After all the tea-sipping and butt-sliding, the only celebrations that really mattered on Sunday in Lyon were the modest, heartfelt group hugs at midfield after the U.S. women decisively won themselves yet another World Cup title.
The one-sided 2-0 win over Netherlands in the final produced an unprecedented, fourth championship for the U.S., and second in a row. These women are clearly the New England Patriots of international soccer. They may be viewed as arrogant, crass and bullying by the rest of the world. But like the Patriots, the American women back up that image with a never-ending hunger for trophies.
A victory parade reportedly is in the works for New York on Wednesday, and you may want to be there to celebrate this special side.
There will be no tanks.
“One of the greatest teams in sports history,” Fox analyst Alexi Lalas called them. And that may have been an understatement, about this unique dynasty.
The game turned, and broke apart, in the 61st minute. After a frustrating first half, in which the Americans dominated everywhere except on the scoreboard, Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt scraped Alex Morgan with a high boot to the shoulder in the box. After a VAR review, French referee Stephanie Frappart awarded the penalty.
Megan Rapinoe, back in the lineup despite some hamstring problems, scored her sixth goal of the tournament by going to the right side this time, unlike her previous kicks against England, easily beating Netherlands keeper Sari van Veenendaal. Rapinoe might not have been quite her old self in this final, but she was there at the penalty spot when it mattered most and won the Golden Boot for top scorer in the tournament.
When Rapinoe stretched out her arms and gave her traditional “ta-da” stance to mark the score, the match was basically over. That goal broke the spirit and shape of the Dutch, who could not keep pace with the risk-taking Americans.
“We’re crazy and that’s what makes us special,” Rapinoe said, beaming after the match. “We have no quit in us.”
The flagging Dutch were forced to open up the game after the goal, a strategy they were uniquely unqualified to execute. The Americans poured on the pressure. Midfielder Rose Lavelle dribbled neatly into space and hammered a left-foot shot past van Veenendaal for the clincher from the top of the box in the 69th minute.
Rapinoe and Lavelle had both been questionable for this match, because of their hamstring injuries. And there were other potential problems as well. The U.S. had to survive two head injuries to defenders, which required a replacement for Kelley O’Hara and a head taping for Becky Sauerbrunn.
Coach Jill Ellis adapted easily enough to these setbacks, and the Americans were clearly superior to the European champions throughout the 90 minutes.
“Jill did an incredible job with the fatigue factor, making sure every team player was playing on the field (during the tournament) which is such great management,” Morgan said. “And credit to this team for keeping our heads and playing our roles to (a) T.”
The final took shape early, when it became obvious the Americans would press bravely with a high attacking line while the Dutch were happy to sit back, absorb the pressure and counter against outnumbered U.S. defenders.
The Americans had scored in the first 12 minutes of every other World Cup match, but they couldn’t crack the Netherlands defense in the first half despite solid pressure and four corner kicks. They tested van Veenendaal with four shots on goal in the first half – including two beauties from Morgan – but couldn’t quite beat the outstanding Holland keeper. Not yet, anyway.
The Americans finished with nine shots on goal, to just one from the Netherlands. They scored a record 26 goals in the tournament and have now won half of the eight women’s World Cups contested since 1991. The U.S. women also have captured four of the six possible gold medals in this event at the summer Olympics. They stand as a national sports treasure, a stark contrast to the World Cup disappointments of the U.S. men’s team.
The road to this title was arguably the most difficult that any U.S. team had traveled. The Americans needed to defeat France, in Paris, in the quarterfinals. While winning seven in a row, they also beat top European sides in Sweden and England.
“They put their hearts and souls into this journey and I can’t thank them enough,” Ellis said. “They made history Enjoy it.”
Danielle van de Donk, the Dutch midfielder, had called the Americans “conceited” and “arrogant” going into the game. They are also champions, yet again.
Because these women are about more than merely winning soccer matches, their battles are not done. Rapinoe and Morgan have already announced they will not attend any White House celebration with Donald Trump, but they will participate in mediation procedures with U.S. Soccer, after filing a suit that contended gender discrimination in pay and conditions.
Already at the stadium in Lyon, U.S. fans were chanting, “Equal Pay!”
You just had to watch the women play on Sunday to know they deserved even more than equal.