Japan rallied from a goal down twice to defeat the U.S. 2-2 (3-1) in a penalty shootout and win its first World Cup title.
Last year this time World Cup 2010 was the hot topic globally, and this year Women's World Cup 2011 should be the most eye-catching. On July 17, Women's World Cup Final 2011: Japan VS. USA was underway, and the laurel was picked by Japan. Thanks to the ladies from Japan and the United States who have brought us with the excitement of soccer. No matter which teams you were rooting for, the women's World Cup final between Japan and the United States did actually make us appreciate the elegant demeanor of women's soccer. Every shot became a breathtaking event, especially between the top two talent teams.
In the following, there is the overall Women's World Cup Final 2011 YouTube Video. Download YouTube Video and Convert Video to other players for appreciating.
The TV broadcast showed Japanese fans, in an auditorium south of Tokyo, going nuts in the pre-dawn hours. Japan, still reeling from the March earthquake and tsunami that killed over 15,000 people, needed a lift, and received quite a gift. Its soccer team could have cowered to the taller, stronger Americans. But it never did, and the Americans paid for it.
The sport - both the men's and women's versions - will only profit from this dramatic World Cup. This game will be the subject of much water-cooler chatter. Americans had every reason to fall for soccer on this summer Sunday.
Here is a statistical look back at the final from the Internet:
• Midfielder Homare Sawa's 117th-minute goal capped Japan's comeback. Sawa, winner of both the Golden Boot (tournament high scorer) and Golden Ball (best player), and U.S. midfielder Carli Lloyd battled to control the midfield. Sawa was more efficient offensively, scoring on one of her two shots (both on goal), while Lloyd didn't put any of her seven shots on target. Sawa finished with 118 touches, third highest in the match, and completed 53 of her 71 passes (74.6 percent). Lloyd had a game-high 136 touches, completing 68 of her 84 passes (81 percent).
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• Japan's ability to hold on to possession was a constant throughout the tournament. Japan completed 479 of its 635 passes (75.4 percent) in the final, the highest percentage by a United States opponent in the tournament.
• The United States (average height 5 feet, 7 inches) tried to exploit its height advantage over the Japanese (average height 5-4), particularly in attack. It was Japan, however, that completed the higher percentage of open-play crosses: the Americans were 7-for-31 (22.6 percent) while Japan completed 4-of-11 (36.4 percent).
• Abby Wambach scored in the 104th minute, her American-record 13th goal in Women's World Cup play, and finished with 74 touches while completing 39 of 55 passes (70.9 percent). Wambach had seven shots (tied for game-high) and three on goal, creating four scoring chances. Wambach is the first player to score in all three elimination rounds and the first American to score in four straight matches in a single Women's World Cup.
• Alex Morgan, who entered as a substitute at halftime, opened the scoring for the United States in the 69th minute, her second goal of the tournament and ninth career goal. It was the second straight game Morgan scored as substitute, as she became the first American to accomplish that at a single Women's World Cup.
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