U.S. rules World Cup
Women’s team brings soccer title back home
The United States’ Megan Rapinoe holds up the World Cup soccer championship trophy a s her teammates cheer their 5-2 victor y over Japan in the final Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia. In a dominating win, the U.S. women jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 16 minutes, which the Japanese women had lit tle chance of overcoming.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Carli Lloyd came up big again. Three times.
And with it came the Americans’ elusive third Women’s World Cup title.
Lloyd scored three times as the U.S. burst to a four-goal lead in the first 16 minutes, and the Americans overwhelmed defending champion Japan 5-2 on Sunday for their record third championship and first since 1999.
A sellout crowd of 53, 341 roared for Lloyd’s hat trick, the first in a Women’s World Cup final.
“I was just on a mission,” Lloyd said. “I was on a mission to help my team win this game.”
When it was over, Lloyd collapsed to her knees and pumped her fists. Forward Abby Wambach bear-hugged tearful coach Jill Ellis, lifting her off the ground.
Lloyd, voted the Golden Ball as player of the tournament, scored twice in about 135 seconds as the U.S. led 2-0 by the fifth minute.
Lauren Holiday boosted the lead in the 14th and two minutes later Lloyd made it 4-0 with an audacious 54-yard, right-footed shot from midfield that sailed over goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori.
Japan rallied on Yuki Ogimi’s goal in the 27th and an own goal by Julie Johnston on an errant header in the 52nd. Tobin Heath scored two minutes later,
the third goal off a restart for the Americans.
The U.S. had struggled in the World Cup since winning the inaugural tournament in 1991 and then again at the Rose Bowl eight years later.
Christie Rampone, the only holdover from the 1999 team, lifted the trophy with Wambach, the 35-year-old former FIFA Player of the Year who lost her regular starting job in the tournament.
With FIFA President Sepp Blatter staying away during a U. S. criminal investigation of soccer officials, the trophy was presented by FIFA Senior Vice President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, the head of African soccer’s governing body.
Hope Solo won her second straight Golden Glove as top goalkeeper of the tournament. She played despite critics who urged the U.S. Soccer Federation to drop her because of a domestic violence incident from a June 2014 altercation at her half-sister’s house, charges that were dismissed earlier this year.
Ogimi’s goal was the first Solo had allowed after five straight shutouts. The only other goal scored against her came in the first half of the tournament opener against Australia.
The championship, which adds a coveted third star to the American uniform, also vindicated the U.S. Soccer Federation for its decision in April 2014 to f ire coach Tom Sermanni, who had replaced Pia Sundhage the previous year, and replace him with Ellis, a British-born American who had been an assistant on the coaching staff.
Japan returned eight starters from the 2011 fi- nal, when it beat the U.S. on penalty kicks. The Americans, turning their roster over more, started just four of the 11 players who opened that game in Germany.
Lloyd, a 32-yea r- old midfielder, had come up big before, scoring the winning goals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic finals.
She put the U.S. ahead in the third minute off a corner kick from Megan Rapinoe, racing into the penalty area on a diago- nal run and using the side of her left foot just in front of the spot to redirect the ball inside the far post. She made it 2-0 after Holiday took a free kick from the flank and Johnston made a back-heel flick to Lloyd, who was 2 yards out. With her right foot, she poked the ball between two defenders and past Kaihori’s outstretched arms.
Lloyd’s third goal came when Kaihori ventured too far off her line. The goalkeeper backpedaled and got her right hand on the ball, but it glanced off a post and into the goal.
“I called her my beast, and she is just a beast, man,” Ellis said. “She’s unbelievable. Rock star. Just so happy for her.”
It was the fastest hat trick in World Cup history, men or women, and Lloyd became the f irst American since Michelle Akers in 1991 to score multiple goals in a World Cup final. The only other hat trick in a World Cup final was when England’s Geoff Hurst scored three times against Germany in the 1966 men’s final at Wembley.
Lloyd scored six goals in seven matches during the monthlong tournament, raising her international total to 69. She joined Carin Jennings in 1991 as the only Americans to win the Golden Ball.
“Speechless. Honestly, I’m so proud of this team,” an emotional Lloyd said. “This doesn’t feel real. It hasn’t sunk in. So unbelievably proud of every single person on this team. We just made history.”