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United States def. Japan 5-2, wins Women’s World Cup: Full highlights

By Mike Dyce

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Carli Lloyd led the United States women’s national team to their third Women’s World Cup Final.

The United States women’s national team defeated Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final on Sunday, winning their third title. It was the first time any nation had won three Women’s World Cup trophies.

The contest was a rematch of the 2011 final, when Japan defeated the USWNT on penalty kicks to win their first Women’s World Cup.

Here is how the game played out including highlights.

The United States had the crowd behind them with a large contingent of fans and favor was theirs early on. They won the coin toss, a crucial yet small victory before the game as half the field was in the shade while the other half was had sun peeking in from the open dome.

That put the sun in Japan goal keeper Ayumi Kaihori’s eyes for the first half. It paid off early with a goal from the star of the knockout rounds for the USWNT, Carli Lloyd. The goal from Lloyd in the third minute was the fastest goal ever in a Women’s World Cup final.

Just minutes later Lloyd scored again to extend the lead to 2-0 just five minutes into the game.

In the 14th minute Lauren Holiday scored to extend the lead to 3-0. A header didn’t clear instead bouncing straight up into the air and landing at the feet of a charging Holiday who struck it out of mid-air off the volley to score.

A minute later Lloyd completed the hat trick with her third goal and it was impressive. Lloyd got the ball at her feet at midfield and caught Japan goal keeper Ayumi Kaihori off her line and shot from distance.

The coin toss in the beginning of the game and the sunlight in the eyes of Kaihori probably helped in this game to extend the lead to 4-0.

The United States women’s national team sitting on a comfortable 4-0 lead in the 15th minute understandably saw their efforts ease up. Japan was able to capitalize with a goal from Yuki Ogimi, who found space in the middle of the box after the defender slipped.

Ogimi did well to control and turn, identify where USWNT goal keeper Hope Solo was and put the ball in the corner away from her.

The second half started off with a stroke of good luck for Japan. An own goal from Julie Johnston, who had been a solid defender for the USWNT during this World Cup, seemed to give Japan a bit of life.

Shortly after the United States scored for the fifth time to extend the lead to 5-2. It was a Tobin Heath goal after a corner kick set piece failed to find the mark, the ball reached the far post and a low pass into the center of the box found Heath who put it in the back of the net.

The scoring stopped but the United States continued to threaten. Abby Wambach was subbed on late to big applause and Carli Lloyd handed her the captain’s arm band in a symbolic gesture as she came on.

It was Wambach’s 25th appearance in a Women’s World Cup game, and her last.

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