Japan have no answer to Lloyd
CLASS APART: HAT-TRICK ROUTS DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Americans gain revenge for defeat four years ago.
Vancouver
US coach Jill Ellis hailed the “hot” form of Carli Lloyd whose 13-minute hat-trick marked a goal run which set the the United States on the way to a 5-2 World Cup rout of defending champions Japan.
The 32-year-old had scored in the Stars and Stripes’ three previous games against top-ranked Germany, China and Colombia so Ellis opted to play the midfielder up front beside Alex Morgan.
And the decision paid off with the Americans going 4-0 up after just 16 minutes.
“When you go through a tournament of seven games there’s peaks and valleys and players get hot and you kind of ride with that,” explained Ellis.
“For Carli, the attacking part of her game she was doing so well.
“It was a natural decision for me to put her in a higher position and play her there.
“I still make her defend but she relishes that role.”
Lloyd opened after just three minutes on front of 53 341 mostly US fans in Vancouver with the second coming two minutes later.
Lauren Holiday scored on 14 minutes and Lloyd claimed a sensational third after 16 minutes.
It gave her six goals in the tournament and the Golden Ball award for the top player.
Yuki Ogimi got one back on 27 minutes, with US defender Julie Johnson’s 52nd-minute own-goal giving Japan a second.
But two minutes later Tobin Heath hit the fi fth.
The United States have now won an unprecedented third title after 1991 and 1999 and avenged their loss to Japan on penalties in the 2011 final. – 2015: US bt Japan 5-2 2011: Japan bt US 3-1 on penalties 2007: Germany bt Brazil 2- 0 2003: Germany bt Sweden 2-1 AET 1999: US bt China 5- 4 on penalties 1995: Norway bt Germany 2-0 1991: US bt Norway 2-1