U.S. Wins World Cup Behind Carli Lloyd’s Hat Trick

For the last four years, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team has lived with the bitter aftertaste of losing to Japan in the World Cup Final in 2011. The Americans had that one in hand, only to see Japan come back and win in a shootout. In this tournament’s final played in Vancouver July 5th, the U.S. again faced Japan for the championship.

This time, the U.S. came out firing on all cylinders and overwhelmed the Japanese. Carli Lloyd scored the first U.S. goal just three minutes into the game, and the Americans scored three more times in the first 16 minutes of play to take what turned out to be an insurmountable 4-0 lead.  Three of those four goals were scored by Lloyd, which was the first hat trick ever in a women’s World Cup final (Lloyd won the Golden Ball award, essentially the tournament MVP award).  Here’s a look at Carli’s third goal. Yeah, it’s in Spanish but you don’t even need the commentary to admire this shot from the half way line:

The Japanese were down but not out and tried to make a game of it, closing the lead to 4-2.  But Tobin Heath scored goal #5 at the 54 minute mark to put it out of reach and the U.S. won its first World Cup since 1999, (third  overall) and avenging that 2011 defeat.