If there was any drama to the women’s World Cup Final, well, Carli Lloyd kicked that out of the way, too.
Lloyd decided things quickly, scoring a hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the game. The Americans jumped to a 4-0 lead, then coasted for their first championship in 16 years, beating the defending champions from Japan in a 5-2 victory.
Lloyd scored the quickest goal in the history of the finals when she scored three minutes into the game. She added a second goal in the fifth minute and her third in the 16th. Her three goals gave her six in the final four games of the tournament. She was the first player to score a hat trick in the finals, and the third to score a hat trick in the tournament.
The United States became the first country to win three World Cups, adding to the victories in 1991 and 1999.
This will be a team that will be remembered for a remarkable blend of skill and stories. Lloyd, the young woman who took the tournament by storm. Hope Solo, the controversial goaltender. Abby Wambach, trying to squeeze a World Cup title out of an illustrious career. And the rest of them.
For the Americans, it offset a bitter defeat on penalty kids from 2011, a game in which the United States led twice.
Lauren Holiday and Tobin Heath also scored for the Americans. The Japanese got goals from Yuki Ogimi and an own-goal from the United States’ Julie Johnston.
Lloyd won the Golden Ball award as the top player in the tournament as well. United States goaltender Solo won the Golden Glove award as the top goaltender. Solo recorded five shutouts in the tournament and gave up only three goals including the own-goal.
The game was also a nice moment for former University of Florida player Wambach, who at 35 finally won her elusive World Cup. Wambach has 183 career goals.
