Abby Wambach

One of the best players in the world, Wambach is looking to help the U.S. to a third consecutive Olympic gold medal. However, she only has one after an injury forced her to miss the Beijing Games four years ago. She’s also a five-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, winning most recently in 2011 after another strong showing at the World Cup. Wambach was instrumental in the U.S. reaching the final, where it fell to Japan on penalties. She was the only American to convert in the tiebreaker after scoring during the match. She also created one of the signature moments of the tournament, scoring a goal on a header off a long pass in the waning seconds against Brazil in the quarterfinals to force a penalty shootout. The U.S. advanced via the tiebreaker as Wambach found the back of the net on her attempt. Powerful in the air and considered a key leader, Wambach has 134 goals in 178 games, becoming only the fifth player in team history to eclipse the century mark. She's also been a fixture in the lineup since making her debut in 2001, helping the team qualify for the London Games earlier this year as it went unbeaten in five games while outscoring opponents 38-0. Wambach finished the tournament tied with teammates Carli Lloyd and Amy Rodriguez with six goals.