Early tomorrow morning, when San Jose's Aly Wagner goes in to the U.S. Women's big match against Canada, she will be [playing in her 120th international game. For comparison purposes, she's got quite a body of work!
And while we're on the topic of that body, Aly was supposed to not make this Olympics team after a (yikes!) double hernia surgery a few months ago. But with determination befitting a Santa Clara Bronco, she made a stunning recovery and is playing midfielder with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. Somewhat slowed by the injury, she's been spelling the provocatively-named Shannon Boxx. Roaring back from a shocking first-game loss to Norway, the U.S. Women have won their group and returned as gold medal favorites.
It wouldn't be Aly's first gold -- she was on the gold medal-winning team at Athens 2004, along with infamous sports bra-flasher Brandi Chastain. And we are surely rooting for a repeat performance of that! The ladies will leave it all on the field in a 6 a.m. PDT matchup (see you at the 500 Club!) being broadcast live on basic cable from Workers' Stadium in Beijing. That's right, "Workers' Stadium". What, the words "Glorious" and "Revolutionary" were already taken?