Werlin | Great game but a weak ending

The World Cup Final between the United States and Japan was arguably one of the most riveting women’s soccer games played in recent years.

The offensive firepower displayed by the United States during the first half was something incredible. As halftime rolled around, I glanced at the score and was surprised that it wasn’t at least 3-0. Then again, so was most of the watching soccer world. Although the U.S. sent a barrage of shots toward the Japanese defense, Japan always found a way to battle, to stay alive.

Maybe it was fate. Many analysts described the match as a collision of two destinies: one team fighting to write its own legacy while another struggled to lift the spirits of its country.

I grew up in Japan and visited just a few weeks before the start of the World Cup. I knew that success would provide a huge boost and a welcome respite from the strongest earthquake Japan had ever seen. For a country that is relatively accustomed to earthquakes, never had I seen a people so rattled, or so nervous about the state of their country as after that quake.

Thus, it was a meeting of two excellent teams who had fought hard for a deserved part in the championship match. From the first touch, almost every American attack was skillfully stifled or pushed aside by a stroke of luck. The rapid U.S. offense and dangerous Japanese counters made for a game far from boring. Even when the American side looked to have the Cup in their grasp, the Japanese always found a way to strike back.

But how do you end such a display? On penalties? You have to be kidding.

This is the World Cup we’re talking about here, arguably the most coveted trophy in sports. It would be like deciding the NBA Championship on free throws. Is there any other sport that decides a champion like this? Definitely not any of the major U.S. sports during their playoffs.

I understand that PKs are part of the game. A penalty within the box during regulation heralds one and that’s the way it should be. But the final penalty kick shootout renders the previous 120 minutes irrelevant, essentially leading the entire championship to come down to a pinch of luck and a dash of skill. There is nothing in the regulation time preceding the shootout that affects the shootout in any way, minus the substitutions and the coin toss winner. Can we really think of a more anti-climactic way to decide a champion?

I say find a way to make roster depth matter. After the two 15-minute extra-time halves, go to a golden goal format and erase the substitution cap. From there, the strength of the team is laid bare. Who has the stronger lineup as a whole? Who can come through and finish the match?

The NHL does it right. During the regular season, if no goal is scored during a five-minute overtime period, they go to a shootout. But during the Stanley Cup, it’s overtime until someone scores the golden goal. Champions are made not just by the first side, but by the entire team sitting on that bench.

This is not a new argument. But a game in which Japan was so thoroughly outplayed but still managed to win brings the question back into the light.

Though only one team finished the game as World Champions, both sides had positive outcomes.

For the U.S., it was a tough lesson on how finishing matters. But just like in 1999, the number of girls who decide to play soccer will most definitely jump. And the U.S. will be back.

For Japan, well, they found a way to lift a championship trophy and inspire a nation.

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