Albuquerque Journal

Wambach admits trying cocaine in past

Former U.S. women’s soccer star embarrasse­d over arrest

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PORTLAND, Ore. — Retired soccer star Abby Wambach admitted to once trying cocaine and smoking marijuana some 10 years ago, according to court documents connected to her arrest on a misdemeano­r charge of driving under the influence of intoxicant­s.

Wambach, who won a World Cup with the U.S. national team last summer, was arraigned Tuesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. She was not present, but her attorney entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf.

The documents said Wambach has no prior arrest record. In the documents, officers wrote that she first used marijuana at age 24 and her last use was at 25. It also states: “The defendant tried cocaine at age 25.”

Wambach, who is now 35, was scheduled to speak Tuesday night at the University of Kentucky.

She was arrested Saturday night after running a red light in Portland, where she lives, and charged with driving under the inf luence of intoxicant­s (DUII) — alcohol.

A Portland police spokesman said it is standard for officers to ask about prior drug use. The documents assert that Wambach has never been in treatment for drug or alcohol abuse.

Wambach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who announced her retirement from the national team in December, posted an apology on her Facebook page Sunday and took responsibi­lity for her actions.

“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,” she wrote. “This is all on me. I promise that I will do whatever it takes to ensure that my horrible mistake is never repeated.”

Her attorney, Ben Eder, had no comment after the plea and did not immediatel­y reply to an email seeking comment on the matter. The next court date is April 26.

Wambach went to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to address the plea of not guilty in light of the Facebook admission: “My lawyer entered a not guilty plea on my behalf. This is standard procedure. I am owning this. Nothing has changed.”

Wambach is the leading career scorer — male or female — in internatio­nal soccer with 184 goals.

She appeared in four World Cups during her 15 years with the national team. She also has a pair of Olympic gold medals from the 2004 Games in Athens and the 2012 Games in London. She did not compete in the Beijing Games because of a broken leg.

One of Wambach’s sponsors, MINI USA, said Sunday night it was withdrawin­g ads for the automobile that feature Wambach.

“This behavior is against the values we promote as an organizati­on and the safety of everyone on the road is a priority here at MINI. Because of this, we are reevaluati­ng her associatio­n with the brand and are pulling content that individual­ly features Abby from our marketing,” the company said in a statement.

 ??  ?? WAMBACH: Arrested in hometown of Portland
WAMBACH: Arrested in hometown of Portland

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