It isn’t a matter of if, but when. It’s been that way for a long time. Abby Wambach has said that she would like to break Mia Hamm’s all-time goals record on home soil.
Unless she is spectacular in Toronto in the upcoming international friendly with Canada on June 2, she will get two shots at the mark at home against South Korea.
She enters the game with Canada with 155 career goals, just three short of tying Hamm on the world’s all-tie scoring list.
The U.S. women will host South Korea on June 15 in Foxborough, MA and again on June 20 in Harrison, NJ.
U.S. Coach Tom Sermanni called in 21 players for the Canada match, including two rising college seniors, UNC’s Crystal Dunn and Julie Johnson (Santa Clara). Sermanni will not have midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who is completing her season in France. Her team, Olympique Lyon, has the UEFA Women’s Champions League final coming up, along with the championship match of the French Cup.
Wambach isn’t the only U.S. player chasing an all-time record. U.S. captain Christie Rampone is currently the second most-capped player in U.S. history (behind Kristine Lilly) and the most-capped active player in the world with 280 career games played.
The Canada match marks the return of MF Carli Lloyd and GK Jill Loyden, both of whom have recovered from broken bones suffered in March at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.