Americans win hearts after 3rd straight gold
Source: Agencies |
August 11, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The United States women's basketball team has the records, the Dream Team has the fame but it is the women's soccer team that has the hearts of American sports fans and another Olympic gold medal.
There is little warm and fuzzy about the Americans, who play the beautiful game with more beastly aggression than flair but there is no denying their appeal at home and abroad as a Games-record crowd for a women's soccer game of over 80,000 streamed into Wembley Stadium on Thursday to watch the US cap a perfect Olympic run with a 2-1 win over world champion Japan.
It was their third successive gold medal in Olympics and they will return home to a hero's welcome with a victory tour of matches across the United States.
"We don't realize now but I feel like we're writing history," said US midfielder Carli Lloyd, who scored both the American goals. "The 1999 team did a phenomenal job kind of turning the game around and I think now we're doing that.
The US was both host and winner of the women's World Cup in 1999 and the team's success drew huge crowds to the games including more than 90,000 for the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
"It's a different game now. There are so many good teams; the style of play is different," Lloyd said.
Success did not come easily in London, the Americans reaching the final with a rough-and-tumble extra-time win over Canada. It is that type of gritty effort and never-say-die spirit that had increasingly endeared the women's soccer team to the American public.
"You cannot win at everything you attempt at in life," said US. striker Abby Wambach. "You have to be willing to fail and fall flat on your face in order to get gold. We did that last year in our opinion. We have to give Japan credit but anything less than winning for us is a failure. We worked tirelessly to prove we are still champions."
Meanwhile, Japan coach Norio Sasaki urged a new generation of "Nadeshiko" to step forward.
Sasaki, who is expected to quit the team along with world player of the year Homare Sawa, said it was time to start building for their 2015 World Cup title defense after Thursday's loss.
"I know they have even greater potential, but they were able to express everything, they demonstrated their strength, and we won silver, which is good," Sasaki said.
"They played against the USA, who are a fabulous team. They each grew during this experience, they had wonderful team play and they achieved this wonderful silver medal.
"This is my greatest moment in my career in soccer and I want many new Nadeshiko athletes to come forward. We have the World Cup of course and we want all of you to watch for the new Japanese players who will be coming forward."
Sawa, 33, admitted she needed a break after the Olympics, but the two-time Asian player of the year, who top-scored at last year's World Cup, remained vague on whether she would return to international duty. "First of all, I'm taking leave so I want to rejuvenate physically and emotionally," she said.
There is little warm and fuzzy about the Americans, who play the beautiful game with more beastly aggression than flair but there is no denying their appeal at home and abroad as a Games-record crowd for a women's soccer game of over 80,000 streamed into Wembley Stadium on Thursday to watch the US cap a perfect Olympic run with a 2-1 win over world champion Japan.
It was their third successive gold medal in Olympics and they will return home to a hero's welcome with a victory tour of matches across the United States.
"We don't realize now but I feel like we're writing history," said US midfielder Carli Lloyd, who scored both the American goals. "The 1999 team did a phenomenal job kind of turning the game around and I think now we're doing that.
The US was both host and winner of the women's World Cup in 1999 and the team's success drew huge crowds to the games including more than 90,000 for the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
"It's a different game now. There are so many good teams; the style of play is different," Lloyd said.
Success did not come easily in London, the Americans reaching the final with a rough-and-tumble extra-time win over Canada. It is that type of gritty effort and never-say-die spirit that had increasingly endeared the women's soccer team to the American public.
"You cannot win at everything you attempt at in life," said US. striker Abby Wambach. "You have to be willing to fail and fall flat on your face in order to get gold. We did that last year in our opinion. We have to give Japan credit but anything less than winning for us is a failure. We worked tirelessly to prove we are still champions."
Meanwhile, Japan coach Norio Sasaki urged a new generation of "Nadeshiko" to step forward.
Sasaki, who is expected to quit the team along with world player of the year Homare Sawa, said it was time to start building for their 2015 World Cup title defense after Thursday's loss.
"I know they have even greater potential, but they were able to express everything, they demonstrated their strength, and we won silver, which is good," Sasaki said.
"They played against the USA, who are a fabulous team. They each grew during this experience, they had wonderful team play and they achieved this wonderful silver medal.
"This is my greatest moment in my career in soccer and I want many new Nadeshiko athletes to come forward. We have the World Cup of course and we want all of you to watch for the new Japanese players who will be coming forward."
Sawa, 33, admitted she needed a break after the Olympics, but the two-time Asian player of the year, who top-scored at last year's World Cup, remained vague on whether she would return to international duty. "First of all, I'm taking leave so I want to rejuvenate physically and emotionally," she said.
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