In Hellbent Abby Wambach, a Single Goal

As the storied US women's soccer team takes the field in Frankfurt today, all eyes of a hopeful nation are on the 5-foot-11, 170-pound train in the No. 20 jersey leading her team in the charge against Japan. At 31, the indomitable Abby Wambach knows this could be her final World Cup—and anything other than a win will leave her dizzying career incomplete. “I would give up every goal I’ve scored to win this World Cup,” Wambach tells the New York Times. “You have to be willing to give up everything.”

She might need to: Her height and dangerous air game could prove critical against a Japanese team whose tallest player is 5-foot-7. But while the spotlight may be shining on Wambach, but she tells her hometown Democrat and Chronicle that she's focused on the "‘we’ mentality instead of the ‘me’ mentality." And the team's confidence is sky-high, thanks in no small part to the miracle upset against Brazil. "We really believe we can be dealt any hand, any situation and we can actually come through,” says Wambach. (More Abby Wambach stories.)