The Abby Wambach huddle is becoming a fixture between the first and second half of matches for the United States this World Cup. The entire team huddles around its biggest star, who screams words of wisdom, encouragement, and more than a few expletives. The rest of the team nods silently in agreement, focuses in on the task at hand. When the huddle breaks, they take the field, and finds a way to win.
Wambach played just 10 minutes of the U.S.’s 2-0 semifinal win against Germany on Tuesday. It’s a new role – and a vitally important one – for a player who has hardly stepped off the pitch for the stars and stripes over the past 12 years.