What Should Abby Wambach's Role at the Women's World Cup Be for the USWNT?

Abby Wambach's quest for her elusive first Women's World Cup title continues in Canada over the next month, as the 35-year-old looks to propel the United States to their first championship in the tournament since 1999. 

Wambach is no stranger to the competition, as she has produced 13 goals for the United States women's national team in the last three World Cups. In addition to her two third-place medals and a runner-up award at the World Cup, Wambach has captured two Olympic titles in which she has contributed nine goals. 

The forward lives for the big moment, but despite her tremendous scoring record in major competitions, she may be relegated to a different role in manager Jill Ellis' setup. 

Wambach's role at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup depends on the health of Alex Morgan, who is in the process of recovering from a knee injury. If Morgan is healthy later on in the tournament, Wambach could end up on the bench to start the match. The all-time leading scorer in USWNT history could also partner the dynamic Morgan up top, which would leave Sydney Leroux on the pine to start certain games. 

As for what the ideal role for Wambach is in Canada, that is difficult to break down because of her presence on the pitch outside of the scoring element. 

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When the Yanks are in the process of building up a move toward the final third, or working on earning the ball back in possession, Wambach is busy instructing her teammates on what positions they should be in at specific times. 

While there are other players in the squad capable of this, Wambach commands the highest amount of respect of any member of the team due to her immense presence in the final third. 

Wambach also brings an extreme competitive drive unmatched by most to the biggest competitions in the sport. After the USWNT's 0-0 draw with South Korea at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, the intensity spewed out of the forward as she talked to reporters. 

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"To be honest, if you don’t get fired up or motivated to play in a World Cup game, then you probably shouldn’t be playing this game. Come Australia you better believe this team is going to be flying at them in the first half," Wambach said. 

When talking about the team as a whole, Wambach sounded more than excited about the squad's quest to capture the one trophy that has escaped some of the greatest American players. 

"We’re not going to do anything different now that we've not done before. We’re going to stick to the plan. I believe in our plan. I believe in our coaching staff’s plan. I believe in the individual brilliance that’s going to happen in the collective mindset in Canada," Wambach said. 

What exactly the plan is for the forward position remains to be seen, as Morgan, Leroux, Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez are also fighting for playing time on the artificial surfaces in Canada. 

Wambach and Leroux started the final friendly before the World Cup, and one can imagine that being a solid pairing moving forward given Wambach's aerial ability and Leroux's willingness to chase down balls in the final third. 

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However, the turf may play a major role in how the eldest of the USWNT forwards recovers in between matches. A player's body reacts differently to turf, and given the intensity Wambach plays with, it may suit her better to come off the bench as the tournament progresses into the knockout round, especially if Morgan regains full fitness. 

Ellis is going to ease Morgan into the lineup starting with the Group D opener against Australia, which means she could be ready to start by the round of 16 if all goes well. In Wambach's mind, a healthy Morgan should scare every single defense the USWNT faces. 

"Whenever Alex is 100 percent, we need her to win. Think about it from the opposite perspective. Alex Morgan hasn’t played a single minute. She comes on fresh in some of these latter games. If I’m the opposing team. I’m scared as heck for sure," Wambach said. 

If Morgan impresses in the group stage, there is a good chance she can take away Wambach's starting position, which may turn out to be the best thing to happen to the Yanks in Canada. 

Imagine having to deal with Morgan and Leroux for 60 minutes before one of them is replaced by the physical Wambach. That is enough to give every single team at the World Cup nightmares for days. 

The last thing any opposing defense wants to face in the second half after dealing with the speed and finesse of Morgan and Leroux is the physicality Wambach enters the pitch with. 

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That strategy could also benefit the USWNT in regard to the recovery aspect of the game. If Wambach's playing time decreases as the tournament extends into the latter stages of the knockout round, she will be fresher by the time the meaningful contests roll around. 

In an ideal world, Morgan would be healthy enough to earn a spot in the starting 11 by the final group match against Nigeria, which would hand Wambach some type of rest entering the knockout phase. 

If a fresh Morgan can give the Yanks 50 or 60 minutes of impressive forward play, she will be able to wear down opposing defenses in anticipation of Wambach's entrance. The perfect time for the 35-year-old to come into a match would be around the 60th minute. A 30-minute shift of all-out action from Wambach would suit the player's body best late in the tournament, and it has the potential to reap plenty of benefits against exhausted defenses. 

If everything goes to plan over the next month in Canada, Wambach will be able to morph herself from a consistent starter into a super sub in order for the Yanks to finally lift the coveted World Cup trophy again. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.