Making Soccer History

The ball launched off Carli Lloyd’s right foot like a moonbeam from midfield, arcing across the turf in Vancouver until it slipped past the flailing Japanese goalkeeper and into the net. How could that happen? In this year’s women’s World Cup final, how could it not?

Spurred by the fastest hat trick in World Cup history from Lloyd, Team USA raced to a 4-0 advantage in the July 5 championship match and held on for a 5-2 victory. The win gave the U.S. its first title since 1999 and vanquished its bitter loss to Japan in the last World Cup final. But the blowout did more than make up for bad memories. For four weeks, the U.S. women turned soccer’s marquee event into a showcase for stifling defense–at one point, the U.S. played 539 minutes without conceding a goal–along with unbridled enthusiasm and selfless teamwork. Replaced in the starting lineup by younger players, veteran stars like Abby Wambach recognized that the team they had built was safe among the sure feet of a new generation.

No surprise, then, that the final was the most watched soccer game in U.S. history. The 26.7 million people who tuned in shattered the record for a match by men or women, and New York City arranged for the team to get a ticker-tape parade. But leave it to scandal-plagued FIFA to dampen the spirit. The organization awarded the German soccer federation $35 million for winning last year’s men’s World Cup. The U.S. women fetched just $2 million for their triumph. Perhaps FIFA should have checked the TV ratings.

Carli Lloyd (10) celebrates after scoring in the World Cup final

For more of our best photography, visit lightbox.time.com