Final, 5-2 United States: It’s all over in Vancouver. The United States has won the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
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The United States partied early and often against Japan, as Lloyd led the way with a hat trick inside of the first 16 minutes. Holiday and Heath added goals in each half, as did Japan. But this was Lloyd and Team USA’s day, as they overran Japan from start to finish en route to the United States’ first world championship in 16 years.
Team USA players had revenge on their minds coming into the game, but this win was more about redemption. Team USA’s squad includes three generations of players, who have successfully born the burden of history and etched their names into sports lore both in the United States and around the world.
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That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
Postgame analysis of USA’s win over Japan >>
89th minute, 5-2 United States: There will be a minimum of three minutes of stoppage time in the second half.
86th minute, 5-2 United States: Rampone enters in place of Morgan in Team USA’s third and final substitution.
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85th minute, 5-2 United States: Iwabuchi is cautioned for barging into Johnston.
82nd minute, 5-2 United States: Sawa is cautioned for a foul on Wambach. It’s the first yellow card of the game.
79th minute, 5-2 United States: Wambach enters the game in Team USA’s final substitution. Heath exits. Lloyd gives Wambach the captain’s arm-band.
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78th minute, 5-2 United States: Japan actually is controlling this part of the game. Its passing game is in sync and it is creating genuine scoring chances.
76th minute, 5-2 United States: Sugasawa heads a cross on goal, but it bounces right to Solo.
73rd minute, 5-2 United States: Ariyoshi clips a shot over Solo’s goal. Japan is increasing the tempo of its passing and intensity of its overall play.
70th minute, 5-2 United States: O’Hara misses high with a shot from the edge of Japan’s penalty area. The game remains as open as ever.
63rd minute, 5-2 United States: Morgan turns and shoots from 15 yards out, but her effort rolls wide of Kaihori’s goal.
61st minute, 5-2 United States: Rapinoe departs to a thunderous ovation. O’Hara replaces her.
60th minute, 5-2 United States: Japan makes another change. Iwabuchi replaces Ohno. Japan is out of substitutions.
54th minute, 5-2 United States: Heath restores Team USA’s three-goal lead.
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Kaihori whiffed on a corner kick. The ball fell to Brian at the far post. Brian passed into the goal-mouth for Heath, who finished in traffic.
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52nd minute, 4-2 United States: Johnston scores an own goal, and Team USA’s lead is cut to two.
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50th minute, 4-1 United States: Brian unleashes a shot on goal from 25 yards out, but Kaihori tips it over the crossbar.
48th minute, 4-1 United States: Team USA is hunting goals again, as Rapinoe floats a cross into Japan’s penalty area. Morgan tries to head it but misses. The rebound falls to Krieger, whose shot is blocked.
46th minute, 4-1 United States: Lloyd’s floated cross lands on top of Japan’s goal. There’s no telling whether she was passing or shooting, given her current appetite for risk-taking.
46th minute, 4-1 United States: The second half is underway.
Halftime, 4-1 United States: That’s the end of the first half. Team USA leads by three and is 45 minutes away from glory.
Carli Lloyd’s career-defining half has given Team USA a commanding lead in Vancouver. Her three goals broke records and left Japan reeling after a quarter-hour of play. Ogimi’s goal looks like a mere consolation at this point. It was the only blemish of the half for Team USA, which is cruising toward its first world championship in 16 years.
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42nd minute, 4-1 United States: The referee declines Team USA’s appeals for a penalty kick after Morgan fell inside Japan’s penalty area under a challenge from a defender.
42nd minute, 4-1 United States: Lloyd heads Rapinoe’s corner kick on goal, but it flies right at the awaiting Kaihori.
39th minute, 4-1 United States: Japan makes another substitution. Kawasumi exits. Sugasawa enters.
38th minute, 4-1 United States: Japan remains in passing rhythm despite the deficit and formation change, as Team USA drops off defensively and allows its opponent to circulate the ball in the midfield.
33rd minute, 4-1 United States: Japan goes to its bench early, replacing Iwashimizu with Sawa.
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Japan is taking off a defender and bringing on an extra midfielder.
29th minute, 4-1 United States: Miyama lofts a shot on goal, but Solo collects it.
27th minute, 4-1 United States: Ogimi pulls one back for Japan. She held off Johnston on the turn and beat Solo with a well-placed finish from close range.
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24th minute, 4-0 United States: Morgan cuts inside Japan’s penalty area and shoots with her right foot, but Kaihori saves it and doesn’t surrender a rebound.
18th minute, 4-0 United States: Lloyd narrowly misses with a header from Klingenberg’s cross into Japan’s penalty area.
16th minute, 4-0 United States: Lloyd scores the goal of the century. She has her hat trick, and the United States is up by four.
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Lloyd lobbed a shot over the goalkeeper from the midfield.
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14th minute, 3-0 United States: Holiday capitalizes on a defender’s mistake and makes it 3-0.
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Eighth minute, 2-0 United States: Japan finally sustains some possession but it already finds itself in the deepest of holes.
Fifth minute, 2-0 United States: Lloyd doubles Team USA’s fun with her second goal in the opening minutes. It’s a similar strike to her first one. The only difference is it comes after a free kick Heath won.
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Third minute, 1-0 United States: Lloyd fires home the opening goal after beating her marker to Rapinoe’s corner kick.
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It’s a dream start for Lloyd and the United States.
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Third minute, 0-0: Team USA has dominated possession in the early goings, pinning Japan back into its own half. Team USA has its first corner kick.
Kickoff: The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup final is underway at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
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Pregame: Team USA head coach Jill Ellis uses the same starting 11 that she deployed in the semifinal win over Germany.
Morgan will play as the lone striker. Lloyd will operate behind her, and Rapinoe and Heath likely will join the red-hot captain in the attacking midfield.
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Team USA’s vaunted back four plus goalkeeper Hope Solo also remains unchanged.
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6:30 p.m.: Here are the lineups:
United States
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Japan
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4 p.m. ET: One is the only number of teams that can stand tallest after all of these games.
The women’s national soccer teams of Japan and the United States meet Sunday at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver in the final of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Team USA and Japan have navigated their way back to the summit of the women’s global game, and the winner of this contest will reign as the undisputed queen of the mountain.
The teams have met twice before in finals of major tournaments. Japan won the 2011 World Cup by beating Team USA on penalty kicks. The United States triumphed 2-1 in normal time of the gold medal game at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, exacting a measure of payback for the previous year’s loss. Team USA looks to complete its revenge mission against the “Nadeshiko” on Sunday, but Japan has its sights set on its second straight world championship.
Team USA, and old power women’s soccer, is within touching distance of claiming its third World Cup title — adding a trophy to those it won in 1991 and 1999 — and ending a 16-year wait for global glory. Standing in Team USA’s way is a new force from the land of the rising sun. Team USA sits second in FIFA’s latest poll, giving it the edge on paper over fourth-place Japan.
USA-Japan will present a clash of styles. Defense and rugged grit have carried Team USA to this point, having blanked opponents for all but one half of the first of its six games so far. Japan’s methodical, technical passing game, along with its finely tuned winning mentality has taken it to Vancouver. Japan has won all six games of its World Cup campaign by one goal. The soccer world will be watching to see what transpires.
USA-Japan kicks off at 7 p.m. Join us right here for all the action from BC Place Stadium.
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How to watch USA-Japan online, live stream >>
Thumbnail photo via Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports
