Happy Friday, folks! Usher in the weekend with this potluck of quotable athletes and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.. Onto our morning words of wisdom.

The United States women’s soccer team defeated Colombia today in its second group stage match by a final score of 3-0. The U.S. dominated from start to finish, possessing the ball with ease and earning multiple scoring chances. The Colombians, to their credit, did play solid defensively. So there’s that.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team couldn’t quite bring home the World Cup, but they were still in demand upon arriving home thanks to the interest they generated during the tournament. As a result, Abby Wambach and Hope Solo appeared on Late Show with David Letterman last night.

When the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team dropped a late lead against Japan on Sunday, it lost more than a World Cup Championship.

According to Advertising Age, a World Cup Finals victory could have led to a combined $10 million in endorsements for the U.S. Women’s team. It also could have made U.S. stars Hope Solo and Abby Wambach global endorsers, in the same way that the 1999 World Cup title did for Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain.

Has Abby Wambach done it again? For the moment, yes. Not quite halfway through extra time of the Women’s World Cup final, Wambach’s header gave the United States a 2-1 lead over Japan.

The ESPYs were last night. We’ve talked some about the opening monologue and some about the fashion, but are those things what anyone really cares about when it comes to the ESPYs? Of course not. People come for the awards. And we’re sad to report that ESPN just might not care as much about these awards as we do.

Despite striking first against France in the Women’s World Cup semifinals today, the United States was in trouble in the second half – the team lost its lead and was generally outplayed. But as we’ve learned, this team does not go away easily.

We suppose this moment was inevitable. After the second impossibly thrilling victory for a United States soccer team in as many years, after the U.S. women advance in the World Cup in spectacular fashion, someone was going to tear that moment down. That someone is columnist John Feinstein.

The United States defeated Brazil Sunday in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and here’s how.