Abby Wambach Excited About WPS, But Don't Expect Her to Use Twitter

For fans of the U.S. women's national soccer team, Abby Wambach doesn't need any introduction. The 28-year-old forward from Rochester, N.Y., has scored an astounding 99 goals in 126 international games.

Wambach will also be one of the marquee faces as Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) kicks off its inaugural season this weekend, six years after the previous women's pro league in America, the WUSA, folded in 2003. Earlier this week, Wambach took time out of her busy training schedule -- she's still recovering from a broken leg suffered before last summer's Beijing Olympics -- to talk to FanHouse about the WPS on the eve of its curtain raiser.

The full interview is after the jump.

FanHouse: So what's the feeling ahead of this weekend's kickoff?

Abby Wambach: First of all, I'm very excited to be a part of the inaugural season. Being with the Washington Freedom and recovering from the leg injury, it's great to be back in the game. ... Everything is so new right now, we're all on a high to be a part of it.

FanHouse: What was it like to for you between the time the WUSA folded and the WPS started?

Abby Wambach: I was with national team in its stead, so I didn't feel like the other girls on my team. I didn't feel like something was missing, because of the residency camps. I know for a fact the girls on the team who weren't on the national team are excited to be a part of it. It's great to be a part of a competition and get to call yourself a pro athlete and play soccer for a living.

FanHouse: How do you think the WPS will be different from the WUSA?

Abby Wambach: It's hard to say, since they're two different animals. Comparing them would be apples and oranges. From a player's perspective, there's not much difference. From the front office, there is a big difference since they're using a franchise mold. I believe the league is starting off in a more moderate way where as the WUSA was spending in places shouldn't have. I'm excited to see what this league will do.

FanHouse: Are you happy to be back in Washington (the Freedom also were a member of the WUSA)?

Abby Wambach: We're lucky because our coach (Jim Gabarra) stayed on. The team went from the WUSA into W-League, so he kept intact a system and the personnel. He's coached some of the girls playing for a couple years. Some may say because he has that foundation our team might do really well, but you never know, it's all so new. Getting to know each other is the game plan.



FanHouse: Will it be hard to juggle national team commitments with the league?

Abby Wambach: Obviously, the national team will take a front seat. It's not an Olympic or a World Cup year, so I want to focus on WPS to set up a lasting foundation. This just deepens the national team pool. Before it was only a select few players.

FanHouse: What's it like playing with international players? (The Freedom have players from France, Canada, Japan and Norway on its roster.)

Abby Wambach: If you went back to the WUSA, and saw what happened, it seems that the game has gotten better, because all of us were learning from each other. In general, Americans think they do things the right way all the time, and that's just not true. There are different things the internationals bring to the table, and we have to learn.

FanHouse: What do you say to people that are wary of the league considering the WUSA failed?

Abby Wambach: I challenge people not to think negatively, because it failed once it doesn't mean it'll happen again. It's different this time around. As long as everyone takes care of their own role, it'll be around a long time.

FanHouse: What should the public expect from the WPS?

Abby Wambach: I want people to not judge it before they see it. Come to a game and see the product on the field. Come out and try it, I think you'll be pleased.

FanHouse: The U.S. women's team has built up a strong fan base, how do you get those fans to support and care about the league?

Abby Wambach: That's the question at hand, how to get people interested on consistent basis? End of the day, you get fans that are loyal. Each team will do their best to get those fans signed on.

FanHouse: I heard the league will have its players Twittering at halftime, will you be?

Abby Wambach: Nowadays you can't just let it be a game. You have to find the different technologies the kids are into. Twitter, all the stuff they're doing for marketing strategy can only help. But I don't even know what that word means. So I don't think I'll be Twittering, not sure if it's a word in my vocabulary.

FanHouse: Finally, what are your goals in regard to WPS?

Abby Wambach: Ultimately I want this game to be better than the way I found it. Letting this league grow the way it can would be a dream come true for me. I would love for this league to grow into something great. It won't happen over night, but patience is a virtue. When I retire, I want to look back and say I gave all I could to this league and the game.

The WPS kicks off this weekend with seven teams in Boston, Northern Jersey, Northern California, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Chicago. The 20-game regular season runs until August 9.

For more information, check out the WPS Web site.