Offensive Explosion lead by Lloyd gives USA Women’s World Cup victory

Joseph Busatto/ Contributing Writer

You couldn’t step away for the action packed first sixteen minutes of this Women’s
World Cup Final in Vancouver. If you did, you might’ve missed the first four goals of
the game, three of which were from USA’s Carli Lloyd who never held back and
ended with a hat trick.

Team USA came out of the gates firing on all cylinders with an offensive explosion.
Lloyd scored the fastest goal in Women’s World Cup Final history at around the
three-minute mark, striking in a goal from a corner kick. The next goal came at the
five-minute mark Lloyd once again scoring after hitting the ball perfectly between
the legs of a Japanese defender.

And so the euphoria began from American fans in Vancouver all across the nation.
But the early onslaught wasn’t over. On a poor decision by a Japanese defender
whom tried to head a low ball, the ball ricocheted into the air and gave Lauren
Holiday a clear shot from close range. Just like that it was 3-0 after fourteen minutes.
In an attempt that was both daring but done with such perfection that one can’t be
frustrated with the decision, Carli Lloyd launched a shot from midfield. It was such
an audacious goal that couldn’t have been able to go in. But the Japanese goalie
Kaihori wasn’t able to react in time to stop the ball as it sailed over her head for the
fourth goal in sixteen minutes. Lloyd’s hat trick was also the quickest hat trick in the
history of the Women’s World Cup.

But Japan was in the Final for a reason. They are a proud team who never gives up.
At the 27th minute, the perseverance of the Japanese showed.  After a show of
craftiness, Ogimi scored Japans first goal. Team USA had a comfortable three-goal
lead by halftime.

After halftime at the 52nd minute, Team USA accidentally scored in it’s own goal.
Then it was just a two-goal lead against a Japan team that can score quickly. As close
as it became, Team USA were just the better team on both sides and they still
weren’t done scoring. In the 54th minute Tobin Heath dissected the defense with a
good move and scored once again.

The victory was for the taking for Team USA. Japan may have won possession but
barely did a percentage comparison of 48 to 52. Team USA’s shutout of opponents
ended with those two goals in the Final but Hope Solo had been the best goalkeeper
of the entire tournament. She ended up winning the Golden Gloves, which is
awarded to the best goalkeeper.

The final score was 5-2.
This is Team USA’s third World Cup victory, the first two in 1991 and 1999.