Badass Ladies of the Women’s World Cup

Whether coming up big in a clutch moment, or wiping off the blood and returning to the pitch, these women proved their badass-itudes time and again. A look back at the ladies of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup:

1. Homare Sawa

Homare Sawa was the heart and soul of the Japanese team. The 32-year-old captain, playing in her fifth World Cup, brought a magical quality to the midfield. She was able to shake off mounting pressure and make big plays when they mattered most. Scoring the only hat trick of the tournament in Japan’s Group Stage match against Mexico, Sawa also provided the game-winning assist in the additional minutes of the Quarterfinals, where the quite-literally tiny team toppled the German Goliaths. Later, in the waning moments of the World Cup final against the US, it was Sawa who came up with the tying goal to send the game to penalty kicks.

The architect of Japan’s smooth possession game, her precision and never-say-die attitude resulted in Japan’s first trip to the WWC championship, where the team carried the hopes of a nation that needed a little bit of good news this year. And good news they got, as Japan defeated the US for the title and Sawa received two very deserved awards – 2011’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball.

2. Hope Solo (USA)
The US team owed much of their successful run to the WWC final to the outstanding play of goalkeeper Hope Solo. Even when her teammates repeatedly lost the ball in the midfield and scrambled for position on defense, Solo was a 781-minute-clean-sheet-streak rockstar. She shut down the opposition, providing huge saves throughout the tournament. But her most shining moments came in the spectacular Quarterfinal match against Brazil.

During that game, the US keeper found herself defending against penalty kicks six times. Brazil were awarded a questionable penalty in the 65th minute of regular play. Solo made an amazing save from the strike by Christiane, only to have the ref rule the kick be retaken. When the US tied the game in the very last minute of additional time, a poised Solo strode back to the line. She pulled off another save on the third shot by Daiane, successfully setting the team up for a trip to the semifinals.

3. Christine Sinclair (Canada)

Canada may not have made it through the Group Stage, but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of guts from captain Christine Sinclair. Sinclair suffered a broken nose in the first half of the tournament’s opening match against Germany. She received treatment on the sidelines and rushed back into the game, despite medical staff urging her to remain off the field. Like a true leader, Sinclair played through the pain and even rose above it to score a real stunner of a goal in the 82nd minute.

Her starting presence was doubtful for Canada’s second match versus France, but Sinclair refused to be cowed by something as trifling as a painful broken nose. She emerged sporting a Hannibal-Lecter-style facemask. However, even the extra protection couldn’t stop the ball from finding her broken nose, as a French defender cleared it right into her face. Again, she received treatment and, again, made her way back into the game.

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