boltonblue

What an incredible GAME!!!!

I hope other people got to watch.
The ref almost took the game from the US but they persevered and pulled it out.

Awesome job!

lltysonll

missed it but will watch the replay.

dlq04

Awesome win!

tof

Just an amazing comeback in the face of adversity. Even the final successful penalty kick by US defender Ali Krieger was a big story. Goalkeeper coach Paul Rodgers decides which five players will participate in any required PK shootout. This decision is made well ahead of time as Rodgers works out team members in drills during practice. (The Brits don't do this sort of planning ahead. British head-coach Hope Powel simply asks for volunteers when the situation arises. Not necessarily a winning strategy as England failed to convert their last two PK attempts in their knock-out loss to France.) Rodgers lineup was anchored by forward Lauren Cheney. Krieger was added to the PT lineup because Cheney had already been removed from the game. Under tremendous pressure Krieger calmly made a simple approach and without feint or fake, simply drove the ball past the Brazilian keeper and into the back corner of the net. "It's a one-chance opportunity, and I was confident," Krieger said in a post game interview. "So I finished it."

Everybody compared this overtime win to the finals win over China in '91 but I was reminded of the US Hockey win over the USSR for crack at the gold back in 1980. True Grit.

SheDrivesIt

So who watched the final yesterday?

DrCloud

I got home and turned it on at about the 60th minute, just in time to see the first US score. I guess I missed a lot of close calls earlier in the first half.

I bet that US player who put her PK over the goal feels especially bad today. HPH

RedOne2007

Well you can't outshoot a team 15-5 in the first half, come up empty, and expect it not to come back and hurt you.

But Japan was playing with 23,000 saints on their side.

tof

Sad for the U.S. women. But really REALLY happy for all of Japan.

S2KRAY

Japan showed grit and class (banner thanking the world for helping out in disaster). Next to the U.S. they were my next choice to win after all Japan has been through.

boltonblue

I wanted to watch but I was on american airlines at 40,000 ft.