Carli Lloyd became the first woman to score a hat trick in a World Cup final.
By Debby von Winckelmann
The US women’s national team won the World Cup on Sunday and I can’t help but feel like Jill Ellis and the entire USWNT pulled one over on us.
Just a few short months ago, I wasn’t sure that the USWNT would make it out of the group stage, especially in the “group of death.” They just didn’t appear to be good enough to win the World Cup.
A 2-0 loss to France in February raised serious doubts about the team, as well as the coaching abilities of Ellis. Add to that the 30-day suspension of goalkeeper Hope Solo by US Soccer and questions surrounding her ability to return to the team and not distract from the team’s mission to bring home the world championship.
For those of us who coach from our living room couches, there seemed to be plenty to criticize: Solo’s off-field behavior and distraction to the team, a defensive line-up that kept changing, not playing wide enough and the wrong mix of players in the midfield – why doesn’t Ellis have a holding midfielder? And, a mix of forwards that should be able to score easily, but just can’t seem to finish.
But, then wins against England and Norway, followed by winning the Algarve Cup in March by beating France 2-0 in the championship game made it look like things were shaping up. The defensive line of Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbraun, and Meghan Klingenberg emerged and looked strong. Still, interspersed in the victories was a scoreless draw against Iceland. How do you not score against Iceland?
After beating New Zealand, Ireland, and Mexico easily in their Send-Off Series, the last game the US played before the World Cup was another scoreless draw, this one against Korea Republic. The critics resurfaced – why can’t we score more goals? The team still didn’t look good enough to win the World Cup and unless they could turn more opportunities into goals, I wasn’t sure they would make it out of the group stage.
But, the US not only made it out of the group stage, they won their group. Yet, Ellis was still criticized for the uninspiring play from her midfield and for continuing to rely on Abby Wambach, instead of using some of her younger forwards.
Despite the criticism, the US kept winning. After defeating Columbia 2-0 to get into the quarterfinals, the Americans defeated China 1-0 without midfielders Meagan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday, both serving suspensions for yellow card accumulations. Ellis would need to make some changes to her lineup, and maybe this was when the final adjustments in the midfield came to Ellis. Or maybe she had them in her back pocket the entire time.
The defensive line continued to emerge as a key factor in the success of the team, not allowing a goal in four matches as the Americans headed to their semi-final match against first-ranked Germany. Solo and the rest of the defense continued their shut-out streak as the US defeated the Germans 2-0 to head to the finals and a rematch with the reigning world champions. Maybe the USWNT was good enough to win the world cup.
Hope Solo won the tournament’s Golden Glove award and anchored a stingy defense that shutout opponents for 540 minutes.
Even after watching the team steadily improve, I certainly would not have predicted the 5-2 win against Japan that brought the world cup trophy to the United States after 16 years.
Just three minutes into the match and I was cursing Rapinoe as her corner kick didn’t make it off the ground and rolled into the penalty area. But, then I watched as space opened in front of the goal and Carli Lloyd streaked through and punched the ball into the back of the net. It was a brilliant set piece and the fastest goal ever scored in a World Cup final match. And, two minutes later, Lloyd scored again on another set piece, this one a free kick by Holiday that bounced around in front of the net before Lloyd tapped it in. Then, in the 14th minute, Japanese defender Azusa Iwashimizu attempted to head the ball out of danger, but it dropped in front of Holiday, who volleyed it into the net. I watched in near disbelief as the team that couldn’t seem to finish, continued to score goal after goal.
Carli Lloyd seemed to own the field and in the 16th minute, Lloyd took the ball at the half line, looked up to see Japan’s goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori’s outside of her box, and launched a shot over Kaihori’s head and into the goal to complete her hat trick, the first-ever by a woman in a World Cup final.
Carli Lloyd completed her hat trick by launching a shot from the halfline over the head of Japan’s goalkeeper, Ayumi Kaihori.
Four goals in 16 minutes. That’s one spectacular minute of soccer for each year that the USA went without the world championship.
Japan got one back in the 28th minute, to stop the Americans shutout streak and Johnston gave Japan another one with an own goal in the 52nd minute.
Tobin Heath scored in the 54th minute to cap the scoring for the US at five – the largest number of goals scored by a winning team in a World Cup. The seven goals scored in the match are the most total goals scored in a World Cup final in history. Did someone say this team can’t score?
After all of the criticism surrounding the midfield, it was the midfield that got the job done, with all of the goals scored by midfielders. Lloyd won both the Silver Boot and Golden Ball awards, while Solo won the Golden Glove award.
The USA is the first country to win three FIFA Women’s World Cup titles.
All of this, for a team that, until Sunday, just didn’t look good enough. But, on Sunday, when it mattered most – they were more than good enough.
