My Most Memorable Sports Moment #1: Wambach’s Header in the 122nd minute to equalize

Let’s take a quick recap of the moments:

#5: Tiger Woods chip on the 16th at the 2005 Masters

#4: Michael Crabtree’s Game Winning Catch to Stun #1 Texas

#3: Tyree’s one-handed helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII

#2: Boise State’s Statement in 2007 Fiesta Bowl

With all the negative parts to the culture of soccer, it does also produce some fantastic drama. The USA women’s soccer team does it best.

Now, you won’t find me going out of my way to watch league games, but when the world cup is on I find myself always watching quality soccer. The 2011 Women’s World cup was probably the best sporting event I have watched in recent memory.

No game better demonstrated this than the quarterfinal match between USA and Brazil. These two teams were considered the best in the world. The Brazilians had Marta, and USA had Wambach and Solo. Now, with Japan the beating the host country in a stunning upset, this match-up had a lot to live up to if it wanted to outdo the awesome story of the Japanese women. Somehow it did just that.

The USA ladies took the lead early with an own-goal on Brazil. Brazil, in the 65^th minute, got a penalty kick and a red card against the US. Solo read the kick perfectly and denied them their goal, but encroachment was called on the US ladies, and the kick was retaken. The equalizer was made by none other than Marta.

Then the Brazilians, in the 92^nd minute, took the lead off of Marta, leaving USA in a tight situation.

Regulation ended and two minutes of extra time was given.  At this point, the US with ten players took an all out assault to try a tie the game up.  The Brazilians were trying to spend time. After a possession switch the ball quickly got down field to Megan Rapinoe down the left side. She crossed it to the right goal post. The ball flew over the goalie and another defender by inches, and was headed by the best header in women’s soccer, Wambach, for the equalizer in the 122^nd minute.

The game went into extra time, and then finally penalty kicks, where the US women won and advanced to the final against Japan. With the way this game was built-up, plus the added controversy over the penalty kick in the 65^th minute, and the red card that put USA down to only 10 players, made this victory unbelievable. I have never been as amazed by a finish as I was by this game. Wambach and Rapinoe put not only soccer, but women’s sports in general, into the forefront of sports. I can’t wait to see what happens at this year’s summer Olympics in London.