11/05/24
July 05, 2015
U.S. Wins Women's World Cup: An incredible storm of early goals, including a hat trick by Carli Lloyd, led the United States to a 5-2 victory over Japan in the Women's World Cup. The U.S. avenges the 2011 loss in the Final and hoists the championship trophy for the first time in 16 years. Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath also scored for the Americans, who become the first country to win the Women's World Cup three times. Hope Solo won the Golden Glove as the cup's best goalkeeper, Lloyd the Golden Ball as best player.
Well this final is over after 15 minutes.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:22 PM on July 05, 2015
Well this final is over after 15 minutes.
"It ain't over until the fat lady sings", goes the old saying. I don't see any fat ladies on the pitch. While a 3-goal deficit is close to insurmountable, the US cannot afford to lay back. Japan will recover from the initial shock, indeed already appear to have done so after their goal. IS has to keep the offensive pressure going for no other reason than to keep Japan in their own end as much as possible.
posted by Howard_T at 07:55 PM on July 05, 2015
For a game that was never competitive, it was still pretty fun to watch. It seems like pretty piss-poor stadium design though to have one team at such a distinct disadvantage to start an evening game.
Not to make excuses for the Japanese women. The US earned every one of those goals (I was especially fond of Holiday's volley). Congrats to them.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:57 PM on July 05, 2015
It seems like pretty piss-poor stadium design though to have one team at such a distinct disadvantage to start an evening game.
That's exactly what I kept thinking. Lloyd may have decided the outcome when she won the coin toss and chose to defend the shady end in the first half.
Solo was similarly hindered by the sun in the first 20 minutes of the second half, and Japan took advantage.
Absolutely appalling conditions for a championship match. They could have planned a later start time to avoid the sun factor. It wouldn't have killed the US East Coast to stay up until 10 or 11 to watch. People in England were willing to be up at all hours to watch their team.
posted by beaverboard at 09:30 PM on July 05, 2015
A wonderful two-stage tribute and show of honor and respect from within the US team:
When Wambach came on, Lloyd put the captain's armband on her. Then when Rampone came on, Wambach must have transferred the armband to her at some point. I didn't see the actual transfer to Rampone occur, but she was wearing the armband at the end of the match. Part of the perfect orderliness of the universe on this triumphant day for the USA side.
posted by beaverboard at 10:11 PM on July 05, 2015
The shadows were unfortunate, but which goal looked like it was caused by the keeper's visibility?
The only one in which it might have been a factor was Lloyd's midfield bomb, but the keeper would've gotten it if she didn't slip. She did get a glove on it.
Lloyd's first goal rocketed past the keeper before she could move. The second five-holed a defender at point-blank range and the keeper was a couple feet from it. Lauren Holiday took hers out of the sky in the box, where everyone waited for it to come down. Tobin Heath's goal was in the shade in the second half.
As for Japan, the first goal was after a sweet move in the box that left the scorer alone close in the box. The second was an own goal header. (In hindsight, maybe Hope Solo missed that one in the sun. But it also could've been a case of the keeper leaning one way and a deflection taking the ball another.)
As for staying up until 10 or 11 to watch a World Cup Final kick off in Canada, American fans would've lost their minds about that. It's Canada! Fox Sports never would have allowed that either.
posted by rcade at 08:14 AM on July 06, 2015
It wouldn't have killed the US East Coast to stay up until 10 or 11 to watch. People in England were willing to be up at all hours to watch their team.
It surely would've killed the ratings, but it's an argument (in addition to my self-interested one) as to why the final should've been held in Montreal - a more neutral time zone for so much of the potential audience.
posted by dfleming at 09:14 AM on July 06, 2015
The shadows were unfortunate, but which goal looked like it was caused by the keeper's visibility?
The first defender subbed out for Japan had the misfortune to figure in the first three goals.
On the first goal, she didn't pick Lloyd up early/closely enough and gave Lloyd an easy path to the ball. In the replay she can be seen to raise her hand before the kick as if to shield her eyes from the sun. And I believe that Lloyd's run started from the shade. So I can believe that the sun was a factor there.
On the second goal, she got delayed by the scrum and let Lloyd get to the ball first. I don't see the sun as a factor at all there.
On the third goal, her attempted clearance went up not out. That mistake could have easily been caused by the sun.
posted by offsides at 12:58 PM on July 06, 2015
The Final broke a ratings record for U.S. soccer viewing on a single network. Nearly 23 million saw the winning goal.
posted by rcade at 03:56 PM on July 06, 2015
The sun on the third goal is a stretch. The defender was angled away from it for the most part. It looked more like just a tricky bounce.
posted by Ricardo at 04:26 PM on July 06, 2015
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:22 AM on July 07, 2015
Andres Cantor almost died during the world cup final.
The "Gol" for the fourth was truly impressive. You can hear his voice giving out by the seventh.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 04:29 PM on July 07, 2015
Carli Lloyd scores a bullet! Best set piece of the entire tournament.