The U.S. Women’s National Team players, including Carli Lloyd (facing the camera), give young girls role models to look up to. Photo courtesy Flickr/Kkimphotography
The final of the 2015 Women's World Cup had little drama after the U.S. Women's National Team's goal explosion. It didn't have much to worry about after the players scored four goals in the game's first 16 minutes.
With assistance from Carli Lloyd's hat trick (three goals—3, 5, 16), America became the first nation to win three Women's World Cup titles. Lauren Holiday added a goal in the 14th minute, and Tobin Heath finished off the scoring with a goal in the 54th minute for a 5-2 win over Japan.
After the U.S.'s heartbreaking loss against Japan four years ago, the team started out slowly, hit its stride against Germany and put on an all-out goal assault against Japan. For the first time in 16 years, the USWNT received the World Cup trophy.
The USWNT has never finished lower than third since the Women's World Cup officially began in 1991. No other women's team has been able to finish in the top three for all seven Women's World Cups. No country has more wins the U.S. Women (33), games played (43) or most goals (112).
The team hasn't had a shortage of stars on the pitch from the first Women's World Cup to last night's final. The torch gets passed on each time to the next great USWNT soccer star.
Michelle Akers was the star of the 1991 Women's World Cup. She passed the torch to a group of women that the great Mia Hamm led. The team captured the nation's attention when it won a second title for the U.S. in 1999. Hamm passed the torch to Abby Wambach, who did nearly everything in her power to try and deliver the trophy four years ago. Now, as Wambach fades into retirement, Lloyd and a new set of stars will lead the way.
Before Title IX—an amendment passed in 1972 that prevents gender-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs or activities—it was easy to argue that little girls had no athletes to look up to. Thanks to Title IX, which propelled gender equality in sports, there are plenty of basketball and soccer stars for little girls to emulate as they dream of making the game-winning play.
Last night's World Cup win will help inspire the next generation to be like Lloyd, Heath, Holiday, Kelley O'Hara, Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan. Each success helps build the next one.
There certainly weren't any pushovers in this year's Women's World Cup, but the U.S. women kept right on rolling, and in the process, provided heroes for all the wide-eyed young girls, watching each goal in wonder.
SPORTS FACT OF THE WEEK
While the Men's FIFA World Cup has been around since 1930, the Women's FIFA World Cup has only existed since 1988, when the organization hosted a trial invitational in China to see if a Women's World Cup was feasible.
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