Wambach’s Halftime Speech Propels U.S. To World Cup Victory Over China

Abby Wambach gave a halftime pep talk, Carli Lloyd sent a header into the back of the net in the 48th minute, and the United States held on for a 1-0 victory over China in a quarterfinal match at the Women’s World Cup in Ottawa.

Defender Meghan Klingenberg said Wambach’s talk was appreciated and came at the right time. Wambach reportedly told the team, before heading out on the field for the second half, “First 10 minutes, we get a [expletive] goal!”

“I love her [Wambach’s] halftime talks because she always strikes the right mood. She can kind of read how the team’s feeling and go with that. This one was more about ‘keep doing what you’re doing.'”

Wambach’s speech worked, as not six minutes later, Lloyd lept over a Chinese defender, took a pass from Julie Johnston, and put the Americans up for good. The victory came in a rematch of the 1999 World Cup Final.

Lloyd said she struggled early in World Cup games trying to find her role, but the recent addition of Morgan Brian has freed her to play aggressively.

“These are the moments that I live for. It’s just one of those things where you prepare for it mentally, physically. I wasn’t myself in the beginning of the games. And now having the freedom to kind of attack and do what I do best enabled me to create some chances.”

Wambach, who has played for the United States’ national soccer team since 2001, only played four minutes on Friday. But despite not spending much time on the field, Wambach’s experience is key in helping her teammates know what to expect and how to react in certain situations. Wambach doesn’t sit back and watch, but rather engages her teammates and makes sure they know what they are supposed to be doing.

“I’m very passionate. Some of my teammates had to move away from me during the game because I’m kind of obnoxious on the bench. I’m screaming and yelling for my teammates.”

As the U.S. now moves ahead to play top-ranked Germany, Wambach reminded everyone that this victory was only the beginning.

“Every stage of this tournament, it’s a new tournament. So the group stage is over. Then the round-of-16 stage is over. The quarterfinals are over. This is a new tournament. And in order to get to the final, we’re going to have to play almost impeccable soccer.”

Wambach and the rest of the U.S. squad face Germany on Tuesday, June 30 in Montreal. Germany defeated France in penalty kicks on Friday to advance to the semifinals.

[Image via Business Insider]