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August 14, 2004 6:36 pm

Bruised Wambach won't back down

By SCOTT PITONIAK

Gannett News Service

THESSALONIKI, Greece -- Abby Wambach lifted her T-shirt and pointed to a gruesome, three-inch gash on the left side of her abdomen. The deep scratch was the result of one of her many close encounters with Brazilian soccer defenders.

"See this,'' Wambach said after setting up a goal and scoring another in the United States' 2-0 Olympic victory. "These are the things I have to deal with, the things you guys don't see.''

She smiled broadly. Even by her rock-'em, sock-'em standards, this had been a rough night.

Wambach's skin had been scratched and bruised in several places. Her jersey had been torn by opponents who weren't exactly innocent bystanders.

And, then, after enduring all of this and a yellow card, too, her reputation took a blindside tackle from Brazil coach Rene Simoes, who accused the U.S. of employing dirty tactics, singling out Wambach.

The 5-foot-11 forward certainly is physical, but dirty?

"They bring it just as much as we do,'' she said. "They know all about gamesmanship. They know the little things that can get to a team.''

The Brazilians did their best to get Wambach off her game.

In the 48th minute, she collided with Brazil defender Elaine (Brazil's players are all known by one name only). Wambach was given a yellow card, her second in as many matches, meaning she will have to sit out Tuesday's game against Australia. Another foul vs. Brazil would have resulted in a red card. Wambach have been disqualified for the remainder of the match, and the U.S. would have to play one woman down.

Showing the maturity of a seasoned veteran, Wambach didn't fly off the handle. Nor did she back down.

Eleven minutes after being carded, Wambach was tripped by Monica inside the box. Mia Hamm took the penalty shot for her. She faked Brazilian goal keeper Andreia into leaning to the right, then blistered the penalty shot past her left side and into the goal.

U.S. 1, Brazil 0.

At the 77th minute, Wambach received a header pass from Lindsay Tarpley and showed she has much more going for her than brawn. She blew past one defender and creatively cut to her left past another before smashing a left-footed shot into the net, just inside the left post.

U.S. 2, Brazil 0.

Vindication time for Wambach.

"Give Abby the credit,'' Hamm said. "She kept her cool, but she didn't go away from her game, either. She is such a great player and such a dominating presence. I know I would hate to have to be the player marking her.''

Although U.S. coach April Heinrichs was aware that a second yellow card in as many games would result in a one-game suspension, she didn't want Wambach to become a wall-flower against Brazil.

"To change the way she plays would be to turn her into something she is not,'' Heinrichs said. "We didn't want that. We didn't want her tip-toeing around the field, playing as if she was walking on egg shells. She is a super-aggressive personality and presence out there and our team feeds off that.''

Though disappointed she won't be able to play Tuesday, Wambach is confident her teammates will take up the slack until she returns for Friday's quarterfinals.

In the meantime, she will go from physical forward to vociferous cheerleader.

"My team isn't going to have a bigger fan,'' Wambach said. "I'm going to be there screaming as loudly as I can.''

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