Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone lift World Cup trophy together
This was perfect.
The United States had not won the Women's World Cup in 16 years, and this was the last chance Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone were going to get. Rampone had won as a member of the 1999 World Cup team, and was the only remaining member of that team still playing. Wambach, the greatest international goal-scorer of all time, had never lifted one. Rampone was the team captain, while Wambach got the armband when she came on in the final against Japan. So who would get to lift the World Cup trophy?
Both of them, of course. As the players walked up to get their winners’ medals, Rampone and Wambach hung back, then walked up to the podium together after all their teammates had gone. They grabbed and lifted the trophy together in a bit of an unprecedented move.
It was an awesome moment, and a perfect end to an era of women’s soccer.
