VANCOUVER — When the final whistle sounded on the Women’s World Cup final Sunday, Carli Lloyd dropped to her knees near the sideline and looked to the open roof at BC Place, pumping her arms before teammate Heather O’Reilly embraced her.
VANCOUVER — When the final whistle sounded on the Women’s World Cup final Sunday, Carli Lloyd dropped to her knees near the sideline and looked to the open roof at BC Place, pumping her arms before teammate Heather O’Reilly embraced her.
Players and coaches penned in the bench area flooded the field like water released from a dam. Tears flowed. Flags snapped throughout stands filled with American supporters.
The 16-year wait was over: By virtue of a 5-2 victory over Japan, the U.S. women’s national soccer team was world champion for a record third time.
“I envisioned winning the trophy,” said Coach Jill Ellis, a graduate of Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, and the College of William and Mary in Virginia, “but five is a dream come true.”
With Vice President Joe Biden among 53,341 in attendance, Lloyd gave one of the great performances in men’s or women’s tournament history, scoring three goals in the first 16 minutes, including a shot from the midfield line some 55 yards away.
Lloyd, who had beaten Japan for the 2012 Olympic gold medal with two goals, set championship marks for the fastest goal (three minutes) and first hat trick. She became the first American to score three times in a World Cup game since the inaugural event in 1991.
“She always does this to us,” Japan Coach Norio Sasaki said. “We are a bit embarrassed, but she is an excellent player and I admire her.”
The outcome was sweet redemption for Lloyd and 13 other holdovers who not only had lost to Japan in the 2011 final but, for four years, carried the burden of unfulfilled expectations dating back to the Rose Bowl party in 1999.
Reminders of the last championship tailed this squad for years. The narrative was inescapable, and with the title in reach, it crested ahead of the final. Several members of the last trophy-winning team were in the audience: Mia Hamm, Briana Scurry, Julie Foudy and Michelle Akers, among others.
Beyond the team feat, individuals embraced the moment. In her fourth and final tournament, Abby Wambach, the sport’s highest international scorer regardless of gender, added a World Cup title to her substantial portfolio. As she entered in the 79th minute, Lloyd handed her the captain’s armband.
“I felt like I was in a dream sitting there on the bench watching Carli Lloyd go off,” Wambach said of the early stages.
The triumph brought joy to Ellis, who has been on the job only since spring 2014. As the Americans stumbled through the early matches, Ellis was criticized by fans, media and former players, most notably Akers, for lineup choices and tactical decisions.
“It’s not vindication,” she said. “It just feels really good. I knew they had it in them. They knew they had it in them.”