US triumph caps truly global Women's World Cup

Vancouver

THE United States returned to the pinnacle of women's soccer with a 5-2 crushing of Japan in Sunday's Women's World Cup final at the end of a riveting tournament that pushed the sport into new territory.

The Americans last triumphed in 1999 but women's soccer is a vastly different sport than it was a decade-and-a-half ago with new nations forging their way into the elite amid an unprecedented level of global interest.