Brief WWC Synopsis Capped by a Penalty Shootout Rant
Tuesday, November 30th, 1999The Women’s World Cup final Sunday afternoon in Frankfurt, Germany between the United States and Japan was, in similar fashion to each side’s previous elimination games in the tournament, a thrilling affair.
Japan’s run was special because they were underdogs playing to lift the spirits of a nation all but washed away by the tragic tsunami that hit the country’s shores just over four months ago. To even reach the final, the Japanese had to outlast tournament host and heavy favorite Germany in a quarterfinal match-up that remained scoreless until forward Karina Maruyama broke the deadlock in the 108th minute, shocking the German side which hadn’t lost to Japan in their previous eight matches.