Originally published Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 12:00 AM

U.S. star Abby Wambach breaks leg, will miss Olympics

Abby Wambach, the team's leading scorer, was carted off the field after a violent collision in the first half of a 1-0 win over Brazil. Wambach is expected to be out for 12 weeks and will miss the Olympics, which start in three weeks.

By The Associated Press

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SEAN M. HAFFEY / AP

Abby Wambach gives a thumbs-up sign after being injured during an exhibition against Brazil.

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SAN DIEGO -- On a night when the United States women's soccer team should have been eyeing the Olympics, they were dealt a crushing blow to their gold-medal hopes when Abby Wambach broke her left leg.

Wambach, the team's leading scorer, was carted off the field after a violent collision in the first half of a 1-0 win over Brazil. Wambach is expected to be out for 12 weeks and will miss the Olympics, which start in three weeks.

Wambach fractured both her tibia and fibula and will have surgery today to have a titanium rod inserted into her leg.

The match, the Americans' final tuneup before they begin defense of their Olympic title, was won on Natasha Kai's second-half goal. Kai replaced Wambach on the field.

"My heart sank," Kai said. "We need her. She's a big piece of a great team."

Wambach has 99 career goals and is seeking to become just the ninth female player to reach 100 goals.

Notes

• Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius fell short of the 400-meter qualifying time he needed to make the Olympics, though the personal-best time he ran in Lucerne, Switzerland, could still get him to Beijing in the 1,600 relay. The 21-year-old South African finished third in his heat in 46.25 seconds.

• Dirk Nowitzki scored a tournament-high 35 points to lead Germany to an 89-71 victory over New Zealand at a qualifying basketball tournament in Athens, Greece, for the Beijing Olympics. Canada rebounded from its opening loss against Slovenia and stunned South Korea 79-77.

• USA Boxing reinstated Luis Yanez to the Olympic team, more than two weeks after the light flyweight was kicked off the Beijing roster for missing workouts.

• Veteran middle blocker Danielle Scott-Arruda, 35, made her fourth Olympic team as the U.S. women's indoor volleyball roster for Beijing was selected.

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