The Latest: Rose Lavelle puts up US 2-0 in World Cup final

LYON, France (AP) — The Latest on the Women's World Cup final (all times local):

Rose Lavelle has put the United States up 2-0 against the Netherlands with a fine solo goal in the 69th minute.

The midfielder collected the ball some 30 meters out, advanced to the penalty area and skipped past defender Stefanie van der Gragt before planting a low shot past goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal.

She was mobbed as she dived into the arms of her teammates as she sprinted to the U.S. bench to celebrate.

Megan Rapinoe has opened the scoring for the United States in the 61st minute with a penalty against the Netherlands in the Women's World Cup final.

Referee Stephanie Frappart awarded the penalty following a video review showed that defender Stefanie van der Gragt made a high challenge on striker Alex Morgan.

Rapinoe confidently struck the spot-kick down the middle and past a static Sari van Veenendaal, who seemed to anticipate Rapinoe would shoot to the side and was wrong-footed.

It was Rapinoe's sixth goal, tying her with Morgan and England's Ellen White at the top of the scoring charts.

U.S. defender Kelley O'Hara has been replaced for the second half by Ali Krieger.

O'Hara needed on-field treatment near the end of the first half after colliding head to head with Dutch winger Lieke Martens as they jumped up to contest a high ball.

The United States and the Netherlands were deadlock 0-0 at halftime in the Women's World Cup final, mainly because of Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal. She has made three key stops.

U.S. midfielder Julie Ertz saw her hooked shot saved in the 27th minute following a corner.

Van Veenendaal imposed herself again in the 38th, keeping out Alex Morgan's low shot from Megan Rapinoe's left-wing cross. She denied Morgan again, this time with an even better save, low to her left to tip Morgan's fizzing driver away for a corner.

U.S. goalie Alyssa Naeher had a quiet half but came out confidently to clear the ball when forward Lineth Beerensteyn chased down a pass from Vivianne Miedema.

Dutch winger Lieke Martens and U.S. defender Kelley O'Hara both needed brief on-field treatment near the end of the half after colliding head to head while going for a header.

French President Emmanuel Macron hopes women's soccer players are eventually paid the same as men.

Speaking on France Info radio before the Women's World Cup final in Lyon, Macron said "we need to go progressively toward that."

On Friday FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced he'll seek to double the prize money for women at their next World Cup in 2023. But even doubling the pool from $30 million to $60 million doesn't diminish the gap with the men's World Cup prize money, which is set at $440 million for the 2022 World Cup, up from $400 million last year.

Macron, who supports Marseille —the only French team to have won the European Cup — said interest in women's sports will be boosted significantly after this tournament.

Macron said "we have the World Cup effect" and added "things will never be the same" for women's soccer in France.

On a sunny day at Stade de Lyon, the Dutch fans are making the stadium even brighter with their orange jerseys.

The Oranje have packed themselves behind one of the goals and several are waving the horizontally striped red-white-blue national flag.

The Dutch players went over to applaud them as they ran out onto the sunbaked field.

Megan Rapinoe returned to the starting lineup for the United States in the Women's World Cup final against the Netherlands on Sunday.

Rapinoe missed the 2-1 semifinal victory over England on Tuesday with a minor hamstring injury. She had two goals in each of the previous two games of the knockout stage.

There were concerns that midfielder Rose Lavelle would also be sidelined with a hamstring injury, but she started.

Alyssa Naeher started at goalkeeper for the seventh straight game, and the backline of Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper and Kelley O'Hara remained unchanged from the semifinal.

Accompanying Lavelle in the midfield was Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis. Alex Morgan was up top flanked by Tobin Heath and Rapinoe.

Lieke Martens kept her place in the Netherlands starting lineup despite a recent foot injury.

The left winger struggled during the semifinal win against Sweden, going off at halftime. She has been carrying the injury since scoring a 90th-minute penalty in the 2-1 last-16 win against Japan, when a teammate stood on her foot during the celebrations. In the only change to the Dutch team which beat Sweden 1-0 in the semis, Anouk Dekker replaces Merel van Dongen on defense.

The United States will be vying for its fourth Women's World Cup title when it meets European champion the Netherlands on Sunday.

The U.S. is the defending champion, while the Dutch women are appearing in their first World Cup final.

Both sides had narrow wins in the semifinals, with the U.S. beating a physical England team 2-1 and the Dutch needing extra time to overcome Sweden 1-0.

The finalists both have female coaches. Jill Ellis leads the United States and Sarina Wiegman is in charge of the Netherlands.

It's the first time since 2003 that two women have coached against each other in the final.

In the most recent meeting between the two teams, the U.S. won 3-1 at home in 2016. </s> LYON, France – Megan Rapinoe stood on the field, arms outstretched, striking her now trademark victory pose symbolizing the confidence of a U.S. team that celebrated and savored each triumph at the Women’s World Cup.

Rapinoe won the Golden Ball as top player and the Golden Boot as top scorer, and the United States backed up its brashness by winning while simultaneously making a strong statement for gender equity.

“We’ve done exactly what we set out to do, done exactly what we wanted to do, said what we feel,” Rapinoe said. “All of us, really. I know sometimes my voice is louder, but everybody is in this together. We’re such a proud and strong and defiant group of women.”

The U.S. won its record fourth Women’s World Cup title and second in a row, beating the Netherlands 2-0 Sunday night when Rapinoe converted a tiebreaking penalty kick in the second half and Rose Lavelle added a goal.

Rapinoe scored in the 61st minute after a video review determined Stefanie van der Gragt had fouled Diamond Bar’s Alex Morgan with a kick to the shoulder while competing for a deflected pass in the penalty area.

Two days past her 34th birthday, Rapinoe slotted the ball past Sari van Veenendaal for her sixth goal of the tournament. She became the oldest player to score in a Women’s World Cup final.

“Getting to play at the highest level of the World Cup with the team we have is just ridiculous. But to be able to couple that with everything on the field and to back up all of those words with performances and to back up all of those performances with words, it’s just incredible,” Rapinoe said. “I feel like this team is in the midst of changing the world around us as we live, and it’s just an incredible feeling.”

Lavelle, at 24 the team’s up-and-coming star, added her third goal of the tournament on an 18-yard left-footed shot in the 69th after a solo run from the center circle.

“It’s been a long journey. It doesn’t seem real yet. I hasn’t hit me, it’s so surreal, to be part of this group and to play with these players,” Lavelle said.

The monthlong journey isn’t over quite yet for players who captured the hearts of a nation. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio needed just a few seconds after the match to invite the team to a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Fans, many dressed in red, white and blue, chanted “Equal Pay!” at the final whistle , a reminder players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation in March claiming gender discrimination. The sides have agreed to mediate the lawsuit.

Rapinoe drew the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump by saying she would refuse to visit the White House. Trump called out Rapinoe on Twitter, saying she should never “disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team.” He said he would invite the team win or lose.

But shortly after the title game, Trump tweeted: “Congratulations to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on winning the World Cup! Great and exciting play. America is proud of you all!”

Rapinoe also called out FIFA on the eve of the championship, suggesting soccer’s governing body was not doing enough to grow the women’s game, pointing to unequal prize money and the scheduling of the final on the same day as the championships of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Chicago and the Copa America final in Brazil.

Whether unequal treatment from soccer officials will change is uncertain. The Americans’ dominance in France is unquestioned.

They never trailed at the tournament and set records with 26 goals and a 12-game World Cup winning streak dating to 2015. Jill Ellis became the first coach to lead a team to two Women’s World Cup titles, and the U.S. joined Germany in 2003 and 2007 as the only repeat champions. While the U.S. has four titles, Germany is the only other nation with even two.

“It’s just chemistry. They put their hearts and soul into this journey,” Ellis said. “They made history.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed over the trophy, a stark contrast to four years ago in Canada, when then-president Sepp Blatter was a no-show as U.S. prosecutors investigated corruption in soccer’s governing body.

With confidence that some called arrogance — triggering a backlash that the angry response was sexist — this American team established a standard that exceeded the U.S. champions of 1991, 1999 and 2015, becoming a goal for all others to match. Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain were among the former American players who joined the current generation for the postgame celebration. Tobin Heath made angels in the fallen confetti.

Alyssa Naeher, the 31-year-old who succeeded Hope Solo in goal, faced repeated questions entering the tournament but allowed just three goals and finished with her fourth shutout.

The U.S. had scored within the first 12 minutes of its previous six matches but the European champions sat back to keep their defensive shape and kept the score 0-0 through the first half.

Video review, adopted by FIFA for the men’s World Cup last year, showed its impact when Stephanie Frappart, the first woman to referee a men’s Ligue 1 match, initially did not call the foul on Morgan, then went to the screen at the side of the field, watched replays and signaled toward the spot.

Rapinoe, who missed Tuesday’s semifinal win over England with a hamstring injury, became the first woman to score on a penalty kick during a Women’s World Cup final, her 50th goal in 158 international appearances. She ended the Netherlands’ 317-minute scoreless streak and matched Morgan and England’s Ellen White for most goals in the tournament, winning the Golden Ball based on fewer minutes.

Rapinoe was given a standing ovation when she was substituted in the 79th minute. The crowd of 57,900 at Stade de Lyon for Le Grand Finale included France President Emmanuel Macron.

Rebounding from a loss to Sweden on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympics, the Americans opened the World Cup with a record 13-0 rout of lowly Thailand, triggering debate over whether the celebrations after each goal were excessive. Carli Lloyd responded the next match by following a goal with a polite golf clap. Then Morgan stirred it up again when she scored against England and celebrated as if sipping tea, pinkie outstretched.

Now, after all the memorable drama, they will have a fourth star above the crest on the team’s jerseys and a higher platform to advance their cause.

“It’s something that we’ve worked so hard for. All of us, individually, have just faced so much adversity through this whole journey,” Morgan said. “We’ve been tested individually and collectively so much. So to see, four years ago, us go from two to three, and now three to four, it’s really a dream come true.” </s> The United States Women’s National team has repeated the history by registering a win over the Netherlands by a score of 2-0 in the final scheduled on Sunday and became the world champion. They lift the trophy for the second consecutive time as they have bagged victory in the previous edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the whole tournament, The Women football team of the United States had a lead before the completion of the half time of every match. The team never ended the first half without scoring goals. But in the final game of the tournament, it took Megan Rapinoe an hour to break the scoreless tie for the US women football team on a penalty kick.

United States Women’s football team won the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time. They won the tournament in the year of 1991, 1999, 2015, 2019. Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle scored two goals for the USA.

Megan Rapinoe, who is aged 34 years 2 days became the oldest player to score a goal in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final. Rapinoe has scored six goals in the tournament.

They are the first team to qualify for the final three times consecutively. Jill Ellis, is also the first coach to win the title back-to-back World Cup. American women have proved as a dominant side in Women football after winning back to back the title.

The final match took place at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium with a total attendance of 57,900 fans. </s> Lyon: The United States retained the women's World Cup on Sunday as a Megan Rapinoe penalty and a superb Rose Lavelle strike gave the holders a 2-0 victory over a battling Netherlands side in Lyon.

Having been kept at bay by the brilliant Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal throughout the first half, the USA finally went ahead just after the hour as Rapinoe stroked home from 12 yards to end the tournament as joint top scorer on six goals.

There was an air of inevitability about the pink-haired 34-year-old, the star of this World Cup on and off the field, putting the USA ahead.

It also seemed inevitable that the breakthrough goal here should come from a VAR-awarded penalty, with French referee Stephanie Frappart initially giving a corner before pointing to the spot following a review.

The whippet-like Lavelle, another stand-out performer over the last month, got the second goal in the 69th minute, killing off Dutch hopes of a comeback.

The victory underlines the USA's status as the dominant force in international women's football as they claim the World Cup for the fourth time in eight editions.

They were already the first team to appear in three consecutive finals, and coach Jill 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.

The USA had been the only non-European team to make it to the quarter-finals here, but they had already ended the hopes of the hosts and England before denying the Dutch a dream double success, two years after they won Euro 2017 on home soil.

Whether the Americans can continue this domination on to the next World Cup remains to be seen, not least because Rapinoe is already in the twilight years of her career.

She was brought back into the starting line-up here by Ellis having sat out the victory over England in the last four due to a hamstring problem.

Christen Press made way but came on for the closing stages, as Rapinoe went off to a loud ovation from the massed ranks of USA fans.

Goalkeeping heroics in vain

 At a tournament which has showcased the improving standards of goalkeeping in the women's game, the excellent Van Veenendaal prevented the USA from winning by a greater margin.

The 29-year-old, who has spent the last four years at Arsenal, had already excelled in her team's win over Sweden in the semi-finals.

Here, she allowed her team to withstand an onslaught from the holders towards half-time, saving well from Julie Ertz and bettering that by producing two superb stops in quick succession in the 38th minute.

Both American chances came from crosses from the left by Rapinoe. First Van Veenendaal stopped a Samantha Mewis header, and then she turned the ball onto the post when Alex Morgan diverted Rapinoe's low centre towards goal.

Morgan was thwarted again moments later as she tried her luck from 20 yards, and the European champions held out until the interval.

The USA had scored no later than the 12th minute in all of their prior matches at this World Cup, but the Dutch, crucially, offered little going forward at the other end.

Still, it was 61 minutes before the holders went ahead.

The referee gave a corner when Stefanie van der Gragt challenged Morgan in the area, but changed her mind upon seeing the images. Rapinoe stroked in the first penalty scored in a women's World Cup final to claim a share of the golden boot with Morgan and England's Ellen White.

The Netherlands tried to regain their composure, but there was nothing they could do to stop Lavelle's piercing run towards the box midway through the second half.

She dropped her shoulder to set up the shooting opportunity, and fired in low from 18 yards. Van Veenendaal then saved from Morgan and Dunn to keep the score down, but the title was the USA's again.

Your guide to the latest cricket World Cup stories, analysis, reports, opinions, live updates and scores on https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019.html. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or like our Facebook page for updates throughout the ongoing event in England and Wales. </s> There are many ways to describe just how one-sided the U.S. women’s national team’s 2019 World Cup opener was.

The most simplistic would be the score: USA 13, Thailand 0 – a record margin of victory at the Women’s World Cup.

Or Alex Morgan’s individual tally: five goals, tying a tournament record.

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But no single stat can do this bloodbath justice. No single description can explain just how excellent and ruthless the U.S. was.

The Americans battered and bullied and outpaced and outplayed their overmatched opponents. And they never relented, turning a 3-0 halftime lead into an unprecedented thrashing.

Which wasn’t unexpected. But the extent of their dominance was still jarring. It was almost cringeworthy.

It was, in so many ways, the perfect World Cup start.

Alex Morgan celebrates her and the USWNT's first goal at the 2019 Women's World Cup. (Getty)

USWNT’s breakout stars get their goals

A matchup with Thailand was an ideal opportunity to ease World Cup debutants onto the big stage. Not that Lindsey Horan or Rose Lavelle needed to be eased into anything. But if there were any worries about nerves or overwhelming emotions, they were quickly quashed.

Lavelle, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder making her first start at a major tournament, nabbed her first World Cup goal in less than 20 minutes:

YES WE WILL ACCEPT THIS ROSE! 🌹@roselavelle doubles the @USWNT lead with a sweet strike from distance 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/52BmByOjLw — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Horan, whose unconventional path has led her to the top of the sport, got off the mark in the 32nd minute:

Story continues

IT'S THREE! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@LindseyHoran pounces on the loose ball in the box off a Tobin Heath free kick. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/73zdchSWeA — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Sam Mewis, another midfielder making her major-tournament bow, made it 4-0 shortly after halftime ...

Sam Mewis got the @USWNT’s second-half goal fest started with her 1st career #FIFAWWC goal 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GgC19jlGAu — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

... and got her second minutes later:

DREAM DEBUT FOR MEWIS! @sammymewy scores her 2nd goal of her #FIFAWWC debut for the @USWNT's 6th. 😱 pic.twitter.com/WhTAhnD6pR — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Lavelle capped off a seven-minute barrage with the USWNT’s seventh:

LAVELLE AGAIN!@roselavelle matches Sam Mewis with a brace of her own and it is SEVEN for the @USWNT 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aAA9DH643v — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

The joy on all three of their faces was so genuine, so deserved, and so meaningful. Mallory Pugh, a 21-year-old winger, joined them on the scoresheet late in the day.

HISTORY! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸



The @USWNT ties the all-time record for biggest World Cup win as @malpugh gets in on the fun in her 1st #FIFAWWC game pic.twitter.com/C2NrVyH3L2 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Now that all those firsts are out of the way, and those emotions have been experienced, Horan and Lavelle in particular can be unleashed on the rest of the world. The U.S. might need both to star if it’s to defend its title.

Alex Morgan gets five

It’ll also need Alex Morgan to be the striker we know she can be. And, well, Tuesday was a pretty good start in that department as well.

Morgan got the scoring underway in the 12th minute, nodding home a precisely weighted Kelley O’Hara cross:

This one counts! @AlexMorgan13 scores her 4th career #FIFAWWC goal to give the U.S. the early lead on a @Kelleymohara assist. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/hiCgNcLYbr — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

She got a second in the middle of that early second-half flash flood ...

The rout is on!



Alex Morgan’s 5th career #FIFAWWC goal gave the @USWNT a 5-0 lead on Thailand early in the 2nd half pic.twitter.com/idp7TgXoUB — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

... and a third a little over 20 minutes later:

Header ✅

Left Foot ✅

Right Foot ✅@alexmorgan13 with a PERFECT hat trick at the #FIFAWWC 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/xhzUklhBDD — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

As if a hat trick wasn’t enough, Morgan put in a fourth, and the USWNT’s 10th, in the 81st minute.

ALEX MORGAN SCORES AGAIN



Her 4th goal of the match makes it 1️⃣0️⃣ for USA 💪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Pq9zwbbhR4 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

And then a fifth in the 87th.

ALEX MORGAN FOR THE RECORD! 😱😱@alexmorgan13's 5th ties Michelle Akers' single-game #FIFAWWC record ... and makes it 12-0 USA! pic.twitter.com/52Z0ePG6vI — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019

Megan Rapinoe also scored. So did 2015 hero Carli Lloyd. The 10 goals in the second half were yet another Women’s World Cup record.

And to be quite frank, the U.S. easily could have scored more than 13. Thailand, on the other hand, never even threatened to get one.

Just how dominant was the U.S.?

The U.S., by the end of the 90 minutes, had peppered Thailand with 40 – FORTY! – shots. It put 20 of the 40 on goal.

Thailand, meanwhile, had two. And they were both hopeless.

The U.S. camped in the attacking half all game. Through 45 minutes, nine American players had 40 or more touches. No Thai player topped 40.

#USWNT's first-half passing network.



Naeher had five touches. Morgan had 22. Everyone else had 40+.



The top Thai player had 40 touches. pic.twitter.com/Ul1hqVAVMu — Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) June 11, 2019

In the second half, the action map was pretty telling:

So was a final-whistle shot map:

xG Thailand - USA



that

is

a

paddlin pic.twitter.com/SjlCaqHMZU — Caley Graphics (@Caley_graphics) June 11, 2019

The U.S. started defensive midfielder Julie Ertz at center back to fit Mewis into the lineup. At times, it barely even played with any defenders – and the “defenders” who did hang back at the halfway line didn’t do much defending. The 4-3-3 base became a 3-4-3, and occasionally something resembling a 1-6-3.

Then, as if to flaunt her riches, U.S. coach Jill Ellis brought Lloyd and fellow forward Christen Press off the bench. After Pugh entered as the third sub, the U.S. had three strikers and two wingers on the field despite being up double-digits.

The U.S. will have tougher tests ahead, starting with Chile on Sunday, then Sweden in the group finale. Opponents will get progressively stronger. France, the USWNT’s top challenger, likely awaits in the quarterfinals. A demolition of Thailand doesn’t tell too much about the Americans’ readiness for a game like that.

But Tuesday’s rout was nonetheless remarkable.

– – – – – – –

Henry Bushnell is a features writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell, and on Facebook.

More from Yahoo Sports: </s> LYON, France (Reuters) - Forward Lieke Martens was named in the starting lineup for the Netherlands in their women's World Cup final on Sunday against holders the United States, who recalled winger Megan Rapinoe into the first team after she sat out the semi-final.

Rapinoe, who has scored five goals in helping the U.S. to reach their fifth World Cup final, missed the 2-1 win over England because of a slight hamstring strain.

The 34-year-old takes the place of Christen Press who scored the opening goal in the semi-final. Midfielder Rose Lavelle also starts despite fears over a knock she received in the same match. Samantha Mewis starts alongside her in place of Lindsey Horan who is dropped to the bench.

Martens, the 2017 world player of the year, aggravated a toe injury celebrating her late penalty winner against Japan in the last 16 and has been in and out of training since.

However, she made the cut to feature in the European champions' first ever World Cup final, supporting all-time Dutch goalscorer Vivianne Miedema up front.

The U.S. are aiming to win a record-extending fourth world title out of eight editions. </s> LYON, France — After 95 minutes of game time, the United States Women's National Team has won the FIFA Women's World Cup.

This is the second Women's World Cup won in a row by the United States and its fourth cup win overall.

After a tense first half ending with no goals for both teams, the United States came back with a force in the second half. Megan Rapinoe scored the first goal for the US off of a converted penalty kick in the 61st minute. Eight minutes later, Rose Lavelle scored the US's second goal. </s> The 2019 Women's World Cup came to an end over the weekend as the United States successfully retained the title they won in 2015, and a fourth overall, after beating the Netherlands 2-0 in front of a sell out crowd in Lyon.

After a month of intense action and drama, now comes the time for reflection on what has been a marvellous few weeks for women's football.

This is 90min's team of the tournament...

Currently without a club after leaving Arsenal at the end of last season, Sari van Veenendaal was arguably the main reason why an otherwise largely underwhelming Netherlands side reached a first ever World Cup final, capping it with the Golden Glove award.

The 29-year-old made numerous top quality saves throughout the tournament and was responsible for keeping the final against the United States competitive for as long as it was.

Honourable Mention: Christiane Endler (Chile) - Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and prevented Chile from going the same way as Thailand in Group F.

Lucy Bronze was a star of the summer and further underlined her status as one of the very best players in the world. England's right-back was awarded the Silver Ball as the second-best player at whole World Cup, behind only Megan Rapinoe.

Bronze will return to Lyon at club level looking to continue the dominance of recent years after winning two Champions League titles in her two seasons in France.

One bizarre own goal aside, towering centre-back Wendie Renard was colossal at both ends of the pitch for France and could even have challenged for the Golden Boot had the hosts stayed in the tournament beyond the quarter-finals.

Renard bagged a brace on the opening night, netted the only goal against Nigeria and led the late French charge against the United States in the quarter-finals.

It has been an incredibly difficult few months for England captain Steph Houghton following her husband's diagnosis with motor neurone disease in December, but her performances on the pitch never showed it and she has remained the consummate professional.

Houghton missed a crucial late penalty that could have sent England's semi-final to extra-time, but her colleagues were right in pointing out they wouldn't have been there without her.

Crystal Dunn has typically been a more attacking player in the past and even scored four goals in three NWSL appearances for North Carolina Courage this season prior to World Cup duty, but she has fully established herself as a world-class left back in recent weeks.

Playing on the USWNT's left flank, it was always going to be vital that she could cope defensively as Megan Rapinoe has never been a 'tracking back' kind of player.

Jackie Groenen played every minute of every game for the Netherlands and scored the crucial extra-time goal against Sweden that put the Dutch into their first World Cup final. She appeared more distraught than most after the final whistle against the United States.

Once briefly of Chelsea, Groenen will be playing her club football in England in 2019/20 after becoming Manchester United's first-ever overseas signing in May.

A veteran of the United States squad from 2015, Julie Ertz was arguably the glue that held the whole team together and became increasingly important as the tournament progressed. She started the opening game in defence, but her presence in midfield thereafter was crucial.

USWNT coach Jill Ellis often dispensed with the more attack-minded Lindsey Horan in order to give the team greater structure and defensive protection with Ertz.

Rose Lavelle has emerged as the real breakout star of the 2019 Women's World Cup and was a deserving goalscorer in the final after her energetic contributions throughout the tournament, so much so that she walked away with the Bronze Ball as the third-best player overall.

The 24-year-old Washingon Spirit midfielder only made her senior international debut in 2017 and represents more than anyone the next generation of U.S. talent.

Sam Kerr and Australia exited the tournament disappointingly early after a round of 16 penalty shootout defeat to Norway, but the NWSL record-breaking forward was stunning during the games that she did play at this summer's tournament.

As well as scoring Australia's opening goal of the World Cup, 25-year-old Kerr netted four times in the demolition of Jamaica that secured her country's passage to the knockout rounds.

Honourable Mention: Alex Morgan (USA) - Scored five times in the United States' opening game against Thailand to tie a competition record, as well as once in the semi-final.

Ellen White emerged as England's biggest goal threat, showcasing her ability as a calm and composed finisher at the highest level. But for a marginal offside and a contentious VAR-ruled handball, her six World Cup goals could easily have been eight.

White has been on the international scene since 2010 and has played for several of England's top clubs, but 2019 has launched her to a new level of fame and acclaim.

Outspoken off the pitch and devastating on it, Megan Rapinoe was the single biggest star of the 2019 Women's World Cup. Rightly, she walked away with the World Cup trophy, Golden Boot and Golden Ball after six goals and several match-winning performances.

Rapinoe recent turned 34 years of age and has probably played her last World Cup, but she will go out at the very top and her legacy will burn bright long after she has retired. </s> The U.S. Women’s National Team just set the tone for the rest of the tournament after they beat Thailand 13-0 in their first match, breaking the record for the most lopsided victory in the history of the Women’s World Cup.

The U.S. entered the match with a 4-3-3 formation, with Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath (captain) leading the front line.

The USWNT dominated from the opening kickoff in Reims, France, scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes.

Alex Morgan took the spotlight as the opening act when she scored the first goal within 12 minutes, followed by two more from Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan, and the U.S. squad finished the first half with 15 shots and 73 percent possession.

That lead ballooned in the second half when team USA scored four more goals in the span of six minutes, cementing a 7-0 lead, until Alex Morgan scored a hat trick for the eighth goal.

Morgan eventually finished the game with five goals, tying the single-game record set by Michelle Akers in 1991.

Her fifth goal put the Americans in the lead for the all-time records for both goals and margin of victory in a World Cup match, a record previously held by Germany when they beat Argentina 11-0 in 2007.

Here is a look at Team USA’s opening XI and substitutions:

Watch it on FOX

Watch the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup on FOX from June 7 through July 7.
In the final match of the 2019 Women's World Cup, the United States wins 2–0 over the Netherlands. Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe scored on a penalty kick, followed by Rose Lavelle's strike in the 69th minute.