July 17, 2011
FRANKFURT, Germany - Playing in her adopted hometown of Frankfurt, Ali Krieger and the United States Women's National Team were just three minutes from winning the 2011 FIFA World Cup. It wasn't meant to be as the U.S. fell 3-1 in a penalty-kick shootout to Japan on Sunday after a 2-2 draw. Krieger started the sixth straight game at right fullback and played all 120 minutes for the Americans. The Dumfries, Va. native is the only Penn Stater ever to appear in a World Cup final.
The United States fell short of its third Women's World Cup title and its first since 1999 as the Americans gave up two Japan equalizers in the waning moments of regulation and extra time. Japan took home its first World Cup championship, a coup for a squad that had never reached the final before.
Abby Wambach notched her fourth goal in as many games and the third game-tying or game-winning score in a row as her 115th minute header proved the difference on an Alex Morgan cross.
Morgan provided the first tally, a 69th-minute breakaway strike off the long ball from Megan Rapinoe. Morgan trapped a clearance by Rapinoe and outran the Japanese defense for her second tally of the tournament. Unfortunately for the United States, Japan equalized in the 81st when Aya Miyama cleaned up a defensive mess by the American backline and poked a right-footed shot past `keeper Hope Solo.
Japan would equalize again in the 118th minute when Golden Ball winner Homare Sawa, playing in her record fifth World Cup, headed home the defining goal of the tournament. Before the end of full time, Morgan looked to break through again, forcing Azusa Iwashimizu to take her down outside the penalty area, drawing a red card in the instance, but saving a likely goal scoring opportunity leading to a penalty kick shootout.
In the shootout, the Americans went first and Japanese netminder Ayumi Kaihori made a diving save to her left of Shannon Boxx. Miyami scored on Japan's first attempt before Carli Lloyd skied her next attempt for the U.S. Solo saved a poor effort by forward Yuki Nagasato to keep the Americans in the shootout, 1-0, after two attempts.
Tobin Heath had the third spot kick but Kaihori was up to the task again, blocking the American's attempt. Another Japan make put the U.S. in a 2-0 hole after three before Wambach notched the first penalty on the board for the Red, White and Blue. Saki Kumagai notched the deciding penalty past Solo to give the Land of the Rising Sun its first World Cup title.
Solo won the Golden Glove, given to the most outstanding goalkeeper, for her efforts in the tournament, while Sawa took home the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player as well as the Golden Boot for most goals. Wambach was awarded the Silver Ball as the second best player in the competition.
The U.S. journey to the World Cup title was a tumultuous one where the Americans lost their first group game (to Sweden, 2-1) setting up a pivotal quarterfinal match with world power Brazil. Wambach's 122nd-minute header forced penalty kicks where Krieger slotted the fifth and deciding shot to win the shootout 5-3. Wambach scored the game-winner this past Wednesday in the 79th minute to push the U.S. past France in the semifinals. Wambach tied with Brazil's Marta for second-most goals in the tournament with four.
As for Nittany Lion head coach Erica Walsh, who served as U.S. coach Pia Sundhage's assistant, she will return home to the States on Tuesday and immediately head to the Penn State girls' soccer camp. Over 300 convened in the Forum auditorium classroom on Sunday to cheer on the Americans as overnight camp began in the afternoon. Walsh was on U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage's staff in 2008 when the Americans won gold at the Beijing Olympics.
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