A memorable US World Cup victory was capped by Abby Wambach’s groundbreaking kiss

Abby Wambach gets a kiss from her wife, Sarah Huffman, after the US beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver.
Abby Wambach gets a kiss from her wife, Sarah Huffman, after the US beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver.
Image: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
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An exciting match at the World Cup women’s final in Vancouver—in which the US beat Japan 5-2—was capped off by a loving embrace between a player and her wife. After the US won the game, Abby Wambach, who is sometimes described as the soul of the team, ran over to the stands, where her spouse Sarah Huffman leaned down to hug and kiss her.

It made for one of the most striking images in women’s football celebrations since the US last won the World Cup in 1999—when Brandi Chastain took off her shirt and, in a sports bra, lifted her arms in celebration.

Last month the US Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in all 50 states. After that ruling, Instagram exploded with of pictures of gay couples holding hands, kissing, and toasting in celebration. Add to those images Wambach’s embrace of her wife—after a match watched by millions around the world.