After finishing the group stage of the Women's World Cup, our team had four more wins before they could call themselves world champs. And I was going to be there for every nerve-racking, heart-pounding, mind-blowing moment.
June 22, 2015 - Round of 16 - Edmonton, AB
USA vs Colombia
This was the first game that I had attended up until this point that had more non-U.S. fans than U.S. fans. Despite the crowd being in support of Colombia, a 53rd minute goal by Alex Morgan and a successful penalty shot by Carli Lloyd in the 66th propelled the U.S to a 2-0 victory. The FIFA authorities took my camera before the game, but I managed to catch the team walking to the bus afterwards.
June 26, 2015 - Quarterfinal - Ottawa, ON
USA vs China
U.S. fans were ready for this one. They showed up to pack the stadium.
The team had to play without Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday due to yellow cards accrued in earlier stages of the tournament. The game was scoreless at halftime.
Then, in the 51st minute, Carli Lloyd scored a fantastic header off a well-placed ball into the box by Julie Johnston.
This goal was enough to get the win and put the U.S. in the semifinal. All were excited to be moving on, especially Pinoe and Holiday as they bombarded the rest of the team in the huddle after the game.
As per usual, the team took time after the game to thank the fans for their support.
June 30, 2015 - Semifinal - Montreal, QC
USA vs Germany
To many, this game could have been the final: #1 Germany vs #2 USA. 51,000+ fans showed up in Montreal for this one. The U.S. was gaining momentum and Germany was coming off a win in penalty kicks over a very good France team.
The game was intense from the start with both teams having opportunities
to score, but none converting. The German goalkeeper had two amazing
kick saves in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
I truly think we deserved to win the game, but I don't think anyone will argue with me that fate/luck was on our side. A few things happened in our favor...
1. Early in the second half, Julie Johnston was called for a foul inside our own box. She could have been issued a red card and been sent off leaving us to play with only 10 players. She received a yellow card (warning) instead.
2. Because of the Julie Johnston foul, Germany was given a penalty kick. Hope Solo played some severe mind games with the German player (Sasic) and was able to get her to miss the shot wide left. Let me tell you, I'm not one to cheer against another team. I think it is unsportsmanlike and I would much rather spend my energy cheering for my own team. That being said, when Sasic missed the penalty kick, I went ballistic! And so did the rest of the crowd! It was deafening in Olympic Stadium.
3. In the 69th minute, Alex Morgan was knocked down on her way to the goal. No doubt in real time it looked like this occurred inside the box. However, in replay, the location of the foul is questionable. Whatever the case, the referee awarded the United States a penalty kick. With ice in her veins, Carli Lloyd stepped up to the spot and knocked the ball in the back of the net for a goal. 1-0 USA... the crowd erupted!
To put the icing on the cake, the U.S. followed up with an 84th minute goal by Kelley O'Hara off a great set up from Meghan Klingenberg and assist from Lloyd. 2-0 USA... the crowd went crazy!
The final whistle blew and the U.S. celebrated its advance to the championship game.
July 5, 2015 - Final - Vancouver, BC
USA vs Japan
This game was a rematch of the final game from four years ago in Germany. Following the team through their inspiring journey in 2011 only for it to end in heartbreak with a final's loss to Japan is what prompted me to attend the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada. I was secretly hoping for a chance at redemption, as I think many fans were, and I got it. I had to be there, first-hand this time, to experience the exhilaration or the devastation.
The final game was truly the Grand Finale. There was buzz around Vancouver for days before the game. You couldn't go anywhere in the city without seeing a mess of red, white, and blue. American fans everywhere showing off their pride for this group of 23. On the day, streets around the stadium were closed off hours before game time. Fans dressed up in their most patriotic of gear were partying and dancing and chanting pro-USA cheers. As the game approached, 53,341 people stuffed into BC Place. I was on edge all day, but deep down I had a good feeling. I believed.
It was time. The whistle blew and the game began. I had so much nervous energy that I couldn't sit still.
3rd
minute - We earn a corner kick. Megan Rapinoe takes it and sends it on
the ground through some Japanese defenders just outside the six yard
box. Carli Lloyd makes a long run to connect with the outside of her
foot and send the ball past the goalkeeper... 1-0. Unbelievable!
2 minutes later, 5th minute - Tobin Heath earns a free kick. Lauren Holiday plays it low towards the near post, Julie Johnson flicks it on to the middle of the goal and Carli Lloyd finishes it... 2-0. My nervous energy subsided and excitement started to take over. We are really going to do this!
14th minute - Tobin Heath sends a ball forward intended for Alex Morgan. It gets intercepted and headed straight up in the air by the Japanese defender. Lauren Holiday runs on to it and volleys it into the back of the net... 3-0. Pure bewilderment! What is happening right now?
16th minute - Japan put some passes together and started to build an attack when Lloyd intercepts a backwards pass, touches it around a defender, looks up and sees the goalie way off her line, so she launches a shot from midfield. The ball floats over the keeper's head as she backpedals towards her own goal. She reaches up her hand to knock the ball away, but can only get her fingertips on it. The ball bounces off the inside of the post and into the goal... 4-0 less than 20 minutes into the game. Somebody wake me up... this can't be real!
At this point, I am beside myself. My voice hurts from screaming and I am sweating from jumping up and down and cheering for the last 20 minutes straight. It was the best feeling ever!
I give so much credit to Japan. They could have given in and backed down. They could have just tried to get the game over with and called it a day. But they didn't. They were fighters. They scored in the 27th minute to put the halftime score at 4-1. They scored again at the beginning of the second half. In the 52nd minute, off a set play, the ball bounced just out of Hope Solo's reach and into the goal bringing the score to 4-2.
The U.S. wouldn't have any of it though and just minutes later, in the 54th minute, Morgan Brian placed a partially cleared corner kick back into the middle of the box and Tobin Heath knocked it in... 5-2. The energy in the stadium hadn't dissipated at all. It was electric!
Coach Jill Ellis would eventually sub in Kelley O'Hara and long-time leaders of the team Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone to finish the game. The game ended, USA 5... Japan 2. A record-breaking game in many ways and the most fun I've ever had at a sporting event. Celebration time!
Then the medal ceremony.
And more celebration.
Even U.S. soccer legends Mia Hamm and Cobi Jones joined in.
I stayed at BC Place until the field was cleared and the stadium was empty.
I didn't want it to end. The month-long journey was over. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. It played out just as I believed it could and hoped it would. It felt as if I, myself, had one of those gold medals around my neck. Life doesn't get much better.
I love this team! Thank you USWNT! World Champs, baby!
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