USA win the Women’s World Cup after victory over Netherlands
Relive the USA’s historic victory over the Netherlands in Lyon
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Your support makes all the difference.The USA have won the 2019 Women's World Cup after a battling victory over the Netherlands in Lyon.
Second half goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle were enough to see the 2015 winners through to a win which sees them successfully defend the crown won in Canada four years ago.
The 2-0 win sees them lift the World Cup for a second time in a row and a fourth time in their history.
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11 minutes
The US waste the free kick opportunity and then Julie Ertz leaves a foot in on Dominique Bloodworth, somewhat naughtily so. A cursory word from the referee.
13 minutes
The Netherlands are just struggling to push out, now, sitting deeper and deeper and rather struggling to move the ball forward when they do win it back.
LIneth Beerensteyn is definitely operating as a lone striker, and it appears she's drawn a dull job. She looks rather isolated in these first 13 minutes.
15 minutes
The Netherlands have, however, survived the first 15 minutes unscathed, something no other side has done in this tournament, and the US have yet to create anything of particular note.
16 minutes
Desiree van Luteren covers well to block a Megan Rapinoe cross behind. Corner kick.
Rapinoe takes and finds Tobin Heath on the edge of the box, who heads on and the space is worked for Rose Lavelle skipping past a tackler to the byline, but finding only the safe hands of Sari van Veenendaal extending outwards from her goal.
18 minutes
The USA won't necessarily mind biding their time. The Netherlands' semi-final went to extra-time and the nature of the club calendar is such that this tournament comes at the end of a long season for many of the Dutch players, with the Americans comparatively fresh.
20 minutes
It is a very hot day, and fatigue might well be an issue. Little of quality in forward areas, yet.
That's a crucial challenge. Crystal Dunn has been one of the players of the tournament, often a lone wolf at left-back with little support ahead of her, and makes a vital intervention, making a smart decision to bite inside, leaving a player free outside her but making the sliding challenge on the edge of her box.
22 minutes
The Netherlands are perhaps showing a touch more appetite to get forward having survived that crucial first 15 minutes. Miedema is in a central attacking midfield role, which isn't perhaps her best role, and hasn't really got herself into the game as of yet.
25 minutes
Quick thinking from Kelly O'Hara, darting a throw into the Dutch box as Tobin Heath makes the run, but the link up isn't quite there.
26 minutes
That's the first sighting of Vivianne Miedema, picking the ball up from deep and moving forward, threading the pass between the two American centre-halves and looking for the pace of Lineth Beerensteyn in behind.
Alyssa Naeher is off her line quickly, but they parted rather easily, there, the centre-half pairing. That's exactly what the Dutch are trying to do.
27 minutes
A first save, a simple one in the end, though Julie Ertz connected nicely on the volley. A corner spooned up into the air after Ertz had flicked on the initial ball and Ertz was alert to hurry back to the dropping ball and get a shot away, but her momentum was away from goal and the power wasn't there to beat Sani van Veenendaal to her left. The goalkeeper parries away.
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