WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Japan won the women's football World Cup for the first time this evening, beating favourites the United States on penalties, after the match had finished 2-2 after extra time.

The Americans must be ruing their best opportunity to win the World Cup, since they themselves beat China on penalties on home turf in the 1999 final (the one where Brandi Chastain naughtily took off her shirt and revealed her sports bra after slotting home the winning kick). They dominated the game against their quicker - but markedly smaller - opponents, and had lots of chances. After the U.S. had taken a well-deserved 1-0 lead, Japan equalised with less than 10 minutes to go. The U.S. went ahead again in extra time; again Japan equalised with only minutes left on the clock. Penalties are always a crap-shoot; but the Americans lost it totally, missing the first three. And that was that.

Japan had to do things the hard way. In the quarter final they beat Germany, winners of the last two World Cups, hot favourites to win the tournament and hosts; and in the semi final, they came from behind to beat Sweden 3-1. It gives the country something to celebrate in the wake of this year's tribulations. 

Women's football is much more open than the men's game, and creates a lot more chances; even when Japan went down 2-1, you always thought that they might sneak an equaliser. It's less muscular, and there's more emphasis on speed. The new world champions would probably give the England men a good game. They'd certainly make Rio Ferdinand look like the lumbering, non-passing defender he is. 

Walter Blotscher