This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
On July 7, 2019, the United States women's national soccer team made history by defending its FIFA Women's World Cup title with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final match held in Lyon.
The US team made two changes from its semi-final squad, with captain Megan Rapinoe and midfielder Samantha Mewis returning to the starting lineup. In contrast, the Netherlands made only one change, with Anouk Dekker starting in defense.
Despite enjoying more possession in the first half, neither team was able to break the deadlock, with the score remaining goalless at halftime.
However, the US team's fortunes changed in the second half when it was awarded a penalty after a VAR review deemed Stefanie van der Gragt's tackle on Alex Morgan to be a dangerous foul. Rapinoe calmly converted the penalty to give the US team a 1-0 lead.
With 21 minutes left on the clock, Rose Lavelle doubled the US team's advantage with a left-footed strike into the net after dribbling past the Dutch midfielders in a fast counter-attack.
The Netherlands made a late substitution, replacing Dekker with forward Shanice van de Sanden, but it was too little, too late. The US team held on to its lead, securing a 2-0 victory and defending its FIFA Women's World Cup title.
