Scoring three times in a Women's World Cup final would be a dream come true Tony Watson Black Jersey for most soccer players but not Carli Lloyd.Carli Lloyd laid a cleat into a ball at midfield only 16 minutes into Sunday's World Cup final, and she knew where it would end up when she saw the shot in flight.
Lloyd scored a hat trick as the U.S. burst to a four-goal lead in the first 16 minutes, and the Americans overwhelmed defending champion Japan 5-2 Sunday for their record third championship and first since 1999. It came the Americans' elusive third Women's World Cup title.
A sellout crowd that included U.S. Vice President Joe Biden roared in approval for Lloyd's hat trick, the first ever in a Women's World Cup final.
''We just made history,'' Lloyd said. ''I was on a mission.''
When it was over, Lloyd collapsed to her knees and pumped her fists. Forward Abby Wambach bear-hugged teary-eyed coach Jill Ellis, lifting her off the ground.
Lloyd, voted the Golden Ball as player of the tournament, scored twice in a span of about 135 seconds as the U.S. led 2-0 by the fifth minute.
Lloyd, a 32-year-old midfielder, had come up big before, scoring the winning goals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic finals.
She put the U.S. ahead http://www.authenticphilliesshop.com/authentic-26-chase-utley-jersey.html in the third minute off a corner kick from Megan Rapinoe, then made it 2-0 when she poked the ball between two defenders and past the Kaihori's outstretched arms.
Lloyd's third goal came when Kaihori came far off her line. The keeper backpedaled and got a hand on it, but it bounced into the goal.
It was also the fastest hat trick in World Cup history - men or women - and Lloyd became the first American since Michelle Akers in 1991 to score multiple goals in a World Cup final. The only other hat trick in a World Cup final was when England's Geoff Hurst scored three times against Germany in the men's 1966 final at Wembley.
Lloyd scored six goals in seven matches during the monthlong tournament, raising her international total to 69.
Holiday added her goal in the 16th minute, volleying a header by a Japanese defender.
Ogimi's goal in the 27th minute was the first Solo had allowed after five straight shutouts. The only other goal scored against her came in the first half of the tournament opener against Australia.
The United States went 540 minutes without conceding a goal, the longest streak in the World Cup since Germany went 679 scoreless minutes from 2003-11.
Japan's victory over the United States four years ago its first World Cup title and it came just months after the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, killing more than 20,000 people and touching off the worst nuclear catastrophe since Chernobyl in 1986.
The United States has a 25-1-6 record Hisashi Iwakuma Grey Jersey against Japan, and a 3-1 advantage in World Cup meetings.Carli Lloyd came up big again. Three times.