LYON, France _ Sixty-one minutes of tension and buildup released with one swift kick from Megan Rapinoe.
Rapinoe buried a penalty kick to break a scoreless deadlock and breathe life into the United States' attack. Eight minutes later, Rose Lavelle lasered a game-winner into the net and the United States won a record fourth World Cup title by defeating European champion Netherlands 2-0 Sunday at Stade de Lyon.
Entering the match, the United States loomed as a larger-than-life force made up of weathered and confident players with an impenetrable bond that armored them against the attention twister circling them the entire tournament.
But Netherlands played with confidence and passion, chasing down balls and winning duels. The Dutch were the first team to hold the U.S. scoreless beyond 12 minutes of play. Multiple players went down with knocks and bruises throughout the match. U.S. defender Kelley O'Hara had to sub off at halftime after a head-to-head collision and Becky Sauerbrunn's bloody face was patched up before she re-entered the game in the second half.
After near misses, blocks and saves on both sides, the breakthrough finally came when the referee signaled for video review in the 61st minute. The crowd waited with bated breath. Then the decision came down: penalty kick for the United States.
Rapinoe stepped up and sent a grounder into the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead. A yellow card was given to Netherlands' Stefanie Van Der Gragt, who was responsible for the penalty after a high kick caught Alex Morgan in the stomach.
The lethal U.S. attack that has garnered so much praise over the years relaxed after that goal and there was nothing Netherlands could do to stop the Americans. Lavelle took the ball herself and riffled it into the net from the top of the box. Morgan and Tobin Heath pressured goal over and over again in the minutes that followed.
A month of buildup and high expectations is now over. Seven matches played. Seven matches won. Countless records broken. The United States is a back-to-back World Cup champion.
