USA defeats Japan 5-2 to win its 3rd Women's World Cup By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport
•Seven-goal thriller the highest scoring women's final •Carli Lloyd hits a 16-minute hat-trick •Captain Lloyd's third a 60-yard wonder goal •USA the first nation to win three Women's World Cups Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women's World Cup title. In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents who were 4-0 up by the time Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line. The American midfielder put the 1991 and 1999 champions two goals up within five minutes. Lauren Holiday volleyed in after Azusa Iwashimizu's woeful header and Lloyd caused pandemonium amongst the huge contingent of US supporters inside BC Place when she lobbed Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori from 60 yards. The 2011 winners clawed their way back into the game thanks to a Yuki Ogimi strike and a Julie Johnston own goal, but Tobin Heath made it 5-2 before 60 minutes had elapsed and despite further pressure, English coach Jill Ellis's USA side held on. The majority of the 53,341 fans inside BC Place erupted in joyous celebration at the final whistle before Caf president Issa Hayatou, standing in at the final for Fifa president Sepp Blatter, presented the World Cup trophy to former captain Christie Rampone and Abby Wambach.
Chants of "U-S-A" reverberated around the ground when they lifted trophy.
The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament's history, and matched the highest scoring men's final, in 1958.
Japan, who only made it to the final after beating England courtesy of Laura Bassett's own goal, were outclassed from the start and could not cope with the USA's set-pieces.
But they also suffered from a familiar foe as Lloyd repeated her potency in front of goal, having scored twice in the 2012 Olympic final between the two teams.
Her third-minute opener was the quickest goal in a Women's World Cup final as she latched onto Megan Rapinoe's perfectly directed corner. The 32-year-old added another after Japan failed to clear a free-kick.
It got worse for Norio Sasaki's side when Iwashimizu gifted Holiday a goal when her clearance header merely looped up in the air and the USA midfielder took advantage.
Lloyd's wonder goal, which completed a first Women's World Cup final hat-trick and made her the tournament's joint top scorer along with Germany's Celia Sasic, appeared to have ended the game as a contest.
Such was the manner of Iwashimizu's display that the Japan defender she was withdrawn after 33 minutes to be replaced by former captain Homare Sawa, who was competing in her sixth World Cup.
Although former Chelsea forward Ogimi turned and fired in before the break and Johnstone's second half own goal gave Japan hope, Heath took advantage from more poor Japanese defending to score the USA's fifth.
Japan were determined not to give up as substitute Mana Iwabuchi caused problems for the US defence. But they could find no way past a resolute US side, who became the first team to win the Women's World Cup for a third time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33085994 LINEUP, BOOKINGS (2) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
USA Women
01 Solo
11 Krieger
19 Johnston
04 Sauerbrunn
22 Klingenberg
17 Heath (Wambach - 79' )
12 Holiday
14 Brian
15 Rapinoe (O'Hara - 61' )
10 Lloyd
13 Morgan (Rampone - 86' )
Substitutes
02 Leroux
03 Rampone
05 O'Hara
06 Engen
07 Boxx
08 Rodriguez
09 O'Reilly
16 Chalupny
18 Harris
20 Wambach
21 Naeher
23 Press
Japan Women
18 Kaihori
19 Ariyoshi
03 Iwashimizu (Sawa - 33' Booked )
04 Kumagai
05 Sameshima
09 Kawasumi (Sugasawa - 39' )
06 Sakaguchi
13 Utsugi
08 Miyama
11 Ohno (Iwabuchi - 60' Booked )
17 Ogimi
Substitutes
01 Fukumoto
02 Kinga
10 Sawa
12 Kamionobe
14 Tanaka
15 Sugasawa
16 Iwabuchi
20 Kawamura
21 Yamane
22 Nagasato
23 Kitahara
Ref: Kateryna Monzul
[ 此帖被羅力亞在2015-07-06 09:48重新編輯 ]