and discussed things that didn’t work well and things we need to improve for the next game. With that done, it’s now a matter of looking forward and going through our usual rhythm for the day before a game. Today was a light recovery day. I just did some light weights, some core work and a light pool workout to rejuvenate the legs.

The game against Norway was a physical one and I’m a little banged up. There are the usual cleat marks and bruises, but nothing out of the ordinary and nothing I can’t play through. In any major tournament, pretty much every player takes a beating as the games pile up so we’re pretty used to that. With two days between each game, it’s up to us to take good care of our bodies for the long haul.

As the day progressed, you could feel the energy returning to the team after the blow against Norway. That’s a good feeling and one we will carry into the match on Saturday.

Without training, today was pretty mellow. I sat on the balcony that overlooks the ocean and read Under the Banner of Heaven. That will definitely keep your nose buried in a book for a while. Then a bunch of us went to watch the Italy-Honduras game, which was pretty one-sided for Italy, but it was nice to actually go watch another Olympic event. It was a good way to relax, but tomorrow, we’re back to business.

Friday is the Opening Ceremonies and of course we can’t go as we are 200 miles away and getting ready for Japan. Even though we all wish we could be there, we’re all looking forward to watching it and I think that will make us feel the excitement of being at the Olympics even more.

Thanks to all the fans who got up early and will be getting up early on Saturday. The game is at 5 a.m. ET on MSNBC. The team really appreciates it and we are dedicated to coming together and showing what this team is all about. It’s win or go home from here on out.

Talk to you soon — Heather Read More » | (5) Comments »

Greetings from Quinhuangdao, China. Were now officially less than 48 hours away from the first US game of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Since we miss the opening ceremonies, at least we have that to look forward to! We have been here since July 25, so we are more than ready to get the games underway.

The staff and coaches have been performing skits to keep the mood light. We were treated to hour foot massages the other day, which was a nice surprise. Since the food isn’t quite what it is at home, we were treated to ice-cream sundaes from good old McDonald’s last night, which made many of us very happy. Its the little things that make all the difference!

One more light day of practice, then we take on Norway on August 6 at 7:45 a.m. on MSNBC. The game will be re-aired on Universal HD at 8 p.m, and then 10:30 later that night.

One down, five to go ’til the Gold! Looking for #2 for my collection. This one will mean a lot more since my playing time will be a little more extensive than the last Olympics! Hope you can find time to cheer us on.

I’ll let you know how the games go. Ciao. -Heather Read More » | (5) Comments »

After a day in San Fran to meet up, go through processing (where we get all our gear), followed by a short briefing, we were packing up and heading to Beijing.

After our 11-hour plane ride, we arrived in smoggy Beijing.  Supposedly today was a bad day for the pollution so hopefully it will improve by 8/8/8.  That’s opening day for most of the other athletes but unfortunately, we won’t be able to make it as our first game is on 8/6 in Quinhuangdao, two hours away from Beijing.  The soccer athletes are use to missing the opening ceremony, due to the number of games required and amount of venues needed in different cities to host the men’s and women’s games.  Almost every other sport stays in the Olympic Village and competes in Beijing but on the positive side, we get to travel and see the rest of the country. Speaking of sight-seeing, tomorrow we will visit the Forbidden City and then onto the Great Wall the following day. Thursday, we depart to Quinhuangdao to prepare for our first game against Norway which will air on 8/6 at 7:45am ET on MSNBC.

I’m really excited to get the games underway.  For me, this is so special because of the recovery from my ACL and the chance to really contribute on the field compared to Athens. I love the mix of players on this team, the way we are playing on the field and how fun it’s been to play for Pia again. I’ve been lucky and I can say, I’ve really been enjoying playing again.

Wish I had only good news for you all. As many of you know, Abby Wambach broke her leg in the last game against Brazil as she was looking to score her 100th goal. Missing out on a World Cup or Olympics due to injury is a heart breaker. Unfortunately, I know how Abby feels right now. I visited her at the hospital the day after her surgery and her attitude was amazing. She was such a huge part of this team and still will be. What she brings to this team can’t be replicated on the field but we have other players who I know will step up in different ways. This team has had a lot of injuries and challenges already and somehow we always find a way to win. It won’t be easy without Abby but I do believe we will find a way to bring home another Gold.

I will say, the eerie thing is that Abby said she told the referee, at the beginning of that game, that it was up to her that everyone walked off that field healthy and heading to Beijing. The game got off to a very physical start and was a little dirty at times. Abby was 8 minutes from coming out of the game at half and heading to her 2nd Olympics. In my opinion it was an accident that could have been avoided. We’re gonna miss Abby, Leslie and Cat and hope to dedicate this Olympics to them.

Thanks again for all the emails and support at the games! I will write again after the first win. Talk soon. -Heather Read More » | (2) Comments »

Hello Everyone! In Denver after my fabulous 4 day break. Just wanted to let you all know we have 2 final games before we head off to Beijing. Crazy right?

Besides the fact we are playing powerhouse Brazil, Abby Wambach is going for her 100th goal. Since Abby scores almost every game she plays in, it is a pretty good chance it will happen this weekend. We play Sunday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on July 13 (2 p.m. MT on ESPN). If for some odd reason Abby doesn’t score you have one more chance to catch us at Torero Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on July 16 (7 p.m. PT on Fox Soccer Channel). Luckily for you die-hard fans that are too far away to make the trip or have other plans, both games will be on TV! Thanks for checking out the blog. I have included the ussoccer article below for more details. I’m still recovering from jet-lag, so night!

Abby Wambach Just One Goal Shy of Magical 100-Goal Mark as U.S. Women Prepare for Olympic Send-Off Matches vs. Brazil

U.S. Striker Leads 2008 Olympic Team to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. and Torero Stadium in San Diego, Calif. for Two Games Against Brazil
Less Than 1,000 Tickets Left for USA-Brazil in San Diego.

CHICAGO (July 10, 2008) – U.S. forward Abby Wambach is just one goal away from becoming the ninth player in the history of soccer to score 100 international goals. Wambach, who debuted for the USA in 2001, has 99 career goals and with one more, would join Mia Hamm (158 goals), Kristine Lilly (129), Birgit Prinz (120), Elisabetta Vignotta (107), Michelle Akers (105), Carolina Morace (104), Julie Fleeting (103) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100) in one of international soccer’s most exclusive clubs.

Wambach will get a chance for her 100th in two matches before the Olympics as the USA takes on Brazil at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on July 13 (2 p.m. MT on ESPN) and at Torero Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on July 16 (7 p.m. PT on Fox Soccer Channel). Five of Wambach’s 99 goals have come against Brazil, including one of her most famous: the overtime score that won the 2004 Olympic gold medal game.

Tickets are selling well for both matches, with more than 10,000 sold for the game at Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park. Less than 1,000 seats remain for the match in San Diego, which will feature the return of defender Rachel Buehler who attended Torrey Pines High School and hails from Del Mar in San Diego’s north county.

Wambach has scored her 99 goals in just 125 career caps, the best goals-to-games ratio in U.S. history. She averages a goal for about every 90 minutes she has played for the USA. At 5-foot-11, Wambach’s size and strength have been key assets as she has piled up the goals, but her speed and skills have also helped her score for the USA in a myriad of ways.

Wambach, 28, hails from Rochester, N.Y., where she was a high school All-American. She attended the University of Florida, where she scored 96 goals, but her ascension to the U.S. National Team featured several setbacks. Wambach finished her college career in 2001 after having a breakout Nordic Cup tournament earlier that summer with the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team, and was drafted to the Washington Freedom of the WUSA. Over the next two years, despite numerous call-ups to National Teams camps, she failed to make several rosters, but did show flashes of what was to come, scoring five goals in 2002, including her first-ever hat trick against Scotland. Wambach, with a new dedication to fitness and professionalism, had a spectacular 2003 WUSA season. She tied for the league-lead in scoring with 13 goals and seven assists while leading the Freedom to the WUSA title and scoring both goals in the championship game, including a golden-goal winner in overtime.

In 2003 she recorded two goals for the USA against Ireland, and her performance in the WUSA led to a place on the U.S. Women’s World Cup Team. She scored three goals for the USA in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the winning goal against Norway in the quarterfinal match, and was named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. Her international career was off and running.

In 2004, she had one of the greatest scoring years in U.S. history, pounding in 31 goals, the second-highest yearly total in U.S. history, including four goals in the Olympic Games. She led the USA in scoring at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, finding the net six times to earn the Silver Shoe as the tournament’s second leading scorer, and scored 20 times on the year, becoming the first player to score 20 or more goals in a calendar year twice in her U.S. National Team career.

Wambach has led the USA in scoring during the last three world championship events, and while that quality has certainly distinguished her on the international stage, her ability to create goals must not be overlooked. She has 43 career assists, which puts her seventh in U.S. history.

The U.S. team has lost just one match in which Wambach has scored, that coming at the very end of 2004 in a 3-1 setback to Denmark on the Fan Celebration Tour following the USA’ gold medal run in Athens, Greece. The U.S. team is 65-1-2 in games that Wambach tallies. Just four of her goals have come off penalty kicks. She has scored in 45 different stadiums and of her 99 goals, 41 have come with her head.

Even with all her scoring accolades, the 18-player Olympic Team that Wambach leads into Denver and San Diego has tallied goals from numerous positions and 12 different players. Along with Wambach’s 13 goals so far this year, Natasha Kai has 11 and Lindsay Tarpley has 10. Carli Lloyd has found the net seven times while Heather O’Reilly and Amy Rodriguez have four goals each.

2008 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team
United States vs. Brazil
July 13 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, Colo.
July 16 – Torero Stadium – San Diego, Calif.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Stephanie Cox (Elk Grove, Calif.), Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Heather O’Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Aly Wagner (San Jose, Calif.)
FORWARDS (3): Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Amy Rodriguez (Lake Forest, Calif.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.)

ABBY WAMBACH BY THE NUMBERS

Abby Wambach 99 Goals (pdf): A complete, game-by-game rundown

BREAKDOWN BY COUNTRY

Mexico 18 Sweden 5 Costa Rica 2 Greece 1
Ireland 9 China 4 Finland 2 Haiti 1
Norway 9 Denmark 4 Italy 2 Nigeria 1
Japan 6 Canada 3 Jamaica 2 Panama 1
Australia 5 C. Taipei 3 North Korea 2 T&T 1
Brazil 5 New Zealand 3 England 1
Iceland 5 Scotland 3 France 1
WAMBACH’S STATISTICS BY YEAR:

Year GP/GS MIN G A Pts
2001 1/0 15 0 0 0
2002 7/4 355 5 4 14
2003 14/9 867 9 0 18
2004 33/26 2309 31 13 75
2005 8/8 659 4 5 13
2006 21/20 1848 17 8 42
2007 21/20 1717 20 4 44
2008 20/19 1642 13 9 35
Total 125/106 9412 99 43 241
WAMBACH’S GOAL BREAKDOWN

Single Goal Games 44 Five Goal Games 1 Scored in Countries 8
Two Goal Games 19 Scored in U.S. States 19 Goals Scored in USA 61
Hat Tricks 4 Goals as a Starter 89 Goals Scored Abroad 38
Four Goal Games 0 Goals as a Substitute 10
WAMBACH’S GOAL BY MINUTE:

First 15 Minutes: 5
Minute 16-30: 18
Minute 31-45: 20
Minute 46-60: 23
Minute 61-75: 12
Minute 76-90: 19
Extra Time: 2
WAMBACH’S GOALS BY MONTH

Jan. 44 May 7 Sept. 18
Feb. 19 June 9 Oct. 18
March 4 July 6 Nov. 6
April 0 Aug. 7 Dec. 2
WAMBACH’S TOURNAMENT GOALS

Women’s World Cup 9 Algarve Cup 12 Peace Queen Cup 3
Olympics 4 CONCACAF Qualifying 10 Four Nations 2
ALL-TIME TOP-10 INTERNATIONAL GOAL SCORERS

No. Player Goals Country
1. Mia Hamm (R) 158 USA
2. Kristine Lilly 129 USA
3. Birgit Prinz 120 Germany
4. Elisabetta Vignotto (R) 107 Italy
5. Michelle Akers (R) 105 USA
6. Carolina Morace (R) 104 Italy
7. Julie Fleeting 103 Scotland
8. Tiffeny Milbrett 100 USA
9. Abby Wambach 99 USA
10. Sun Wen (R) 94 China
* (R) – Retired Read More » | (5) Comments »

From the minute I showed up at the Cincinnati airport last Friday, I should have known this trip would be trouble. I showed up to the airport early and headed to Continental to check in. When I get there, they tell me my flight is canceled but they booked me on an earlier flight with Delta and of course, they said there would be no problem with checking my bag all the way to Oslo.

OK, so extra time for my bag to make it to Newark for our connection, right? So, they didn’t give me my ticket for the next flight, I have extra security check and no seat assignment. OK not so bad!
But then I get to Newark and have to go back out to ticketing. I wait 30 minutes because they can’t find my ticket in the system, then another hour in the snail-paced international line. Still OK, and eight hours later we get to Oslo — All 100 bags show up except for mine.

Thank goodness for gear we get on the trip, Kate Markgraff lending me clothes and my roommate allowing me to bum some of her toiletries. Three days later, I get my bag. Awesome. I’m a happy camper!

Now it’s Wednesday and as I’m going to the game against Norway, I realize my iPod is missing. Damn, I must have left it on the plane in my Ambien daze. The next day, as we’re heading to the Oslo airport to catch another flight to Sweden, I have a slight panic attack because as I’m searching for my iPod, I realize there was no passport sighting.

I always put my passport in the same place for this very reason. So I go and check and yep, no passport. Turns out, I didn’t leave my iPod after all — it was stolen along with my passport which apparently can go for thousands of dollars on the black market! I can do without the iPod but I am not flying anywhere without a passport.

So, we get to the airport and are already pushing it on time. Ironically, the travel agency booked eight of us on the 3 p.m. flight since our 9 a.m. was over-booked and I happened to be one of them. So at least something was working in my favor.

As we’re waiting at the airport, our security guard informs me that I must go get a passport photo, fill out new forms for an emergency passport and go to the U.S. Embassy by noon, “Good luck!”

So, as the coaches, staff, security guard and all of my teammates (except for eight of us) leave on the 9 a.m.. flight, I am left to do these things before my 3 p.m. flight. Feeling completely helpless and not sure where to begin, Heather O’Reilly graciously offers to go with me while the others scurry off to a hotel to chill.

We were like the blind leading the blind. We luck out and find a passport photo stand IN THE AIRPORT, then catch a train for a 25-minute ride which dropped us a few blocks from the Embassy. We find the Embassy, which was simple considering its the most guarded place around. After a short wait, we explain what happened, fill out paperwork, waste an hour walking around and sipping a lattes in a local cafe, train it back to the airport with brand new passport in hand, file a police report and done by 2 p.m. All in a days work!

Now that it all worked out, we made it to Sweden safely and I have a new passport. Truthfully, my day in Oslo was probably the highlight of the trip! Funny how things happen.

So that’s my week so far. We play Sweden on Saturday and take a charter flight to Stockholm after the game. Sunday morning we fly to Newark then back to LA! This is life on the US Women’s Soccer Team these days. Five days later we head to Denver to play Brazil on Sunday, July 13 on Fox Soccer Channel.

That is it for now. For such an awful bout of luck this trip, I sure loved Norway and Sweden. Hopefully next time I travel here, I can enjoy it a little more and have a better travel experience. Off to sleep for the game! Safe Travels… Read More » | Write a Comment »

Just wanted to share what we do on the road to keep us entertained!

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Such a crazy journey since tearing my ACL last May. I knew the World Cup wasn’t a possibility but I was hoping that just maybe I’d give myself a chance to make this team. Since day one, I knew that if I was patient and smart about my rehab I could work hard enough to be back in the mix.

From the choice of my doctor in James Tibone, to my rehab with Omi Iwasaki, and then training with James Galanis, I knew that they were the best in the buisness and after that it was all about hard work and a little luck. I know everything happens for a reason, so hopefully it means winning another Gold after a disappointing World Cup. An amazing new coach with a fresh philosophy, some key youngsters to add to the depth and a core group of Veterans with Olympic experience…I hope this will be a good mix and we have a lot to prove. I am just so lucky to have a chance to be a part of another Olympics and can’t wait to represent my country. I have included the US Soccer release below. Thanks to all of you for the support through my injury and over the years. Talk soon. Go USA!

The 2008 US Women’s Soccer Team Read More » | (2) Comments »

Hi Everyone! Thanks for all the birthday wishes. We actually arrived yesterday here in South Korea (which was June 9th here) at 7p.m and I was in bed by 10 p.m. It was the shortest, most boring b-day of my life!

HaHa. All the wishes and emails were so sweet, so thank you all! 15 hours later we arrived in Seoul and will be here until June 22. We played in this tournament 2 years ago and it was great. The tournament is top notch. We are staying at the J.W. Marriott and the food here might be better than the food back home and that’s saying a lot! Another one of the perks is the Coffee Bean with free internet which is located downstairs. I am pretty sure more than half of the team is down here with me right now. It helps to pass the time and keep in touch with our loved ones back home!

The biggest challenge this far is staying awake during the day which is why I am at Coffee Bean and sleeping through the night. After a few days we will be on Korean time and ready for the first game against Australia on Sunday. We all know from the last two games that will be a battle til the end. After that its the revenge match against Brazil followed up by a much improved Italian team. After that hopefully its the finals!

Also, I didn’t write after the camp in LA and have some good news. Although it isn’t official, Pia selected 22 players, which is the Olympic team and 3 alternates plus 1. By the time this tournament is over, we will know who is going to Beijing. So will keep you all updated with our results in the next few games and hopefully have some really good news shortly! Talk soon. Heather Read More » | (1) Comment »

Stephanie Lopez and Rachel Buehler played the last 45 in the back along with Heather O’Reilly at right mid . She was successful up and down the flank. The second half was much better than the first as we relaxed a bit and started playing our game. We switched formations as well which made a big difference. Hope came up with a huge save near the end to preserve the win . I personally was exhausted and played that way offensively. Hopefully that will be the worst I ever play again in a US jersey. The good news is, defensively I made up for the offensive lackluster performance and we won 1-0.

Defensively I think we have been pretty solid in the back. We allowed 1 shot on goal in the previous game and 2 good chances against Brazil. Christy and Kate have been the anchors to the defense and are playing awesome. The last 3 goals have been scored by 3 different forwards which is so nice for a change. In the past, we relied on Abby and Kristine Lilly to do most of the scoring for us. This way, we are more unpredictable and hopefully it will remain that way. We play Brazil July 13 in Denver and July 16th in San Diego, so lots more of them to come. As for the rest of our bracket, Australia beat Italy 3-0, so that helps our chances of advancing to the finals to most likely play Canada. Enjoying a day off today in rainy Seoul and resting my legs for game 3 in 6 days! Wish us luck. Also Congrats to Kevin Garnett and the Celtics. Its been a long time. Ciao. Read More » | Write a Comment »

Hi Everyone! It feels great to be healthy and able to play again. This three weeks is exactly what I needed! From Cary, N.C to Birmingham to D.C. We trained hard the entire three weeks. Pia wanted us tired and believe me we were exhausted. Helena, our fitness trainer, had us maxing out and the more sore we were, the better. This camp and next is about strength training, playing with tired legs and finding a way mentally to push through it. Lucky I survived!

Every game seemed to get a little better from a comfort standpoint. Australia always gives us a great game and its just a matter of matching their intensity for a full 90 minutes which we did. Everyone is buying into Pia’s philosophy.

The game against Canada on May 10 marked my one-year anniversary from the date. Ironically, it was also against Canada and against Christine Sinclair whom I was marking the entire game. If anything it was motivation for me. I was getting up and down the sideline and contributing in the attack which was so much fun. I felt like I barely even had to play defense. I sat back and was in awe of how well everyone was playing. Spreading the field, knocking and moving, over-laps and 1-2’s and lots of goals. SIX in the end with Kai getting her first hat-trick and Abby Wambach assisting on 3 goals on the night. This was the biggest victory we have ever had against Canada and it was a great ending to three hard weeks! It felt great to be back on the field along with my teammates and to play my first 90 in a year!

Thanks to all the fans who showed up. Since US Soccer doesn’t feel the need to advertise for us like the men, it takes real dedicated fans to find the logistics about where and when we play so… thank you. Now, one week off and then we head to LA, May 19th for 2 weeks of intense training in preparation for the Peace Cup in South Korea. Keep you all updated. Talk soon. -Heather Read More » | Write a Comment »

Hi Everyone! Two weeks down and two wins against the Aussies, but it wasn’t easy. We spent a week in Cary training and after a rain delay headed onto the field to play Australia. It was my first international game back in almost a year since my ACL injury.

The few days of practice leading up to the game, I felt like a chicken with my head cut off running around out there and really didn’t know how I would perform. Luckily when I put on the jersey and stepped on the field though, it was like riding a bike. You just get in the zone and I focused on playing simple and not getting beat. Of course there are a million things I need to work on and get adjusted to in order to be on the same page as my teammates defensively, but overall an okay first game back. I got a couple good slide tackles in and the knee felt pretty good.

I played for 53 minutes and had to sit and watch the mayhem that transpired at the end of the game. Have to hand it to Australia because they kept fighting til the end and almost ruined the night for the soaked fans in attendence, but Carli Lloyd came through with a few minutes to spare for a 4-3 victory. It was an exciting game and one of the best ways to win!

So we headed to Birmingham Monday and the week flew by. Saturday we played at Legion Field once again against the Aussies. Australia got on the board first after a miscue in the back but it didn’t take us long to respond and continue doing so. I came out of the game at the 55th minute and we were up 4-2. As if it were deja vu, the Aussies had tied things up 4-4 nearing the 90th minute. With 3 minutes of stoppage time granted, Cat Whitehill played a long free kick directly to the head of Abby Wambach who was double teamed and left Angela Hucles wide open in the box. Ang, who was scoring some sick goals in practice all week long, had a sweet left footed volley to win the game 5-4! The goal itself was enough to celebrate but the win on top of it was all that special. The fans were awesome in both spots and we are so thankful for all the support.

Immediately after signing and showering up we headed to the Crawfish Crawl which is a concert held yearly for charity. Gavin DeGraw performed followed by Fergie, who gave us a shout out as we danced the night away. Not a bad ending to a night! Next up: Canada this Saturday at 7PM at RFK stadium in D.C. I’ll let you all know how it goes. Read More » | Write a Comment »

I have heard it a million times but now I am living proof, it isn’t easy coming back from an ACL. I felt like I took my time and didn’t rush but no matter what, you are going to have weaknesses and over-compensate. These things just happen and its about rolling with the punches and what kind of an attitude you have. I have had my days where I am so frustrated with my body and with my play but I also know, I am recovering from a major injury and surgery.

Thank goodness for Pia and how supportive she has been. It was my quad, then my knee and this camp it was my groin. Its hard emotionally to not be 100% healthy because even when I am right now, my fitness and playing is average. They always say you aren’t back to yourself for an entire year, so I still have one month. Every camp I get closer and closer but then my body breaks down. I know that I will get there though.

Pia brought me in before announcing the roster and said they had a really hard time with the decision. I’m not healthy and they need 18 players that can contribute which I completely agree with. She said, to take my time and the Olympics are the big picture. We both know we need to win this week to get there first but I feel confident that will happen.

Right now, that leaves me spending a week out here in LA rehabbing with Omi then head to Philly for the final 2 weeks to train everyday with James Galanis. My first priority is getting healthy then its getting fit. That is where I am. Wish me luck and the team in qualifiers. Go USA! Read More » | Write a Comment »

This way I can continue to train and be around the team. Our training enviroment just can’t be replicated so its the best option. Of course I wish that I were rostering and getting some game experience but this will just help me prepare for the qualifying roster. Pia said she doesn’t want to rush me and the qualifiers really is the big picture right now. When I was healthy, I felt really good out there so we are moving in the right direction. This week I am rehabbing with Omi at AP to make sure I’m completely healed by the time I leave for Portugal on Monday. I will post from Algarve! Read More » | Write a Comment »