Photo from Google Images
This entire World Cup I have had the voice of Ari Gold form HBO’s Entourage in my head yelling “LLLLOYD”. (If you have no idea what this means, watch this YouTube clip and start watching the show!) https://youtu.be/XyVPr4Smng4
This was the third straight time that the U.S. and Japan have met in a major tournament. In 2011, Japan won the World Cup on penalties kicks. The U.S. won the gold-medal in the 2012 Olympics and then again on Sunday, team USA took on the reigning World Cup champions in Vancouver for a rematch from the 2011 game.
The road to the World Cup for team U.S.A wasn’t easy navigating their way through the group of death; which included Australia and Sweden (5th-ranked) just to stay alive for the knockout round. Next, they faced 28th-ranked Colombia and 16th-ranked China before they defeated the number one team, Germany, in the semifinals.
Japan got lucky when then they advanced to the finals after England’s Laura Bassett scored in her own goal to give Japan the 2-1 victory in the semi-finals. But Japan’s luck ran out when they stepped on the field on Sunday and watched U.S. midfielder, Carli Lloyd show the world who was the best team and the best player.
LLLLLLLLLLLOOYD! Was quickly replaced by the celebration of “GOOOOAL as team USA took revenge by embarrassing Japan 5-2.
Carli Lloyd thrives on being the underdog. She wants the pressure because that’s where she is the most focused and where she sees nothing but the back of the net.
Lloyd has scored a goal in every U.S. game in the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup and she had one assist. Lloyd scored the game-winner against Germany in the semifinals and on China in the quarterfinals. Lloyd has helped create or score seven straight U.S. goals.
Lloyd is the first woman to score three times in the World Cup final. She has the fastest hat-trick in the Women’s World Cup. She has the earliest hat trick in a World Cup — men’s or women’s — by scoring thrice before 16 minutes were even on the scoreboard. And she is the first player, male or female, to score a gold medal-winning goal in two consecutive Olympics. (CNN)
It’s no surprise Lloyd won the Golden Ball of the World Cup (awarded to the best player). Carlie Lloyd: a big time player on the biggest game of her life and now she’s an American hero! But there was another moment where Lloyd defined the American Dream. During the 79th minute, Abby Wambach came in for Tobin Heath. That’s when Lloyd took off her captain’s armband and gave it to Wambach.
“It’s been an honor for me to take on that leadership, to wear the armband. I have no regrets ever when I put that thing on, put on the jersey,” Lloyd said. “When Abby has come on in a few of the games it’s just a little crazy to switch the armband, but I wanted to make sure she put the armband on because she deserves it. She has been legendary to this team. She’s been unbelievable. I’m so thankful I can call her my friend, my teammate, and I’m just so proud (that) her last World Cup she could go out strong.” (USA Today)
Lloyd played the game of her life, re-wrote history, will be a legend for female athletes and all she can think about is paying respect to her captain. That’s inspiring! But the Captain’s armband didn’t end with Wambach. Wambach found Christine Rampone (the only player who was on the 1999 championship team) and Wambach made sure Rampone wore the armband for the trophy presentation.
“She’s my captain, always will be,” Wambach said. “I think it’s pretty symbolic that a team that was able to come away with a world championship wants to pass off the attention from one person to another. Carli hands it to me, I hand it to Christie. That is what it takes to win a world championship.” (USA Today)
It’s the little things in life and those moments just showed how star-spangled awesome team USA is.
Hope Solo had 567 minutes where she didn’t give up a goal in the tournament. It was no surprise that the best goalie in the world took home the Golden Gloves trophy.
The U.S. women are now the first country to win three Women’s World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015).