USA thrash Japan 5-2 in Women's World Cup final, Carli Lloyd bags hat-trick in 15 minutes

USA beat Japan 5-2 to win the Women’s World Cup

The United States Women’s football team beat Japan 5-2 in a thrilling final to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Vancouver on Sunday. This is the third time USA have won the Women's World Cup after they last won it 16 years ago.

Japan were never in the game as USA raced to a 4-0 lead in only 16 minutes. Carli Lloyd was the star of the match with a hat-trick – the first time a player has scored thrice in a World Cup final.

USA took the lead in only the third minute when a corner kick was taken very low. it beat one defender before Carli, rushing into the box, poked it home from outside the six-yard box. Lloyd scored again just two minutes later from another corner, this time taking advantage of some poor defending and confusion in the box to score from inside the six-yard box.

They were 3-0 up in the 13th minute when a horrible headed clearance from Japan allowed Lauren Holiday to volley home. Japan looked down and out and USA were in a ruthless mood as Lloyd completed her hat-trick two minutes later with arguably one of the greatest goals of the tournament!

Picking up the ball inside her own half, she beat two defenders before running into Japan's half. But just as she did, she looked up to see goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori off her line and let fly a long range effort from the half-line. The ball sailed over the goalkeeper who just barely managed to get a touch before it went in off the post. The score read 4-0 in 15 minutes and 3 seconds.

Japan finally got into the game with a goal in the 27th minute after a good spell of possession.Ogimi was the goalscorer as she finished past Hope Solo. The teams went into half-time with the score reading 4-1.

USA started the second half with intensity but it was Japan who got the breakthrough in the 52nd minute when a free kick from near the middle of the pitch actually bounced off the head of a US defender and into the goal. But USA scored again just a minute later from another corner kick as Tobin Heath scored from a cut-back from close range.

Lloyd also won the Golden Ball award for being the best player at the World Cup with six goals (tied with Celia Sasic of Germany) while Hope Solo was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament.