Ali Krieger

“I'm proud of my thighs because they've gotten me to where I am today and give me the power that I have to play my best.”

“I can only control myself, my actions, my work ethic, and my attitude.”

“Lifting isn't my favorite thing, so I have to keep it fun and do exercises that I really enjoy.”

“I was No. 11 because my mom played basketball in college and was always No. 22. I just cut it in half, and I kept that. I've been No. 11 most of my life, and in college, I was No. 22.”

“When we're traveling for games, I always go down and have breakfast with the team - that's a must.”

“When you're at the highest point of your career at the highest level in your sport, any moment that you have these setbacks and injuries is devastating. You have to start back from zero, and you never know if you're going to get back to where you once were.”

“The leadership of Christine Rampone goes without saying. She is the definition of a what a leader is.”

“Everyone is an athlete. You want to go hiking, you want to go biking, you want to go jogging or for a walk? You're automatically an athlete.”

“There are a few moments in every game when I will have to sprint and use my explosiveness to win.”

“I think without struggle, you can't grow as a person - I think you need that in your life.”

“Every tournament's different.”

“I felt like the Germans were being mean to me at training, but they were actually just trying to help. I learned really quick - which made me a better player. I'm appreciative of the way they treated me. It's just the language and, of course, as an American, I had to learn that. No offense to them; I love them to death, and I love my teammates.”

“It is cliched, but you have to beat the best to be the best.”

“Anything that I can do individually to help our team is what I want to do.”

“I do believe that everything happens for a reason.”

“I think my confidence came when I turned 30. I don't know, something about turning 30 has been unbelievable. I just feel a sense of freedom.”

“I wish I could score as many goals as I can in 'FIFA.'”

“For me, I just set little goals for myself and stay on that kind of track and surround myself with positive people along with my teammates. I just kind of have my goals and my dreams, and this is something that we've all been working for our entire lives, so it is kind of easy to wake up and want to better myself every day towards that goal.”

“Try not to completely change your diet just because you read it somewhere or someone tells you it works for them. Do what is best for your body and don't think that just because everyone else is doing it that it will work for you. Know what fuels your body to be at its best, and enjoy the little things! Indulge! Cupcakes and cookies.”

“It's always tough to play against teams that bunker or 'park the bus' inside the 18-yard box, but we always try to focus on our game and how we can overcome the obstacles that the game presents to continue to get better and score goals.”