Japan Stuns US Womens in World Cup Final

The US Women's National Soccer Team put together a dramatic string of victories in this year's World Cup that gained them national attention and made people who are not soccer fans interested in Sunday's Final against the Japanese Team. Twice during the game it looked like the fans tuned in for an American victory before Japan was able to tie the game and win in a shootout.

The Japanese team had never made the World Cup Finals before and hadn't beat the American team once in 25 matches, the most recent of which was only a month before World Cup play started. They were unfazed by an early assaults from an aggressive US team and used patience to take the game.

The US team couldn't find the net until the 69th minute when Alex Morgan put the team ahead 1-0. It looked like the game was over until Aya Miyama evened the score with less than ten minutes left in regulation. During the overtime period Abby Wambach again put the Americans ahead with a header in the 104th minute that was again answered by Japan. With three minutes left in the game Homare Sawa forced the game into a shootout.

In the shootout the Japanese goalie played great defense and the first three American shooters missed the goal, paving the way for Japan to win 3-1.