The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) crushed Japan on Sunday with a 5-2 victory in their first World Cup title win since 1999.
After a heartbreaking loss to Japan in the 2011 FIFA World Cup in penalty kicks, the American ladies have come full circle after defeating the same side in the 2012 Olympics for gold and continuing their victory lap all the way through to the 2015 World Cup finals.
Dominating with finesse and all-around skill, Golden Ball winner Carli Lloyd led the United States with an early hat-trick (the fastest in Women’s World Cup history at 16 minutes).
With a comfortable three-goal lead at half, young midfield star Morgan Brian assisted Tobin Heath's goal to make it 5-2, keeping the magic going toward the team's 90-plus minutes of glory in BC Place Stadium.
The result of it all? Seeing team leaders Christie Rampone and Abby Wambach lift the trophy in triumph as the rest of the team jumped with joy in a sea of gold confetti.
This historical win will add the long-awaited third star to the U.S. jersey (signifying their number of World Cup titles), one that the newly crowned champions can wear with pride.
As we previously reported, the U.S. is the first nation to win three Women’s World Cups, adding to its 1991 and 1999 victories against Norway and China, respectively.
Check out highlights from the match below: