With Huge Win, Women's Soccer Breaks Free of Mia Hamm

(Newser) – For more than a decade, US women’s soccer was synonymous with Mia Hamm—but not anymore. Yesterday, thanks to a long pass and a header by Abby Wambach, the team pulled off a goal in the 122nd minute—the deepest into a game a... More »

(Newser) – For more than a decade, US women’s soccer was synonymous with Mia Hamm—but not anymore. Yesterday, thanks to a long pass and a header by Abby Wambach, the team pulled off a goal in the 122nd minute—the deepest into a game a goal has ever been scored in World Cup history, men’s or women’s. That goal tied the game, leading to a penalty shootout and, finally, an “improbable, unbelievable” US victory over Brazil, advancing the US team to the semifinals. And the nation sat up and watched, writes Jelisa Castrodale at NBC Sports.

It all happened when the team was a player short thanks to a red card. “Playing 10 men, coming back from a goal down in overtime, to then go to penalties—I don’t know if you could write a better script,” noted Wambach. Indeed, writes Castrodale, this was “the kind of down-for-the-count comeback that typically only happens to Kevin Costner characters.” So “if you weren’t overwhelmed by a bit of nationalistic pride, then Donald Trump would like to see a copy of your birth certificate.” Less »