A Little Good News For Japan, Made In Germany

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeFive months ago, northern Japan was hit by a major earthquake, which led to a tsunami that spread across the Pacific.  Then came the nuclear disaster that shut down Fukushima and environs.

Now, with the country still reeling from the death and destruction, they have some good news.  The Japanese women's soccer team won the FIFA World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany Sunday, defeating the United States 3-2 in extra time and penalty kicks.

To get here, the Japanese team had to defeat established soccer powers Germany (the host country and defending champion) and Sweden in dramatic fashion.  The final was no different.

The first half was scoreless.  In the second half, Miyama scored to tie the match at 1-1 in the 81st minute, not long after Alex Morgan had scored for the Americans in the 69th minute.  In extra time, the same pattern of the U.S. scoring first and the Japanese tying the game emerged.  Abby Wambach gave the Americans a 2-1 lead in the 104th minute.  But Homare Sawa tied it again for Japan at the 117th minute mark.

For the first time since 1999, the championship was decided in a shootout.  Goalkeeper Aryumi Kaihari made the crucial saves and Saki Kumugai scored the winning goal as Japan won in penalty kicks 3-1.

For the United States, making it this far after being the last team to qualify for the Women's World Cup was an accomplishment in itself.  In the final, they kept missing their shots and hit the Japanese goal posts more often than anyone was comfortable with.  Having battled back to win their quarterfinal against Brazil in extra time and penalty kicks and struggling in their semifinal against France, the U.S. team looked tired toward the end of the final and unable to hold off a determined Japanese squad.

The United States has been a soccer power from the first year FIFA added a women's tournament in 1991, and they will likely continue to be.  But this is Japan's triumph.  After all that country has been through in the past few months, they deserved to take home a trophy that isn't radioactive.