VANCOUVER: Fallen champions Japan were left stunned and humiliated after being stripped of their World Cup crown by the United States in a tearful 5-2 defeat in Vancouver.
The 'Nadeshiko' - a pink flower symbolising grace and beauty - were trailing four goals down after just 16 minutes at BC Place Stadium on front of a passionate 53,341 crowd of largely US supporters.
Chants of 'USA, USA, USA' resounding around the stadium were so loud that coach Norio Sasaki could not be heard as he desperately shouted to warn his team of the danger posed by Carli Lloyd.
Lloyd, 32, started up front and her 13-minute first-half hattrick proved devastating for the Japanese.
The Asian champions had come into the final, which was a rematch of the 2011 championship match in which they beat the United States on penalties, with high hopes.
They were the only team to have won all their games in Canada - although four were against newcomers in Cameroon, Ecuador, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
But the cracks were beginning to show as they advanced past England 2-1 in the semi-final thanks to an own-goal by defender Laura Bassett.
The United States had advanced out of a tough Group D - dubbed the 'group of death' - which included Australia, Sweden and Nigeria.
And the Americans had analysed their rival's game.
"We knew that if we took it to Japan they would get nervous on the pitch," said Lloyd.
The Americans had worked on their set pieces and the methodical and technical Japanese had no answer.
"This is not the end of soccer in Japan," vowed coach Norio Sasaki.
"I love these girls and I really want to continue working with them.
"We lost because the United States played those set pieces successfully, we really need to look back and analyse after losing by that many goals."
"We came here and we really had pride to play here.
"We could have lost by many more goals but the positive point is that we did not give up."
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