Area native Krieger also among Washington’s first WPS allocations
Not one of the Washington Freedom’s first three players allocated for the launch of Women’s Professional Soccer next April played in the Beijing Olympics, and two are coming off serious injuries.
But Abby Wambach alone makes Washington an early favorite when the women’s pro game makes its return, while Cat Whitehill and Ali Krieger created a balanced inaugural trio for the latest iteration of the Freedom.
“She’s the perfect building block for any team, that’s for sure,” said Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra. “I think other teams in the league, if not all, would like to start with her.”
Wambach began her career under Gabarra during the final two years of the WUSA in 2002-03. She’s scored most of her 99 international goals in the years since while based closer to the U.S. national team’s training center in Southern California — where she initially had hoped to remain for WPS.
“[Washington] actually wasn’t [the first choice], just because I live on the West Coast now,” said Wambach. “Just the way the cookie crumbled, it made more sense for me to be in D.C. Looking back on it now, I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Wambach also is three months into rehabilitation from a broken left tibia and fibula suffered in July, just before the Olympics. She won’t begin running again for another three weeks. Whitehill is recovering, too, from a torn left ACL sustained in June.
Krieger, a Dumfries, Va., native, was an Olympic alternate and is under contract with FFC Frankfurt in Germany through next spring. The Freedom cannot officially speak with her under that contract until it is six months from expiring, but Gabarra said he couldn’t afford to pass on her in the allocation process.
“I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to get her here,” said Gabarra. “When that is, I really will not have an idea until I speak with her or when we’re within that six-month window.”
WPS allocations
Boston Breakers » MF-F Kristine Lilly, MF-F Angela Hucles, D Heather Mitts.
Chicago Red Stars » MF Carli Lloyd, D Kate Markgraf, MF Lindsay Tarpley.
Los Angeles » MF Shannon Boxx, D Stephanie Cox, MF Aly Wagner.
New Jersey Sky Blue FC » MF-F Heather O’Reilly, F Natasha Kai, D Christie Rampone.
San Jose/San Francisco » MF Leslie Osborne, D Rachel Buehler, GK Nicole Barnhart.
St. Louis » GK Hope Solo, D-MF Lori Chalupny, D Tina Ellertson.
Washington Freedom » F Abby Wambach, D Cat Whitehill, D Ali Krieger.
