Soccer star Wambach breaks leg
Abby Wambach has to take a new approach: Instead of getting ready for the Olympics, she has to start rehabbing a broken leg.
The star forward on the U.S. women's soccer team was to have a titanium rod inserted in her left leg yesterday. The injury, coming in the team's final tuneup Wednesday night against Brazil in San Diego, is expected to sideline her for about 12 weeks.
The U.S. begins defense of its gold medal on Aug. 6 against Norway.
"I'm excited to watch them and cheer them on during this challenge they've been presented with," Wambach said after the game. "It's really going to take everyone coming together. I love them all so much, and appreciate so many people involved with this game and the team.
"I put my heart and soul into this game every day, but sometimes accidents happen. I've gotten so many calls already, and I just want to say how much I appreciate that."
Wambach, the team's leading scorer, became entangled with Brazilian defender Andreia Rosa in the first half of a scoreless game. Both players tumbled and Wambach immediately signaled to the sideline for help. Her leg was put in an inflatable brace and she was carted off the field.
Natasha Kai replaced Wambach and scored the game's only goal on a header in the 84th minute off a free kick from Carli Lloyd.
Wambach, one of the most experienced players on a young U.S. squad, has 13 goals and 10 assists this year. She is one goal shy of becoming the ninth female player and fifth American to reach 100 goals.
"My heart sank," Kai said, when seeing Wambach was hurt. "She's a big piece of a great team."
Adu on Olympic soccer team
Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley will lead the U.S. men's soccer team into the Beijing Olympics.
Coach Peter Nowak announced the 18-man roster. Forward Brian McBride, goalkeeper Brad Guzan and defender Michael Parkhurst are the three overage players allowed in the under-23 tournament.
Selecting the Olympic squad was tricky because the Beijing Games overlap with World Cup qualifying for the U.S. team.
"We're trying to accommodate the Olympic team, but we need to also keep in mind it's an important time for the senior team," Nowak said on a conference call. "We need to make sure we field two competitive teams."
The 36-year-old McBride is the veteran of three World Cups. He retired from international soccer in 2006 and left Fulham of England's Premier League in May, but agreed to help the U.S. team in the Olympics.
Yao returns to action
Yao Ming is back, transforming China's basketball team and providing a big relief for Olympic organizers.
The Houston Rockets center marked his return from injury with 11 points in just over 12 minutes of play for the Chinese national team in an Olympics warmup against a Serbian squad.
Entering six minutes into the first quarter to huge applause from the crowd in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Yao appeared a little rusty, but made a solid contribution to China's 96-72 victory in the four-team Stankovic Cup tournament.
The game was Yao's first since a stress fracture in his left foot ended his NBA season in February and threatened his star turn as part of China's team.
The injury has caused major concern among China's Olympic organizers expecting him to become the face of the games, and his return was certain to help them sleep easier. Yao is considered a leading candidate to carry the Olympic torch on its final leg into Beijing's grandiose new National Stadium.
Yao shot 70 percent from the free-throw line, where he scored seven of his points.
He also had four rebounds, one of them on the offensive end, and seemed to find his groove defensively, despite being scored on twice by 7-foot-3 Boban Marjanovic.
