Women's Olympic Soccer Final 2012 Result: USA Wins 2-1 Against Japan to Claim Gold in London
The U.S. won 2-1 against Japan in the women's soccer final at the London 2012 Olympics on Thursday. The victory hands the United States the gold medal and is redemption for Team USA having lost to Japan in the World Cup final just last year.
The result is the third consecutive gold medal for the United States in the women's Olympic soccer tournament.
At the full time whistle the Unites States players were overjoyed, smiling and celebrating, whereas many of the Japanese players broke down in tears at the missed opportunity to take the gold medal.
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A packed Wembley Stadium of 80,000 in west london witnessed a tightly contested game, which saw some superb football played by the best in the world in women's soccer.
The Team USA players had spoken a lot of a "togetherness" and a "team effort" in the run up to the Olympics and the final, and their display was a perfect example of what they had been talking about. The United States team managed to overcome an organized Japan team by playing as a team and committing themselves as a unit.
Although the United States manager had tried to downplay any talk of a chance of redemption for the U.S. players, whenever any Team USA player was asked they had immediate replied "yes" and it was clear the players felt they had something to prove following their World Cup defeat to Japan last year. The talk of redemption had seen unprecedented pressure being put on the United States team and some had questioned whether they would crack under the pressure. However, they managed to hold themselves well in the ferocity of the final and now take the much-coveted gold medal ahead of their rivals Japan.
Carli Lloyd scored the United States' opening goal by converting Alex Morgan's cross with a header to put her team in front.
Japan pushed and hit the post three times (although one nearly resulted in an own goal), and at times Hope Solo's goal was leading a charmed life by not conceding. Japan cut through Team USA's defense at times with unnerving ease but they could not find the net.
That was to cost them as Carli Lloyd scored her second goal, whacking the ball into the corner of the net from 20 yards, to double America's lead.
Japan did pull one back to make it 2-1 but they ran out of time and when the full time whistle came it sparked massive celebrations among the United States' players and their relief and joy was clear for all to see.
The crowd at Wembley Stadium set a record for attendance at a women's Olympic football match. It was announced that 80,203 took in the United States' win, beating the 76,481 who watched them clinch gold with a 2-1 victory over China at Atlanta 1996.
