Women's World Cup 2015 final: USA beat Japan 5-2

USA Becomes First Country to Win Three FIFA Women’s World Cup Titles; Carli Lloyd Scores First Hat Trick in WWC Final History; Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath Add Goals, Their First of Tournament.

The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Japan 5-2 at BC Place on Sunday night to become the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion and the first three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner. 

In the first 16 minutes of play the USA took a 4-0 lead over Japan after Carli Lloyd netted the fastest hat trick in Women’s World Cup history and Lauren Holiday added a goal to put the USA up by a wide margin. 

Japan ended the USA’s record-tying shutout streak at 540 minutes by scoring in the 28th minute. The Asian nation built a bit of momentum early in the second half as Julie Johnston’s defensive clearance instead sent the ball into the USA’s net. However, Tobin Heath responded two minutes later to make it 5-2 and complete the highest scoring Final (seven goals) in FIFA Women’s World Cup history.

Loyd and goalkeeper Hope Solo were awarded the Golden Ball and Golden Glove, as the best player and the best goalkeeper at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, respectively. It was the second straight Golden Glove award for Solo (she also won it in 2011) and the first for Lloyd. Lloyd became the second American to win the award, joining Carin Jennings, who won it in 1991. 

The USA is now the only country to win three Women’s World Cup and the country to score the most goals (five) in a WWC Final – no other team has scored more than two. 

The WNT will return to the USA for a pair of friendly matches against Costa Rica on Aug. 16 and Aug. 19 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, respectively, before embarking on their nationwide celebration tour (details to be announced). 

Goal Scoring Rundown: 

USA – Carli Lloyd (Megan Rapinoe), 3rd minute: Playing a short corner kick on the ground, Megan Rapinoe sent a ball straight through several Japanese defenders to the middle of the six yard box. Carli Lloyd stormed from the back of the box to time her arrival with the ball perfectly and finished with a left-footed strike to score the fastest goal in FIFA Women’s World Cup Final history. USA 1, JPN 0 

USA – Carli Lloyd, 5th minute: Two minutes later, another set piece play led to a U.S. goal. Lauren Holiday stepped up to take the free kick from the right side of the box and sent a shot to the middle of the box that was flicked on by Julie Johnston through a forest of players before Carli Lloyd found it right in front of the net and tapped it in with the inside of her right foot for the second goal of the game and he fifth of the tournament. USA 2, JPN 0 

USA – Lauren Holiday, 14th minute: The sequence began with Tobin Heath, who sent a pass from the midfield intended for Alex Morgan but had the ball intercepted by Japanese defender Azusa Iwashimizu. Iwashimizu tried to head it out of danger but instead directed the ball up in the air. It came down right in front of Lauren Holiday, who volleyed it in stride with her right foot to net her first goal of the tournament. USA 3, JPN 0

USA – Carli Lloyd, 16th minute: Carli Lloyd intercepted the ball in midfield and touched it past a Japan player. Crossing the midfield line, she launched a shot that caught Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori out of her net. While Kaihori got a hand to the ball, she could not keep it from bouncing off the post and into the back of the net, thus completing the fastest hat trick in Women’s World Cup history. USA 4, JPN 0 

JPN – Yuki Ogimi (Nahomi Kawasumi), 28th minute: Nahomi Kawasumi played a great ball from the right channel, spotting teammate Yuki Ogimi inside the box. Ogimi evaded a challenge from Julie Johnston, swiveled around and sent a curling shot beyond the reach of Hope Solo for the Japan’s first goal of the match that ended the USA’s record-tying shutout streak. USA 4, JPN 1

JPN – Julie Johnston (own goal), 52nd: Julie Johnston tried to clear a free kick attempt with a header that bounced across the face of goal and nestled inside the far post of Hope Solo’s net for Japan’s second score of the game. USA 4, JPN 2

USA – Tobin Heath (Morgan Brian), 54th: Japan’s goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori  punched a Lauren Holiday corner kick clear to the right side. Kaihori’s punch wasn’t strong enough and the ball landed at Morgan Brian’s feet. Brian cut the ball back into the middle where Tobin Heath used the inside of her foot to one-time Brian’s perfect ball into the back of the net for the final score line. USA 5, JPN 2 (FINAL)

Milestone Watch:

• The USA becomes the first country to win three FIFA Women’s World Cup titles.
• Carli Lloyd is the first U.S. WNT player to score in four straight games in a World Cup. She netted a goal against China, Colombia and Germany and three against Japan.
• Lloyd also became the first woman in a FIFA WWC to score a hat trick in a Final match and scored the fastest hat trick in Women’s World Cup history.
• Lloyd also became the third U.S. Woman to score a hat trick in WWC play: Carin Jennings Gabarra netted three goals against Germany in 1991 and Akers scored five against Chinese Taipei that same year.
• Lloyd’s goal in the third minute was the fastest goal scored in a WWC Final game.
• Lloyd scored both U.S. goals in the 2012 Olympic gold medal game (a 2-1 win over Japan), and the sole goal in the 2008 gold-medal game (1-0 over Brazil). With her three goals against Japan tonight, she became the first American to score in three major-tournament finals.
• Midfielders Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath each score their first goals of the tournament. It was Heath’s first goal in a Women’s World Cup.
• The U.S. WNT finished this year’s tournament with a 34-4-5 all-time in Women’s World Cup play, outscoring its opponents 112-35 in 43 games. The 34 wins, 112 goals scored and the 43 games played are FIFA Women’s World Cup records.
• With its five goals against Japan, the USA now holds the record for most goals scored in WWC play with 112 – the team scored 14 throughout the tournament. Germany scored 20 in Canada to finish in second with 111.
• The USA’s five goals were the most any team has scored in a WWC Final. No other team has scored more than two.
• The USA’s two goals in the first five minutes of the match against Japan was the first time any team scored twice in that span in a WWC game. 

Additional Notes:

• The game was the third meeting between the USA and Japan in a major tournament Final. The USA now has a 2-0-1 record in those meetings: Wins in 2015 WWC and 2012 Olympics. Tie in 2011 WWC (1-3 PKs).
• Lloyd leads the U.S. with eight goals in 2015.
• While Wambach is the USA’s top scorer on the roster with 183 goals, Lloyd is next with 69 career international goals and Morgan has 52. Heather O’Reilly has scored 41.
• Defender Becky Sauerbrunn is the only player on the roster to start and play every game for the USA in 2015. She has played the most minutes (1,509) of anyone on the team.
• Five U.S. players played all 630 minutes of the tournament: defenders Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Sauerbrunn, midfielder Carli Lloyd, and goalkeeper Hope Solo.
• In its last 17 games, the U.S. has surrendered just five goals and has scored 34.
• Nineteen of the 20 field players on the World Cup roster saw action in the tournament.
• Coming on as a sub in the second half, Wambach played in her 25th career WWC game, tied for second most all-time with Julie Foudy, Brigit Prinz and Formiga. Only Kristine Lilly has more (30).
• Lloyd has sole possession of seventh place on the U.S. WNT’s all-time goal scoring list, passing Shannon MacMillan who scored 60 goals in her career. Lloyd, now with 69 goals, is the highest-scoring player in U.S. history who has played exclusively as a midfielder.
• Hope Solo finished with 10 clean sheets in Women’s World Cup play, tying the record for most by a U.S. goalkeeper and most in World Cup play with Brianna Scurry.
• Solo now has 136 goalkeeper wins and is the all-time leader in wins for a goalkeeper in U.S. history. Brian Scurry had 133 during her career (1994-2008).
• Eleven players on the current USA roster have scored in a Women’s World Cup tournament: Tobin Heath, Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Lauren Holiday, Heather O’Reilly, Lori Chalupny, Shannon Boxx, Christen Press and Kelley O’Hara.
• For the first time in FIFA WWC history, 24 nations participated at this year’s event, up from 16 that participated in the previous four editions. The 1991 and 1995 Women’s World Cups featured 12 teams. 
• Fourteen different players have scored for the USA in 2015: Tobin Heath, Lauren Holiday, Kelley O’Hara, Morgan, Wambach, Rodriguez, Press, Johnston, Klingenberg, Megan Rapinoe, Brian, Chalupny, Leroux and Lloyd.