Team USA Tops Japan, 2-1, Wins Soccer Gold
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KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/GettyImages(LONDON) — The United States women’s soccer team got their revenge on Japan. Carli Lloyd led the way for the United States on Thursday with two goals in Team USA’s 2-1 win over Japan for the gold medal.
“I think I just come up big in big moments. That’s what I’ve trained for,” Lloyd said. “I worked my butt off day-in and day-out. I don’t think there’s anybody that works harder than I do. I was on a mission this Olympics to prove everybody wrong, and that’s what I did. To show everybody that I belong on the field.”
This was the women’s third straight Olympic gold medal in a rematch of last year’s World Cup final. Lloyd’s goals came in the eighth and 54th minutes, making it four goals in the tournament. 80,203 were in attendance to watch the match, which is a record crowd for a women’s soccer game at the Olympics.
“We could not be prouder,” President Barack Obama said shortly after the victory. “We have to give a special shout out to the women’s soccer team today, avenging the loss in the World Cup.”
After time expired, Abby Wambach knelt alone at midfield — and cried into a U.S. flag.
“I just kept pounding my chest, going, ‘Guys, this is only about heart. We’re all tired, every player on the field. Twenty-two players on the field are tired,”‘ Wambach said. “It’s about who wants it more, right here, right now. And today we proved that we did.”
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