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USWNT destroy Japan 5-2 to win World Cup

By on July 5, 2015

Now this was peaking at the right time. There was a superb Golden Ball-winning performance from Carli Lloyd. There was a record-tying run of minutes without conceding. There were tactical smarts.  There was even a bit of luck along the way (though none was required today).  And then there was today’s 5-2 victory in the final against Japan. The US are a dominant team in the Women’s game and as their sixteen-year World Cup trophy drought ends, it appears likely that there could be another in the near future — surely they will be favorites at next summer’s Olympics in Rio.  But with 53,341 fans at BC Place and millions watching live, it is time to cherish a World Cup won in such style.

The records stand alone. Carli Lloyd scored the fastest goal in Women’s World Cup final history, the first hat-trick in World Cup final history as well as the fastest hat-trick in seven WWCs. The US won by the largest margin of victory in a WWC final and together, the US and Japan made the match the highest scoring WWC final. Most importantly for Jill Ellis’ women, the US became the first women’s side to win three World Cups.

But emotionally, this match meant much more for the US. After losing to Japan on penalties in the 2011 final, from four years’ work it took just four minutes for the US to score in the final. “It’s been a long road,” US goalkeeper Hope Solo told Fox’s Broadcast. “It’s been heartbreaking at times, it’s been emotional, it’s been a struggle, but we never took our eyes off the prize. Not four years ago, not sixteen — and here we are with the World Cup trophy.”

Now, Abby Wambach can retire from the national team in peace. “I swear, this is surreal. I don’t even think this is real life,” said Wambach. Moreover, she’s confident in leaving the keys with the next generation. “I can leave this team because…they’ve got it,” the 35-year-old told Fox. “Carli’s good, Alex [Morgan] is going to take hold of the future with Sydney Leroux. I’m just so happy I can’t even tell you. Finally, I’m a world champion.”

Christine Rampone, the only woman in the US’ squad that won in 1999, was also honored with a late cameo appearance. While the 99ers win was unforgettable, this was incredible in its own right. All the US players credited coach Jill Ellis’ gameplan, which was quite obviously to take the game to Japan on the attack early on. Scoring from two similar set pieces within the first seven minutes, Japan looked totally unprepared.

Not two minutes in, all the US players stood strong and blocked anybody from marking Carli Lloyd on Megan Rapinoe’s corner. Lloyd got a foot on the cross and poked it into the back of the net. “I was on a mission, on a mission to help my team win this game. Personally, I’ve worked my butt off — everything, all the repetitions, came into play,” Lloyd told FIFATV.

Lloyd just wanted to focus. “My fiancee [Brian] was coming, until that I made sure he wasn’t. It’s just so demanding mentally – I feel more mentally zapped right now than physically,” Lloyd said after the match. “I want him here now to celebrate, but I just had to focus.” Brian had to watch from the television as Lloyd scored a hat-trick and won the Women’s World Cup.

The US rallied and five minutes later, they scored from the exact same play from a free-kick near the corner flag on the right. Lloyd again tapped home from close range. Japan didn’t even have a chance start playing —everything the US touched turned to gold. All three of the US’ first shots on target found their way into the back of the net. In the fourteenth minute, Lauren Holiday capitalized on a poor Japan clearance and volleyed into the back of the net from fifteen yards. Kelly O’Hara admitted that in her mind, the US had all but won the tournament; indeed, the odds were 99.6% on.

It would have been amazing enough, never mind Lloyd’s fourth goal. In the World Cup final, to stress the pressure, she found time and space to lob the Japan goalkeeper from the halfway line (fifty-four yards) in the sixteenth minute.

“We were on fire,” O’Hara said after the match. “I don’t even know how many goals we scored in the first ten minutes. There was a lot of talk about pressuring high and when Japan get on the ball [we should] get in our shape…I think that the coaches put in an excellent game plan and that we executed it well.”

If only Japan had shown up in the first sixteen minutes. When the reigning champions actually settled into the game and got on the ball, the match was much more of a contest. Over the next seventy-four minutes of the game, they outscored the US 2-1. Just a glimmer of what Norio Sasaki’s women could do was glimpsed in the twenty-seventh minute. Nahomi Kawasumi played the ball into the middle of the box to Yuki Ogimi, who turned on Julie Johnston and coolly curled an open, ten-yard effort into the top left corner of the net. Sasaki basically admitted his early mistakes with two first half tactical changes, going three at the back as well.

But the US, crucially, held onto a three goal advantage at halftime. Ellis’ side again came out rejuvenated and Morgan Brian saw her twenty-five yard beauty tipped over the crossbar. Alex Morgan came close on multiple occasions as well. And while Japan got another back to pull the game within two goals, as Johnston tipped a free-kick into the back of her own net. Yet it only took two minutes for the US to respond, with Brian recovering an overhit corner and squaring for Tobin Heath to finish in the fifty-fourth minute. Heath said she basically “blacked out” in the thrill of it all.

Japan admirably kept going until the very end but a three-goal lead was more than enough for the US. Yesterday, the US gathered for a celebration of Independence Day and today, they again congregated across the US to witness a show with arguably more dramatic fireworks. “It’s a relief, in a way, because there was so much pressure,” Rapinoe said. Hope Solo summed up: “I feel like it was our destiny and we made it happen.”

Homepage photo credit: Anders Henrikson via Wikimedia Commons

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.