2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final facts for kids
| Off to a good start (19781364556) (2).jpg
U.S. celebrations following Carli Lloyd's opening goal
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| Event | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 5 July 2015 | ||||||
| Venue | BC Place, Vancouver | ||||||
| Referee | Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine) | ||||||
| Attendance | 53,341 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny 25 °C (77 °F) 50% humidity |
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The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final was an exciting soccer match. It happened on July 5, 2015, at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This game decided the champion of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The final was played between the Japan and the United States. It was a rematch of the 2011 final. Both teams had a lot to play for. If the United States won, they would be the first country to win three Women's World Cup titles. If Japan won, they would be the first team, men's or women's, to win twice with the same coach.
In the end, the United States won the match with a score of 5–2. This was their first title in 16 years. They also became the first team to win three Women's World Cup finals. Because of a new tournament format, this was the first time the finalists had played seven games.
The United States had been to the final three times before. They won in 1991 and 1999. They were runners-up in 2011. This was Japan's second final in a row. They hoped to be the first country to win two titles in a row since Germany in 2007. Both teams were undefeated before the final. The United States had only let in one goal in six matches. Japan had won all their games in regular time.
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How the Teams Got to the Final
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Both the United States and Japan played very well to reach the final. They were both strong teams from the start.
United States' Journey to the Final
The United States team reached the final without losing any games. They only allowed one goal in their six matches. They were in Group D with Australia, Sweden, and Nigeria.
Their first game was against Australia. Megan Rapinoe scored early, but Australia tied the game. Two goals in the second half gave the U.S. a 3–1 win. Their next match was against Sweden. It ended in a 0–0 tie. In their last group game, the U.S. played Nigeria. A goal from captain Abby Wambach helped the U.S. win 1–0. This meant they won their group.
In the Round of 16, the U.S. played Colombia. Goals from Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd led to a 2–0 victory. For the quarter-final, the U.S. faced China. Carli Lloyd scored the only goal, making it 1–0. In the semi-finals, the United States played against Germany, who were ranked number one. Goals by Carli Lloyd and Kelley O'Hara secured a 2–0 win. This sent the U.S. to the 2015 final.
Japan's Journey to the Final
Japan also reached the final without losing. They only let in three goals during the tournament. They were in Group C with Switzerland, Cameroon, and Ecuador.
Japan started their World Cup journey against Switzerland. Captain Aya Miyama scored a penalty kick, giving Japan a 1–0 win. In their second game, Japan beat Cameroon 2–1 with goals from Aya Sameshima and Yuika Sugasawa. Japan's final group game was against Ecuador. A quick goal by Yūki Ōgimi in the fifth minute secured a 1–0 win. Japan won their group.
In the Round of 16, Japan played the Netherlands. Goals from Saori Ariyoshi and Mizuho Sakaguchi gave Japan a 2–1 win. In the quarter-finals, Japan faced Australia. A late goal by Mana Iwabuchi in the 87th minute meant Japan moved on. In the semi-finals, Japan played England. Two penalty kicks and an own goal by Laura Bassett in the 92nd minute led to a 2–1 win for Japan. This sent them to their second World Cup final in a row.
| United States | Round | Japan | ||||||||||||
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| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Australia |
3–1 | Match 1 | .svg){kind=small} Switzerland |
1–0 | ||||||||||
 Sweden |
0–0 | Match 2 |  Cameroon |
2–1 | ||||||||||
 Nigeria |
1–0 | Match 3 |  Ecuador |
1–0 | ||||||||||
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Final standing |
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| Opponent | Result | Knockout stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||
 Colombia |
2–0 | Round of 16 |  Netherlands |
2–1 | ||||||||||
 China |
1–0 | Quarter-finals | Australia |
1–0 | ||||||||||
 Germany |
2–0 | Semi-finals |  England |
2–1 | ||||||||||
The Final Match
Game Highlights
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The final game was played under hazy skies due to nearby wildfires. The United States started incredibly strong, scoring four goals in the first 16 minutes! Three of these goals were scored by midfielder Carli Lloyd. This gave her the fastest hat-trick (three goals) in World Cup history.
Lloyd's first goal came in just the 3rd minute. It was the fastest goal ever in a Women's World Cup final. She scored from a corner kick by Megan Rapinoe. This goal also marked the first time Japan had been behind in the whole tournament. Lloyd scored again in the 5th minute from a free kick by Lauren Holiday. Holiday then scored herself in the 14th minute.
Lloyd's third goal in the 16th minute was amazing. She shot the ball from the halfway line, catching Japan's goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori off guard. This incredible goal was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award. Lloyd became the first woman to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. She was also the first player, male or female, to do so since Geoff Hurst in 1966.
Japan's striker Yūki Ōgimi scored their first goal in the 27th minute. She skillfully got past U.S. defender Julie Johnston. Japan's coach, Norio Sasaki, made two early changes to his team. In the second half, in the 52nd minute, an own goal by Johnston added to Japan's score. Two minutes later, midfielder Tobin Heath scored the final goal for the United States.
The seven goals scored in this match set a new record for the most goals in a Women's World Cup final. It also tied the record for most goals in any men's or women's World Cup Final since 1958.
Match Details
| 5 July 2015 16:00 PDT |
United States  |
5–2 |  Japan |
BC Place, Vancouver Attendance: 53,341 Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine) |
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| https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup/canada2015/match-center/300269506 |
        United States
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     Japan
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Player of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Match rules:
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Match Statistics
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What Happened After the Final?
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The 2015 final broke many records. Carli Lloyd's goals in the 3rd, 5th, and 16th minutes made her the first player to score a hat-trick in a Women's World Cup Final. It was also the fastest hat-trick from the start of any men's or women's World Cup tournament.
Yūki Ōgimi's goal for Japan in the 27th minute ended a long streak for the United States. They had not allowed a goal for 540 minutes, which tied a World Cup record.
Some famous players made their final World Cup appearances. Homare Sawa, who was part of Japan's 2011 winning team, played in the first half. Christie Rampone, the only player left from the United States' 1999 winning team, and Abby Wambach came on as substitutes late in the game. Rampone also became the oldest player to play in a Women's World Cup match at 40 years old.
This win meant the United States held two major women's football trophies at the same time. They had the Olympic gold medal and the World Cup. The U.S. team also passed Germany to become the highest-scoring team in Women's World Cup history.
The 5–2 score was the highest number of goals ever in a Women's World Cup final. It also matched the score of a game between the U.S. and Japan in 1988.
On U.S. television, the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final broke all viewing records for soccer. Over 25.4 million people watched on Fox, and 1.3 million watched on Telemundo. This made it the most-watched soccer game in American history.
The U.S. team received $2 million in prize money for their victory. This was much less than the $35 million given to the men's champion, Germany, in the 2014 men's World Cup.
On July 11, the World Cup win was celebrated with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. It was the first time a team of female athletes was honored with such a parade in the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the team keys to the city at a ceremony.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Final de la Copa Mundial Femenina de Fútbol de 2015 para niños
- Japan–United States women's soccer rivalry
- Japan at the FIFA Women's World Cup
- United States at the FIFA Women's World Cup
