Full time! The team rushes the field! The United States have won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup!
92' As stoppage time is winding down, Japan has a chance, but Solo saves it.
90' Three minutes of stoppage time added.
85' U.S. Substituion. Rampone comes out Alex Morgan.
85' Yellow Card given to Iwabuchi of Japan for slamming into Johnston.
82' Yellow Card given to Homare Sawa of Japan after she kicks Abby Wambach in the calf.
79' U.S. substititution. Super Sub Abby Wambach comes on for Tobin Heath.
75' Miyama sends a great ball in, and Sugasawa heads it towards goal. Hope Solo makes the save.
74' Another dangerous chance for Japan, but Sauerbrunn is able to clear it.
71' Dangerous chance for Japan, but Solo pushes the ball out and stops the attack.
70' O'hara takes a shot, but it goes over the goal.
70' Corner kick for the United States.
63' Tobin Heath crosses to Alex Morgan, who manages to take a shot, but it goes wide.
Japan have now used all of their substitutions. The United States has used one.
61' U.S. substitution. Rapinoe comes out as O'hara comes in.
59' Japan substitution. Ohno comes out as Iwabuchi comes in.
57' The crowd is cheering: "USA! USA! USA!"
54' Goal! Lauren Holiday takes the corner kick. Morgan Brian passes the ball to Tobin Heath, who easily slots the ball into goal.
52' Japan goal! Miyama sends in a great ball. Johnston, in an attempt to clear the ball, scores an own goal.
50' Great shot taken by Morgan Brian, but Kaihori tips it over the net.
49' Holiday takes the free kick. The Japanese defense is able to clear it.
49' U.S. gets a free kick toward goal.
46' Lloyd gets another chance, but the ball bounces on top of the net over goal.
46' Second half underway, U.S. start with the ball.
That's an end to an exciting first half. USA lead 4-1, and Japan have already used two substitutions.
45' One minute added for stoppage time.
42' Rapinoe's cross comes in, but Kaihori comes out to make the save.
42' Rapinoe sends in a cross, and after a deflection, it goes out for a U.S. corner.
40' Uncalled handball on Japan.
39' Japan substitituion. Sugasawa comes in for Kawasumi.
38' Confusion for Japan, as they throw two balls in.
38' Miyama takes a free kick for Japan. It's cleared out for a Japanese throw in.
34' Japan substitution. Azusa Iwashimizu comes out as Homare Sawa comes in.
32' Ariyoshi fouls Rapinoe. Rapinoe is now preparing for a U.S. free kick.
29' Japan puts together a great attack, Aya Miyama taking a great shot, but Hope Solo stops it.
28' Goal! Japan's Ogimi scores a high goal. Solo is unable to stop it.
23' Alex Morgan makes a great run and takes a shot. Kaihori is able to save the shot.
20' Rapinoe prepares another U.S. corner, but no one is able to make a threat of the ball.
18' Klingenberg crosses ball in, and Carli Lloyd heads a ball just wide of the goal.
15' Carli Lloyd scores a first half hat trick as she shoot from just past half field. USA now up 4-0!
14' Tobin Heath sends a ball into the box for Lauren Holiday to volley into the goal. USA up 3-0!
12' A cross comes in for Japan, but Hope Solo comes out and snatches the ball out 0f the air to stop the Japanese attack.
5' Goal! Lauren Holiday takes free kick into the box, Japan is unable to clear, and Carli Lloyd is able to score a second easy goal!
3' Goal! Rapinoe sends corner in. Carli Lloyd runs toward goal and hammers the ball into goal!
3' Brian earns corner for United States.
1' Kickoff! U.S. already on the attack!
National anthems are done, and both teams are preparing for kickoff.
Both teams are leaving the tunnel, both quiet, focussing on the tough game ahead of them.
10 minutes until the final starts. Amazing American Outlaw turnout. The stadium is a sea of red, white, and blue.
"We just got to believe." Abby Wambach shares a heartfelt video, as she speaks, on the verge of tear, about her teammates, and her faith in them. A victory today would mean the world to her, as this is her last chance to play in the Women's World Cup.
Both teams warming up on the field. 42 minutes to go!
Japanese Women's National Team XI: Kaihori, Iwashimizu, Kumagai, Sameshima, Sakaguchi, Miyama, Kawasumi, Ohno, Utsugi, Ogimi, Ariyoshi.
United States Women's National Team XI: Solo, Sauerbrunn, Lloyd, Krieger, Holiday, Morgan, Brian, Rapinoe, Heath, Johnston, Klingenberg.
An hour and a half until match time! Stay tuned to Vavel for today's starting lineups and more!
The United States were victorious in that edition of "USA - Japan", coming out as 2-1 winners.
This is not the first time that we have seen USA - Japan in a major final. In addition to when they met in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, these two came up against each other in the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal Match.
If you are looking for further reading before this USA - Japan match, here's a little guide for you. This is one writer's opinion on what lineup manager Jill Ellis should use. This is more background information on what happened between USA - Japan in the 2011 final. Lastly, here you can be reminded of the five reasons why the United States will win this evening.
United States goalkeeper Hope Solo wasted as much time as she could before Sasic could take the penalty, and it was clear she got into the head of the striker. Sasic pulled her penalty wide to the left of the goal, and signalled a shift in momentum back to the Americans. Moments later, Alex Morgan was hacked down on the edge of the box, and the referee pointed to the spot, giving the United States a penalty. Carli Lloyd stepped up to the spot, and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, making it 1-0. Less than 20 minutes after that, Lloyd went on a lovely run into the box and squared the ball for Kelley O'Hara, who scored to make it 2-0 and completely put the result out of doubt.
The Americans dominated from the off, and only a star turn from Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer kept them in the match during the first half. Alex Morgan missed a chance, had a shot from point blank range saved and Julie Johnston had a header saved. Early in the second half, Germany was given a golden chance to take the game by the scruff of its neck when Johnston pulled down Alexandra Popp in the box and gave away a penalty. Celia Sasic, who had connected on a penalty in regulation against France in the Quarterfinal and scored again in the penalty shootout in the match, stepped up to take it before this USA - Japan live.
The United States were faced with their most difficult challenge of the tournament thus far in the Semifinal, when they had the pleasure of taking on Germany, the number one ranked team in the world. The Americans knew how difficult the match would be, and they stepped up to the plate.
Although they thoroughly dominated the opening period, the United States were unable to find a goal. Coming out from the half time break, Abby Wambach called the team together in a huddle and, in a speech captured in its full glory on Fox, said "I want a f****** goal in the first 10 minutes!" That's exactly what the USWNT gave her, and the goal came from Miss Big Game herself, Carli Lloyd. Julie Johnston lofted a lovely ball into the box, and Lloyd rose above the defense to flick a header into the side netting and send the Americans into the Semifinal.
In the Quarterfinal against China, the United States finally began to look like a real team. During the first half, they threw everything they have at China and kept them pinned back deep in their own half. Amy Rodriguez and Morgan Brian entered the line-up as both Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holliday were suspended due to yellow card accumulation and Abby Wambach left the starting XI.
The penalty was a waste, and was blasted into row Z. The United States did not lose their heads, and recognized that they were a player up. Moments later, Morgan got the breakthrough with her first goal of the tournament. She hasn't always looked like herself in this tournament, but that goal did wonders for her confidence. The United States kept pushing as the game went along, and won another penalty which Carli Lloyd duly converted to put the result out of doubt.
In the opening period, Andrade was everywhere and created a number of dangerous attacks. Yet, the game was changed early in the second half when Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez was sent off for a challenge on Alex Morgan in the box. Colombia was reduced to 10 women, and Abby Wambach stepped up to take the spot kick.
Possibly, the worst performance of the United States came in the Round of 16 against Colombia. Las Cafeteras outplayed the United States in the first period, and Lady Andrade caused problems constantly. Andrade has a bit of a history with the United States; she was given a two match suspension at the 2012 London Olympics after punching Abby Wambach in the face, and was in the headlines leading up to this match after talking incessantly about how much she wanted to beat the United States because they talk too much.
Alex Morgan entered the tournament with a knee injury, and could only appear as a substitute in the first two Group Stage matches. However, she was finally able to start from the off against Nigeria, and made a difference. The United States finally had a speedy presence who was able to get in behind defenses and cause serious problems. The goal came from Abby Wambach off a corner kick, and earned the Americans a place in the Round of 16 as group winners.
The United States were on the verge of sealing their place in the Round of 16 after the draw with Sweden, but they knew that they would need a result against Nigeria in the final Group Stage match to seal their place in the next match. They got exactly that with a 1-0 victory over the African side in their best performance of the tournament up to that point.
Frankly, Sundhage appeared rather correct one the balance of play in this one. Neither team played well, and chances were at a premium. The best chance for the United States came in the 71st minute when Wambach, coming on in the super sub role which Sundhage said she should be playing, sent a bullet header at goal which was well saved. Sweden then came closest to scoring late on with a header off a corner which Meghan Klingenberg cleared off the line, onto the crossbar and away. The match wound up in a 0-0 slaemate.
Once they had negotiated the tough tie with Australia, the Americans faced an awkward fixture against Sweden. Sweden are managed by former United States manager Pia Sundhage, and in the lead up to the match Sundhage had a number of less than complementary things to say about her former charges. In particular, she singled out Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach for criticism.
Australia were, by far, the better team in the first half. After the break was a different story. The United States certainly weren't playing at full strength, but they were playing much better. Before long, they found themselves back ahead after a Christen Press goal. Then, Megan Rapinoe scored a "solo special" after a wonderful run to put the result out of reach.
Once the tournament started, it was never smooth sailing for the United States. They began with a 3-1 victory over Australia, but the first half was anything but comfortable. The Australians began the game in the ascendency, and Hope Solo had to make a number of early saves to keep the Americans in the match. However, Megan Rapinoe soon scored a goal with a deflected effort and it seemed to settle the United States a bit. Yet, the Australians weren't fazed and they continued to attack. Soon, they pulled level when Lisa De Vanna scored a wonderful goal midway through the first half.
Additionally, the team entered the tournament under a cloud of drama. Abby Wambach entered without a club, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux entered coming off of serious injuries, and manager Jill Ellis had a hard time deciding on what the best starting lineup would be to use.
The United States has had a very different run to the final, one which has had its fair share of drama and difficulty. Japan were drawn in one of the easiest groups of the tournament, one which contained three tournament debutants. Meanwhile, the United States were drawn with Sweden (ranked fifth in the world), Australia (ranked 10th in the world) and Nigeria (ranked 34th in the world).
The match was less than 90 seconds away from going to extra time, only further illustrating how much Japan has benefited from the rub of the green in this tournament. However, they have made it to the final and are in with a great chance of winning the tournament.
Bassett was unbelievably unlucky to score the own goal. She was attempting to cut out a dangerous Japanese counter attack, and had to throw her body at the ball to try and clear it. Unfortunately, she wound up flicking the ball up and over her keeper, Karen Bardsley, and off the crossbar into the back of the net. If you're thinking that this sounds like the most improbable own goal ever, you're correct. But if you don't believe me, look at it here.
In the semifinals, the Japanese benefited from a practically unbelievable instance of good fortune. They found themselves playing against England, who, while a traditional power on the men's side had never advanced this far in a Women's World Cup. Japan were incredibly lucky to be given a penalty in the first half after a foul which was yards outside the penalty box. After going up 1-0, it appeared that the English benefited from a soft penalty just before halftime to level the score. England outplayed Japan throughout the second half, and hit the woodwork. However, in stoppage time, defender Laura Bassett scored the most unlucky own goal ever.
In the Quarterfinals, they came up against one of the surprise teams of the tournament: Australia. The Matildas impressed in their opening loss to the United States, and advanced from the Group Stage with four points after beating Nigeria and drawing with Sweden. Then, in the Round of 16 they defeated Brazil by a score of 1-0, making it farther than they ever have in a Women's World Cup. However, Japan managed to stop them in their tracks and slowed down their powerful offense by smartly pressing high up the pitch. After picking up a late goal, they were able to advance.
They advanced fairly comfortably through the rest of the Group Stage, but were in all sorts of trouble against the Netherlands in the Round of 16. The Dutch were impressive all tournament long, and pushed Japan to the brink. They began the match in the ascendency, and should have opened the scoring within the first quarter of an hour. However, they didn't and like all great teams Japan made them pay for their mistake. They were soon ahead by a score of 2-0, and looked to be cruising for the Quarterfinals.
Japan may have won every match they've played in this tournament, but it hasn't all been smooth sailing. The match against Switzerland in their opening match of the tournament was hard-fought throughout, and Ramona Bachmann was a constant threat all match. She was unlucky not to equalize for the Swiss late on, and showed that as a nation they are closing in on the rest of the women's footballing world.
Japan had a good lead up to the final match in this year's tournament. Ranked 4th in the world, Japan was expected to top their group, which included Switzerland, Cameroon, and Ecuador. The team took first in the group, winning all three group stage matches. Japan won their three knockout stage matches by one goal each. They beat the Netherlands 2-1, Australia 1-0, and England 2-1. In total, they have scored 9 goals, and conceded only 3 goals this tournament.
The United States got to shoot first. The U.S. chose Shannon Boxx to take the first penalty. Boxx shot toward the right, but Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori made the save, as she deflected the ball away from goal with her feet. Next, Hope Solo took up her position in the goal. Japan's Aya Miyama, who scored Japan's first goal of this match was up to take Japan's first penalty kick. Miyama took her time coming up to the ball. Just before her kick, Solo took a step to the left. This turned out to be a mistake as Miyama rolled the ball into the right side of the goal. Carli Lloyd lined up next for the United States. As she kicked, Kaihori dove to the left. Lloyd's kick blasted over the goal, a dreadful miss. Japan's Yūki Nagasato (Yūki Ōgimi) lined up for Japan's second penalty kick. Nagasato kicked, and Solo dove to the left, making a big save for the United States. Tobin Heath was the United States' next kicker. Similar to Japan's kick, Kaihori dove and saved it. The United States had yet to score a penalty. Mizuho Sakaguchi took Japan's next kick. She kicked to the left, and Solo dove to the left, but the ball was just out of her reach. Finally, Abby Wambach was up for the United States. Wambach kicked the ball down the center as Kaihori dove right, scoring the penalty. Japan was then set for their fourth penalty, and defender Saki Kumagai easily slotted the ball over Solo, and claimed the victory for Japan.
Extra time started, and the United States regained the lead in the 104th minute. Alex Morgan neared the end line, accompanied by one of Japan's defenders, and crossed the ball. The Japanese defense seemed to have lost their track on Abby Wambach, who scored a classic Wambach header straight into the goal. It appeared to be all over for Japan, when in the 117th minute they scored their second equalizer. It was a Japanese corner kick, and as the cross came in, Homare Sawa made a run away from goal, towards the ball. She lept into the air, deflecting the ball past Hope Solo, and into goal. The match was set up for a penalty shoot out.
Japan scored an easy equalizer in the 81st minute. After several attempts to score from Japan, the United States defense tried to clear the ball, but failed. This gave Japan's Aya Miyama an opening to simply kick the ball in, right in front of the 6 yard box. Japan celebrated the equalizer, and regular time ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams hoped to beat the other in extra time.
This is not the first time these two teams have met in the Women's World Cup Final. Back in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final in Germany, it was USA vs Japan for the first time. This match saw some great shots by both sides. Most remember Alex Morgan opening the scoring in the 69th minute. After receiving a deep pass from Megan Rapinoe, Morgan was able to slot the ball into goal just inside of the 18 yard box, giving the United States a 1-0 lead.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final! Today, the United States Women's National Team takes on Japan, and they will be looking to avenge their loss to the Japanese on penalties in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET, so sit back, relax, and let us walk you through the lead-up to the match.