Armour: USA, coach Jill Ellis silence doubters with trip to World Cup final

    

MONTREAL — OK, U.S. women, finish it off.

The Americans are into the World Cup final, a game they've been itching for since they went home empty-handed four years ago. It's been 16 years since the Americans, without question the most dominant team in women's soccer, have won the title, and you can't begin to imagine how sick they are of hearing about it.

The Olympic gold medals are great, sure. But it's the World Cup title that tells everyone in the world that you are, without question, the best.

So here's their chance.

"Four years ago, we came so close," Carli Lloyd said after the U.S. downed Germany 2-0 to advance to Sunday's final. "I feel we have really really good momentum going into this. ... I have a really confident feeling in us winning it."

They've already won the hardest game, defeating top-ranked Germany in a match so thrilling, so hair-on-fire open it will be days before U.S. fans' heart rates recover. The heart rate monitors the American players wear are going to need a day or two, too.

They've got the support, with so many fans making the trip for Tuesday night's game the U.S. could have claimed Olympic Stadium as American territory for the day.

"It was bringing chills to (me)," Lloyd said.

They've got the momentum, too, finally hitting upon the right style of play after three weeks of a boring, defensive-minded game plan that excited no one.It's a good thing U.S. coach Jill Ellis doesn't pay attention to what anyone is saying about her or her team, because her game plans in the first four games were roundly criticized by everyone from former players to folks on the street.

But Ellis had something special saved up for the semifinal. She played Alex Morgan as the lone forward, but moved Lloyd up just behind her, giving her free rein. Create, attack, whatever she wanted. It was an inspired move, and the Americans had the Germans on their heels for most of the game.

That's no small thing. Germany came into the semifinal having scored 20 goals. Granted, 10 came in the opener against Ivory Coast, a team that was making its World Cup debut. Still. Those are numbers usually only seen in the FIFA video game.

Yet that potent German attack was rarely seen, with the Americans extending their shutout streak to an unbelievable 513 minutes.

The Americans, meanwhile, were seemingly everywhere on the field. Had Morgan finished any one of the chances she had, the score easily could have been 3- or 4-0.Tobin Heath missed a gimme, too, and I'm still not sure how Nadine Angerer stopped a point-blank header by Julie Johnston in the opening minutes.

Most importantly, the U.S. women are finally showing that swagger that is uniquely American. That in-your-face, we-know-we're-the-best-and-you're-going-to-be-sorry-when-we-prove-it attitude.

Did you see Lloyd's face after she converted the penalty kick in the 69th to put the U.S. up 1-0? How about the icing Hope Solo gave Celia Sasic before the German was to take a penalty of her own?

Germany had never missed a penalty kick at the World Cup, and Sasic made not one, but two, in the quarterfinal against France. But Solo took her time getting set – the penalty was awarded in the 59th minute and Sasic didn't shoot until the 63rd – and all that time to think is always going to favor the goalkeeper.

Sure enough, Sasic pulled it left and the roar that went up from the 51,176 fans could be heard all the way to the border.

Kelley O'Hara added an insurance goal in the 84th minute, and all that was left was the celebrating.

The Americans will play the winner of England-Japan on Sunday. Yes, Japan is the defending champion, having beaten the U.S. on penalties four years ago.

But every time the U.S. and Germany have played in the World Cup, the winner has gone on to win the title.

The Americans have been saying all tournament that they haven't played their best, that there was still more from them to come.

Well, here's their chance. The World Cup title is theirs for the taking. All those questions, all those doubters, they can silence them for good on Sunday.

"I came here to win this thing, not be a participant that played in a World Cup," Lloyd said.

Finish it off.