US Soccer star Abby Wambach apologizes to family, fans after DUI arrest

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – US soccer star Abby Wambach was arrested for DUII in Portland after a traffic stop late Saturday night.

The 35-year-old, whose given name is Mary Abigail Wambach, was booked at 2:02 a.m after being arrested by Portland police.

Police pulled over a 2014 Range Rover at SW 14th and Yamhill just after 11 p.m. Saturday after the driver ran a red light at SW 13th and Taylor.

Wambach failed field sobriety tests and was arrested, police said. She was taken to the Central Precinct and failed a breath test, officials said.

She was polite and cooperative and was released on her own recognizance, police said.

Shortly before noon Sunday, she released a statement via Facebook:“Last night I was arrested for DUII in Portland after dinner at a friend’s house.“Those that know me, know that I have always demanded excellence from myself. I have let myself and others down.“I take full responsibility for my actions. This is all on me. I promise that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my horrible mistake is never repeated.“I am so sorry to my family, friends, fans and those that look to follow a better example.“- Abby”

Wambach was a member of the US Women’s World Cup team that defeated Japan in July 2015 to win the World Cup. A winner of Olympic and FIFA world player of the year titles, she retired from the U.S. women’s national soccer team at the end of last year.

The U.S. women’s soccer team got a hero’s welcome a week later with a ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan mobbed by young girls and other flag-waving fans, followed by a City Hall ceremony where each player was given a key to the city.

“All of this for us started when we were little and we had a dream,” star forward Abby Wambach told a crowd of 3,500 at City Hall Plaza that day. “In my opinion, all the women up on this stage believed in that dream, kept believing in that dream. “