Team USA 2015 World Cup highlights
Team USA's journey through the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup is a story of seven epic games. It's a story of impenetrable defense, unexpected breakout stars, and a team hitting its stride exactly when it needed to most.
Missed a game or two? Don't worry. These 30 photos will recap everything you need to know.
By CBS News' Christina Capatides
USA vs. Australia
Team USA played its opening Group D match against No. 10 Australia on June 8, 2015. And a few familiar stars had to step up their games to pull out the 3-1 victory, perhaps no player more so than scrappy veteran midfielder Megan Rapinoe.
Rapinoe racked up two goals in USA's opening match against Australia. She also racked up a yellow card, which (combined with a later one against Colombia) would force her to sit out the team's quarterfinal match against China. Good thing her teammates know how to step up to a challenge as well.
USA vs. Australia
In the opening rounds of the 2015 Women's World Cup, Team USA, its indomitable defense and its superstar goalie, Hope Solo, only conceded one goal to an opponent. This is that goal.
Here, Lisa De Vanna #11 of Australia puts a first half goal past a diving Hope Solo of the U.S. at Winnipeg Stadium in Canada on June 8, 2015.
USA vs. Australia
Lest U.S. fans worry, rookie Kristen Press then knocked in her first goal of the tournament to help secure Team USA's 3-1 victory over Australia in its 2015 Women's World Cup debut.
USA vs. Sweden
Next, Team USA went up against No. 5 Sweden on June 12, 2015, and the game was a 0-0 deadlock.
Here, Hope Solo struggles to punch the ball away, as Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt attempts a header.
USA vs. Nigeria
Then, for its third and final Group D match, Team USA took on the women's national team of Nigeria. And though the United States ultimately prevailed with a 1-0 victory, Team USA didn't quite look itself, making this game about as frustrating for U.S. fans to watch as it probably was for the U.S. women to play.
Here, Sydney Leroux #2 of the United States is taken down by Sarah Nnodim, #22 of Nigeria, in the second half, earning Nnodim a red card.
USA vs. Nigeria
Team USA ultimately clinched the top spot in the so-called "group of death" in a familiar way: an Abby Wambach goal. Make that a really familiar way: an Abby Wambach goal off a Megan Rapinoe cross.
On June 16, 2015, the 35-year-old veteran striker connected with Rapinoe's corner kick and sent the ball soaring into the goal far post.
In so doing, Wambach helped Team USA walk away the leader of its opening round for the sixth time in its last seven Women's World Cup appearances.
USA vs. Colombia
On June 22, 2015, Team USA then went up against No. 28 Colombia in the round of 16, and escaped by the skin of its teeth.
Here, Abby Wambach slides a ball past Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez early on in the first half. Wambach, however, was ultimately called offsides and the goal revoked.
USA vs. Colombia
Things weren't looking great for the U.S. in its round of 16 match against Colombia, June 22, 2015 in Edmonton, Canada, until Alex Morgan was tripped by Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez on a breakaway, and everything changed.
Perez was given a red card for the foul, forcing Colombia to bring in its third string goalkeeper and play a man down for the remainder of the match, giving Team USA the boost it needed to prevail.
USA vs. Colombia
Team USA was also gifted a penalty kick for Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Perez's red card offense. And, of course, the U.S. looked to star striker Abby Wambach to take it.
In a move that stunned U.S. fans everywhere, however, she missed. Wambach, Team USA's seemingly unstoppable star forward, sent the ball wide, missing the net completely.
USA vs. Colombia
In the midst of heartbreak, Team USA's Alex Morgan came through with her first goal of the tournament, putting the ball past Colombian goalkeeper Stefany Castano near post.
USA vs. Colombia
Then, in a stroke of luck, Team USA received a second penalty kick. This time, they looked to veteran midfielder Carli Lloyd; and the workhorse New Jersey native rocketed it in, sending her team to the quarterfinals against China.
USA vs. China
On June 26, 2015, Team USA finally hit its stride in the quarterfinals against China.
Though the final score was just 1-0, the United States set a fast pace for the game right off the bat and tired out the Chinese players with a dominant show of speed and endurance.
Here, Meghan Klingenberg - one of the unsung heroes of Team USA's stellar defense - challenges Wang Lisi, #21 of China, in the second half at Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa, Canada, June 26, 2015.
USA vs. China
Again, it was Carli Lloyd, who put in the winning goal for the United States, this time off a high-flying header in the second half.
With that, the 32-year-old midfielder from New Jersey, who had flown under the radar for years, became the undisputed, if unexpected, breakout star of the tournament.
USA vs. China
Here, Li Dongna #6 and goalkeeper Wang Fei #12 of China react as the United States celebrate Carli Lloyd's second half goal in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 Quarterfinal match at Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa, Canada, June 26, 2015.
USA vs. Germany
Then, on June 30, 2015, No. 2 USA was forced to face off against No. 1 Germany in the semifinals - the best defense in the world against the best offense in the world.
And though the United States seemed to control most of the first half, the teams went to their locker rooms at the break, deadlocked in a 0-0 tie.
Early on, United States midfielder Carli Lloyd tried to do it again, but her header was masterfully cleaned up by world-renowned German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
USA vs. Germany
In a heart-stopping moment highlighting the sport's more dangerous elements, American midfielder Morgan Brian and German forward Alexandra Popp collided midair, during a German corner kick attempt, and the game had to be paused for nearly four minutes as the two players recovered.
Popp, donning a white head wrap, continued to bleed from the point of contact for the rest of the game. Morgan Brian, Team USA's 22-year-old rookie, pulled herself to her foot looking somewhat shaken, but never left the game. In fact, both players remained in the game after the incident, a true testament to the grit of these FIFA Women's World Cup players.
USA vs. Germany
Here, Hope Solo checks in on Brian after her head-on-head collision at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, June 30, 2015.
At 22, Brian is the youngest player on the USA roster and in the tournament as a whole. Stepping in to fill the shoes of U.S. veteran midfielder Lauren Holiday after she was sidelined due to multiple yellow cards, however, Brian proved that her play is far beyond her years.
USA vs. Germany
USA defender Julie Johnston, previously flawless in her 2015 World Cup performance, then made a potentially fatal mistake.
Pulling striker Alexandra Popp down with her right arm during a German goal scoring attempt, Johnston gifted Germany a penalty kick and earned herself a yellow card, though many believe it should have been red.
USA vs. Germany
As Celia Sasic lined up to take Germany's penalty kick, Hope Solo walked away from the goal to take a long drink of water and play what some believe to be a bit of a mind game with the German forward.
Fresh off a flawless shootout performance against France in the quarterfinals, it seemed unthinkable that Germany's Sasic could miss. But moments later, that's exactly what she did, sending the ball just wide of Team USA's left post.
USA vs. Germany
Then, in what would become one of the most controversial calls of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Team USA was awarded a penalty kick of its own after forward Alex Morgan was fouled near Germany's box.
This picture shows the foul in question. Replayed seemingly on end, it appears that Morgan may have actually been taken down just outside the box, rendering the foul ineligible for a penalty kick. The refs, however, saw it differently.
USA vs. Germany
Again, Team USA called on veteran midfielder Carli Lloyd to execute the penalty and she converted, bringing the U.S. to a 1-0 lead over top-ranked Germany in the semifinals, June 30, 2015.
USA vs. Germany
Then, in what was arguably the best goal of the 2015 Women's World Cup tournament, Carli Lloyd maneuvered the ball past a number of German defenders, crossed it in just off the baseline, and USA substitute defender Kelley O'Hara connected with it mid-air.
This goal proved the decisive one in the United States' 2-0 semifinal victory over Germany, and single-handedly rendered the USA's penalty kick conversion less of a controversial game-changing debate.
USA vs. Germany
Here, Kelley O'Hara (#5) celebrates her goal against Germany, during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal match at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, June 30, 2015.
This picture serves as a snapshot of a team peaking at exactly the right time.
USA vs. Japan
Team USA's defense may have gotten them to the finals, but their offense is the reason they won it; quickly jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first half against defending champs, Japan, July 5, 2015.
In an almost unthinkable turn of events, Carli Lloyd scored two goals off two USA set pieces before the match even reached its six minute mark.
Here, goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori #18 of Japan is unable to save the first of those shots, coming in the game's third minute at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada.
USA vs. Japan
Here, Carli Lloyd scores her second goal off a bouncing flip from Julie Johnston in the first half against Japan at the FIFA Women's World Cup finals, lifting the United States on her capable shoulders once again.
USA vs. Japan
Then, just moments after Team USA's Lauren Holiday picked up her own opportunistic goal off a botched clearance by Japan, Carli Lloyd earned herself a hat trick.
In fact, knocking in her third goal in the match's 16th minute, Lloyd officially picked up the fastest hat trick in Women's World Cup history... rendering her less of a contender than somewhat of a sure thing for the 2015 Golden Ball trophy, awarded every Women's World Cup to the MVP of the tournament.
Here, goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori #18 of Japan reacts after Carli Lloyd puts a third goal past her from a whopping 54 yards out, July 5, 2015.
USA vs. Japan
Japan would ultimately come back with two goals, bringing the score to 4-2 and evening the scales a bit... just not enough.
Here, Hope Solo falls to the ground after failing to stop the first of those goals at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 5, 2015.
Though these goals weren't enough to stop Team USA from prevailing, they did put an end to Hope Solo and the United States' shutout streak at 540 minutes; an exact tie with the German record.
USA vs. Japan
Just minutes after Japan brought the score to 4-2 and breathed new life back into their team, midfielder Tobin Heath knocked in the decisive goal off a perfectly placed cross from Morgan Brian and sealed their fate.
Team USA would go on to win the 2015 Women's World Cup with a score of 5-2 in the finals against Japan, ending a 16 year drought and becoming the first women's team in history to win three World Cup titles.
USA vs. Japan
Then, in a poignant moment near the end of the game, legendary U.S. striker Abby Wambach was subbed in to be on the field when Team USA won the trophy.
Moments later, Carli Lloyd took off the captain's armband and gave it to her teammate in an emotional show of respect and gratitude.
This will have been Abby Wambach's last Women's World Cup playing for the United States, and her contributions to the game cannot be overstated.
