It wasn't easy and it wasn't without some late drama, but the U.S. women's Olympic team took home the gold medal after a tense 2-1 win over Japan on Thursday.
Thanks to two goals by Carli Lloyd, a handful of clutch saves by Hope Solo and some inspirational play by Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, the women did what they couldn't in last year's World Cup — defeat Japan in the final game.
Now, to the victors go the spoils, and the U.S. women are on top of the world.