“I played volleyball, basketball, softball, and I started to love soccer the most around 7-8 years old because it was a physical game. I could use my speed and strength to my advantage.”

“Around the age of 14, I was very discouraged from a coach. It was my first youth club team while playing soccer. She told me at the time that I wasn’t good enough to play on the team, that I would never get into the game.”

“At home, my mom and my dad shared equally in the responsibilities of the family and our home and always demonstrated the importance of men and women having an equal role.”

“Even when I’m training alone, I always prefer doing soccer-related stuff. On my own, I’ll run through cones or do some shooting exercises or pass the ball against the wall.”

“Honestly, with stats and things like that, I try not to think about them. I just find that the more you think about goals and assists – what you need to do and accomplish – the more you tend to fall short. When you hope for something and you want something, it comes to you.”

“I certainly don’t feel like I have the perfect body type… It’s through your own eyes. And for every female, you’re going to see flaws in that; you’re going to see flaws regardless. So for me, it’s just important to have that confidence and self-esteem no matter what body type you have.”

“I could be a model for one night. But I’m also a professional soccer player, and I like to be taken seriously on the field.”

“I don’t want to say names, but there are certain companies I won’t work with because of previous people they’ve worked with. I don’t want to be put in the same category as another athlete that I don’t necessarily think is a good role model.”

“I feel like when there’s more on the line and there’s more risks, that means there’s more reward.”

“I find my motivation from everyone who looks up to me and my teammates. From the little girls that look up to me and tell me they want to be like me when they grow up.”

“I have a couple of go-to sneakers off the pitch. I like to have shoes that I can slip on and wear with anything. I travel often, so it’s about finding those two or three pairs of shoes that can go with any outfit, whether they go with leggings or a skirt or a dress or jeans.”

“I have to look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that I’m beautiful, even if I don’t necessarily believe it.”

“I love yoga. There’s a lot of stretching involved, which helps with my flexibility and injury prevention. Vinyasa is my favorite as a recovery tool and for me to continue having my legs feel good.”

“I rarely felt or noticed any real divide between girls and boys when I was growing up. Maybe it was because I was so involved in sports and competed with the boys. Maybe it was my mom and dad, who constantly instilled confidence in me and never made me feel as though there were boy activities and girl activities.”

“I really started to enjoy Instagram more recently because it’s something that shows people what I’m doing and what I’m going through, but it’s so simple. I don’t have to come up with something witty; it’s just a funny photo, and you can be as artistic or as plain Jane as you want.”

“I remember every goal I’ve scored!”

“I started off playing sports when I was five years old. I played three or four sports all throughout the year.”

“I try to push myself a little every day. For me, it’s doing 10 more seconds of whatever I’m working on. So if I’m on the treadmill sprinting my butt off or doing a grueling core workout, I think to myself, ‘You can do 10 more seconds, and you’ll be that much mentally stronger.’ After a while, those 10 seconds add up!”

“I was the biggest tomboy growing up. Now I love playing with a full face of makeup.”

“I went from never doing interviews to doing 10 in one day and standing in front of 60,000 fans. Now people look up to me, and I’m seeing little girls wearing my jersey.”

“I’m never just on the couch. Being busy is part of who I am. But it’s hard juggling my family, my husband, balancing that time.”

“I’ve always wanted to skydive.”

“In the 123rd minute of the semifinal game at the Olympics against Canada, I scored the game-winning goal that brought us to the finals. You can’t replicate those do-or-die moments in practice or a friendly game.”

“It’s an obstacle being a girl when you move all over and don’t have half the things you need. It’s like everything is wrinkled in your life.”

“Music is so huge to soccer, to my life, to working out. I usually have headphones when I’m cleaning the house or making dinner.”

“My goal against Italy in the World Cup qualifier was probably my most memorable: we had to go to Italy and had to win, or we wouldn’t go to the World Cup, and I scored in stoppage time.”

“My workouts are mostly interval-based, so I’m never running at a constant speed. I’m always switching it up because I don’t want my body getting used to one thing in particular.”

“One thing I’m proud to do like a girl is represent my country in the Olympics and at the highest level, at the highest platform that I can.”

“Scoring a goal in a World Cup was my dream as a little girl. I didn’t really dream of being in ‘Maxim’ when I was 5.”

“There’s those young girls that I once was, looking up to Mia Hamm, Christine Lilly, all those players, and I know how much of an effect they had on me. Knowing that, I feel like I’m in a position where I can really help be a positive influence in girls’ lives.”

“When I play on grass, my body doesn’t ache. It can get sore, but it doesn’t pulse, and my legs don’t ache. When I play on turf, my legs can pulse and ache for up to 24 hours, and it could take 3-5 days to recover, whereas grass, after 24 hours, I’m ready to play again.”

“Whenever people say ‘women’s soccer,’ I want to correct them to say ‘soccer.’ Every girl has had their sport diminished because they’re girls.”

“You should never be afraid of looking athletic or building too much muscle.”

“I always map out how to get a good eight or nine hours of sleep before I even start my day. And my rule is to put my phone on silent when I go to bed; that way, no texts or emails can disturb me.”

“I don’t think the entire world respects women in sport. But if FIFA start respecting the women’s game more, others will follow.”

“I grew up always having dessert after dinner. Always. It’s such a hard habit for me to break. It’s fine to have dessert every once in a while, but not seven days a week!”

“I played volleyball, basketball, softball, and I started to love soccer the most around 7-8 years old because it was a physical game. I could use my speed and strength to my advantage.”

“I think it’s important to keep things positive. Sometimes you don’t win, and that sucks, and you work on improving.”

“I would like to win the Ballon d’Or for women. But every top professional should have that ambition.”

“It’s great to see women standing up in their own line of work and fighting for fair value.”

“My favorite goals are the ones when there’s so much pressure. I focus more when the game is on the line.”

“Ninety percent of the time, when I put on my headphones, I forget to turn on my music. Literally 10 minutes will go by before I realize that there’s no music.”

“Sportsmanship is definitely an important thing in all sports. In soccer, we all respect each other on such a high level, between Sweden and Brazil and Japan or whatever team it is.”

“There’s really no secret to success. You make your own success.”

“When I leave the game, I want to go out on top.”

“Winning and losing isn’t everything; sometimes, the journey is just as important as the outcome.”