The United States of America are celebrating a well fought and well won victory in the final of the Women’s World Cup tonight.
They beat a fairly strident Japanese team, and were lead onto and through the field by Carli Lloyd.
“If you hit it hard enough,” Lloyd said two days before the final, “and if you hit it in the right place, there aren’t many goalies who can stop it.”
Lloyd’s creativity, quickness and spark turned a dull U.S. attack into something startling. She is the first American ever to score in four straight World Cup matches.
“It’s crazy,” said Glenn Crooks, Lloyd’s former coach at Rutgers. “She’s 32, and she’s still getting better.”