Veteran superstar Abby Wambach‘s twilight is dazzling — but it’s still twilight. To win the 2015 Women’s World Cup the US National Team is going to need some help from bright lights that look more like noon than dusk. All eyes are on Alex Morgan, the young US forward back from a nagging knee injury, to deliver the solar power that the US women need to make the World Cup theirs again. Is she ready? Morgan played 65 solid minutes against Nigeria, starting for the first time in months. (She played 11 and 12 minutes, respectively, in the first two matches.)
[Megan Rapinoe, “Gay As Christmas,” Leads US Women’s World Cup Team]
Wambach has scored more goals than any player in history, including a familiar winner in the Nigeria game — on an assist from Megan Rapinoe, of course. But Wambach is now 35. She’s been heard complaining about the artificial turf lately — a legit complaint, but not what the eventual winners are likely focused on. At 25, Morgan has been touted as “the next” Wambach. The Colombia team the US faces Monday night in the knockout round has lots of chips on its shoulders about the Americans. The US women, and especially Morgan, will have to be better on offense than they’ve been so far.
