The USA underlined their status as the dominant force in international women’s football by winning a fourth title in eight editions on Sunday.
Jill Ellis’ side were too strong for the Netherlands as they won 2-0 in Lyon to retain their title with Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle scoring.
Their triumph came after they topped their group ahead of Sweden and then beat Spain, hosts France and England en route to the final, where they defeated the European champions Netherlands.
The USA were already the first team to appear in three consecutive finals, and Ellis becomes the first coach to win back-to-back World Cups in the men’s or women’s game since Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s.
But going by the numbers, Ellis’ side deserved to be winners as they went unbeaten the entire tournament. Led by the charismatic Rapinoe, they scored 25 goals throughout the tournament - the most of any team - and also conceded the least (3).
Here’s a closer look at some key stats from the final:
(with AFP inputs)
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