Golden Boot, Golden Ball and the World Cup. Megan Rapinoe made her mark in style.
With boos for Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, echoing around the ground at the trophy presentation and chants of “equal pay” ringing loudest, the impact off the pitch after 52 games from the reigning champions was as big as the impact on it.
A coolly taken Rapinoe penalty and beautifully worked goal from Rose Lavelle was all that was needed to fire USA to their fourth Women’s World Cup against a resilient Netherlands side held together by the outstanding, yet currently unsigned, Sari van Veenendaal in goal.
Rapinoe tied up the Golden Boot ahead of her teammate Alex Morgan, having matched her for goals and assists but in fewer minutes on the pitch. USA’s co-captain slotted home the spot-kick on the hour, after Morgan had been fouled by Stefanie van der Gragt. Eight minutes later, Lavelle sealed victory with a fine solo effort.
With USA having overcome the hosts, France, and England, there was less a feeling this would be Le Grande Finale and more of a hope that it would not be a whitewash. But the Dutch enjoy being underdogs, having won a maiden major trophy on home soil at Euro 2017. This was old money against new, the world champions against the European champions, who launched a professional domestic league only in 2007.
The Netherlands raised eyebrows by moving Dominique Bloodworth from centre-back to left-back but the experiment was short-lived. Midway through the first half the former Arsenal player, who has joined Wolfsburg this summer, was pulled out of her battle with Tobin Heath and switched with Desiree van Lunteren to try to cut off American advances on the right wing.
Quick guide
Golden double for Rapinoe as Bronze takes silver
Megan Rapinoe‘s goal from the penalty spot in the final gave her the Golden Boot ahead of USA teammate Alex Morgan. Both players scored six goals and got three assists, but Rapinoe did so in fewer minutes. England’s Ellen White came third with six goals, after having goals disallowed in the semi-final and third-place play-off.
Rapinoe also won the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player, with England full-back Lucy Bronze second and USA midfielder Rose Lavelle third. The Golden Glove was won by Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal, with Germany’s Guilia Gwinn awarded best young player.
That worked. The Netherlands looked more organised than they had been all tournament and for the first time USA failed to score in the opening 12 minutes. It took until the 31st minute before they had a shot on target, the first of the match. A Rapinoe corner flicked on by the heel of Julie Ertz, was blocked and fell kindly for Ertz, who swung in a testing volley that Van Veenendaal saved well.
The goalkeeper, wearing boots a size too small out of superstition, pulled off a string of heroic saves to keep the Netherlands level. First blocking another Ertz volley, then getting down low to stop Morgan at the near post, and minutes later turning a Morgan rocket from the edge of the area round the post.
A clash of heads between the underwhelming Lieke Martens, who had been an injury doubt, and Kelley O’Hara saw the latter unable to return after the interval, with Ali Krieger coming in. The fiery encounter restarted where it left off, this time Becky Sauerbrunn left with blood pouring from above her eye after going head to head with Daniëlle van de Donk.
If it felt as if USA would need a stroke of luck or mistake from their opponents, as they did against Spain, France and England, and Van der Gragt handed it to them close to the hour mark. With Heath’s cross headed on by Sherida Spitse, Morgan was on hand to collect but a high Van der Gragt leg caught Morgan’s arm and missed the ball. There was a VAR intervention before the inevitable penalty was given.
Up stepped Rapinoe to coolly sweep it down the middle. She had replaced Christen Press, scorer of the opening goal against England, after shaking off a hamstring injury and her performance was an emphatic reply to Donald Trump, who had told her to “WIN first before she TALKS!” in a series of bizarre tweets aimed at the American forward. It was also a hammer blow to the Dutch, who had seemed increasingly threatening.
With so much of their success this tournament having come from the wings, USA sealed the title by cutting through the middle. The midfielder Lavelle, kept quiet for much of the game, cut in between Van der Gragt and Anouk Dekker and fired low past Van Veenendaal. It was her third goal in six World Cup games.
With a chance to cut the deficit, Vivianne Miedema danced into the box from the left, turned left past one defender and right past another, but looked hesitant and failed to pull the trigger before the team in white could bundle the ball off her. This was not the final many predicted, and the Netherlands kept pushing for a way through the now familiar five-strong backline that USA had again converted to.
In the end though, the tactical nous, confidence, and winning mentality saw USA retain their title in front of 57,900 fans. They showed their dominance is far from waning but the gap is closing.
It may not have been the desired result for the neutral, a sense of a sea change, but there can be little doubt the USA’s fight for more from the table for all deserves a fourth star.
