Jackson Free Press

It seems fitting that the U.S. Women's National Team will battle Japan in the final of the 2015 Women's World Cup. In the 2011 Women's World Cup, both teams fought to a 2-2 tie at the end of extra time. Japan won the title in penalty kicks with much of the world supporting them after an earthquake and tsunami had rocked the region.

The U.S. women haven't won the World Cup since 1999, but now they're back in the final to finish what they almost accomplished last time. In that game, the only U.S. player to make a penalty kick was forward Abby Wambach after the U.S. missed its first three penalty kicks.

Now, at the age of 35, the Rochester, N.Y., native will have one final chance to capture a World Cup title. Because of her age, it seems very unlikely that Wambach, who will be 39 by the time of the next World Cup in France, will compete in a fifth World Cup.

Wambach is the youngest of seven children, with four brothers and two sisters. Born Mary Abigail Wambach, playing and roughhousing with her siblings made her tough and lit a competitive fire in the young athlete.

Despite a heartbreaking loss in the final of New York's high-school championship game in 1997, every women's soccer program sought out Wambach.

She selected the University of Florida, whose program was entering its fourth year, over national powerhouse University of North Carolina. Wambach brought Gators soccer to the mountain top in her freshman season, as she helped lead the team to its first and only national championship in soccer by defeating North Carolina in the final.

Wambach continued to have a successful career at Florida. She earned All-Southeastern Conference and All-American honors four times (1998-2001) and received the title of SEC Player of the Year twice (2000-2001). The forward led the Gators to four straight SEC tournament titles and received the title of tournament MVP twice (2000-2001).

By the end of her college career, Wambach had scored a school-record 96 goals. She was the second pick of the 2002 Women's United Soccer Association draft with the Washington Freedom selecting her.

That same year, Wambach also made her first appearance on the U.S. Women's National Team. She helped the U.S. to a third-place finish in the 2003 Women's World Cup.

In 2004, she helped lead the USWNT to a gold medal in the Olympics. However, there was more international heartbreak for Wambach as the USWNT finished third again in the 2007 World Cup.

An injury forced her to miss the 2008 Olympics. She returned to the international scene in the 2011 World Cup, in which the U.S. finished second.

Wambach won Olympic gold for the second time in the 2012 Olympic Games.

There is no question that Wambach is one of the greatest soccer players in U.S. history. No female or male U.S. player has matched her 178 goals scored.

The only thing missing from her repertoire is a World Cup title, but that could change Sunday, July 5. Wambach's USWNT swan song will be played at 6 p.m., with the pregame starting at 4 p.m. You can catch it on Fox.