Abby Wambach wants Colombian player kicked out of Olympics
U.S. soccer player Abby Wambach wants discipline for the Colombian player who hit her in the eye during the Americans' 3-0 victory on Saturday. (Stanley Chou/Getty Images)
There is a first time for every thing and for U.S. soccer player Abby Wambach, her first time being punched in the face in her life started a fire within the American team that could lead to dire consequences for the rest of the Olympic field.
Wambach was punched in the right eye Colombia's Lady Andrade in the first half of the Americans 3-0 victory over Colombia in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament and thinks Andrade should be kicked out of the Olympics.
"That was definitely not the best part of the game for me," Wambach told USA Today. "The eye is such an important factor of being able to be an athlete. It was dangerous. A really terrible play. Unsportsmanlike behavior absolutely. I hope FIFA and the Olympic committee look at the film and say this is not the kind of player that we want in the Olympics," Wambach said.
The Olympic committee, not FIFA, is in charge of discipline at the London Games. Wambach said it would have been a different story if the two players were not in competition on the field. Andrade said it was an accident.
"You think about all the things you would do on the street if someone sucker punches you and you have a list of all the things you would probably do, but this is the Olympics and I can't risk getting a red card," Wambach said.