U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER Newcomers bring physical play

Abby Wambach has proven to be a tough player in front of the goal.
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- Abby Wambach was almost as much a standout in basketball as in soccer when she was younger.
It shows.
Wambach has been a powerful force in front of the net during the World Cup. She has scored three goals from inside the penalty area, two on headers, and has opened up room for teammates with her physical play.
Those teammates, particularly forwards Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow, have taken advantage as the defending champions moved into the semifinals. They will face Germany in Portland, Ore., Sunday.
But Wambach's rugged play has been most noteworthy.
"I've run into her," said Hamm, Wambach's teammate with the WUSA champion Washington Freedom. "I wouldn't want that.
"What Abby showed us was that she belongs here."
Good example
In the quarterfinals against Norway, Wambach scored the only goal -- on a header in traffic, of course. Wambach displayed the strength and tenacity of Karl Malone and the resourcefulness of Kevin McHale on the play as she put home a free kick from near midfield by Cat Reddick.
It was a perfect example of what a power forward does in soccer.
"She is very strong in the air," Norway coach Age Steen said, "and very strong in the box. We tried to take her out in the box, but it is very difficult to stop her."
At 23 and in her first World Cup, the 5-foot-11 Wambach is just getting started, too. One of the last players selected by coach April Heinrichs, she's setting a tone for the rest of a U.S. team that, in previous years, has not displayed nearly such a physical side.
But Parlow, also 5-foot-11 though less sturdy, midfielder Shannon Boxx and defender Reddick often play with little abandon, as well.
"That's one part of the game the U.S. has done so much better," Boxx said. "I know that's one thing April likes about me, is that I can battle in the air, and Abby the same. And Cindy Parlow the same."
Difference in style
Parlow isn't quite as solid or as rugged as Wambach. A member of the 1999 world champions, her all-around game has improved steadily in the last four years. She's upgraded her ball skills, especially her dribbling, and her defense.
The wily Parlow, who is slower than Wambach, is more likely to feint defenders. Wambach might run directly toward them, hoping they will faint.
"I think I play the best when I'm dirty," Wambach said with a smile. "When I have mud covering me from head to toe, you know I played a good game. If I come off the field without any grass stains, I wonder, 'What did I do out there?' "
That question has not been asked in four games, because Wambach has been as noticeable as Malone dunking on a fast break.
She likes that comparison.
"Sometimes you have to have that mentality of being like a basketball player," she said. "You have to find any way you can to get behind them or over them. Obviously, our presence can be the difference out there."