The ultimate underdog story, Japan takes home the gold

How's this for a great humanity story? After the devastating earthquake that took so many lives and destroyed so many homes, Japan still put together a women's soccer team to compete in the world cup and they stunned the US silent with a game saving comeback, and extra time comeback, and a 3-1 penalty kick victory.

Talk about a nerve-racking game.

It's been a long road for them, battling Germany and Sweden to get to the final against the ambiguous United States. Unlike the other teams in the World Cup, Japan had something more to fight for than just their nation. Many of the players lost friends and family in the devastation. That kind of grief wears on a player to the point that the game became a means of honoring those lost loved ones.

Their heart took them all the way to final, which was impressive enough. After all, they had nothing to lose whereas the US had a reputation to maintain.

After barely qualifying for the world cup in the first place and after their mediocre performances against France, Brazil and even back in the group stages, it was really something to finally see the US play up to their full potential.

U.S. coach Pia Sundhage gathered her team and came up with a brilliant game plan: suffocate the middle, exploit their height advantage, keep the game in front of you. It worked like a charm.

The Japanese have impressed the world with their beautiful possession game and Sundhage knew that she had to find a way to shut down Japan's lethal midfield if her team was to win the game.

And they did just that.

The Americans pressed the goal hard, playing tight in the middle, changing their lineup to include an extra midfielder to compensate for Japan's. It was the best performance I've seen the U.S. put on the entire World Cup.

They played together as a team, they disciplined themselves to keep to their positions and to the game plan of suffocating the middle, and they really proved to the world that they are worthy of their No. 1 ranking. It was the first time I've seen them play seamless possession soccer.

They just couldn't score. They squandered a boatload of chances that sailed over the crossbar, whacked the post and were frantically cleared by the rattled Japanese defense, chances they would later regret.

Japan, who have been decidedly impressive all tournament long, did not look like themselves at all. They seemed terrified all game and never really recovered. The US would not let them settle into their rhythm.

In the second half, the youngster Alex Morgan came off the bench, wormed her way behind the defense, received a perfect ball from Meagan Rapinoe, and scored a beautiful solo goal.

Japan finally stepped up their game and Aya Miyama (my favorite player for Japan) capitalized on the first bout of sloppy defending for the U.S. Rachel Buehler made a miserable effort to clear the ball in the front of the net, the ball fell to Ali Kreiger who didn't seem to know what to do with the ball so close to the goal mouth and laid it right into the path of Miyama. We're tied at 1-1.

The game went into extra time, where I thought for sure the U.S. had the advantage of endurance. Sure enough, Abby Wamback, who had been pounding at the goal all game long, did what she does best and headed the ball in (I'm really not sure she can score any other way).

But once again Japan came back, this time Homare Sawa, Japan's leader and play maker, tied it up again.

We're off to penalties. And again, I thought for sure penalties favored the U.S. They hardly ever miss and keeper Hope Solo owns her goal in a way that would make former keeper Brianna Scurry envious.

So let the nail biting begin. Shannon Box was up first. The crowd held its breath as she drilled the ball into Ayumi Kaihori's leg. First penalty missed.

Next up Aya Miyama. Solo was left flat-footed as Miyama sent the ball the other direction to put Japan up 1-0.

Then Carly Lloyd stepped up. Missed horribly. It took her a second to realize that she'd sent the ball whizzing over the crossbar (as she'd been doing all game long), covering her mouth with a hand, as stunned as the crowd.

Solo kept her team in the game by saving the next shot, giving Tobin Heath a chance to tie it up but Kaihori had other plans. She dove the right way and collected the ball firmly with both hands.

That three missed shots for the US, something simply unheard of in their long, impressive history.

Solo came up with another save and FINALLY! Wamback reminded her team how to take a penalty shot and burried hers home, giving the US a slim chance to catch up, but a chance nonetheless.

So it came down to Saki Kumagai to make history for Japan. And she did.

3-1 was the final score on penalties. And what a celebration. After going through such hardship at home, it was a great humanity story to see them honor their nation with a world cup win, to see Sawa win the golden boot with five goals in the tournament, and to see their heart and hard work rewarded.

The U.S. outplayed them, held firmly to a brilliant game plan, and played like the US team of old that won the 1999 world cup.

But I have to say, Japan winning the whole thing is a great underdog story that means so much more to them and to the world than if the U.S. had taken home the gold.

United States and Japan looks to make history

The long road to glory is one match away for the United States' women's national soccer team.

Following emotional, hard fought wins over difficult teams like Brazil and France, the United States has strengthen its identity of being the most dominate women's soccer team in the world and being able to back up its No. 1 rank in the world.

Following the 2-1 loss to Sweden in the final match of group play, the United States battled a giant opponent in Brazil where the U.S. needed a late miracle from Abby Wambach in extra time to send the match to a penalty kick shootout; where the U.S. won the match 5-3 in penalties.

With little to celebrate, the U.S. had to bounce back and face a up and coming young France team full of young stars.

The France team did not mess around as it controlled the match for the majority of the time. While the match stood at 1-1 with less than 15 minutes to go, Wambach came through for the U.S. to send the team to the finals.

The U.S. will be facing Japan, who had a rough road getting to the finals, because they were not favored against Germany. Japan was not getting no media attention from its own country and many did not see them getting this far.

But Japan managed to use anything it could built momentum on and it has sent them passed Germany, who were many people's pick to face U.S. in the finals, and Sweden who were slight favorites over Japan.

The Japanese women have shown lots of pride and emotion in its matches throughout the tournament and facing them in the finals, where they do not have anything to lose, only makes the match much harder for the United States to win.

Despite the United States overcoming the Brazil team, which the best player in the world, the team has a lot on the line, including a 2-0 record the United States has in the Women's World Cup finals.

The last time United States won the Women's World Cup was in 1999 against China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Faith has brought these two teams to the end of the road where one will come up glories while the other one looks beyond in what was not to be for them.

A lot is on the line for both teams as Japan is using the earthquakes that have devastated its country and the United States that has overcame elimination in stressful, heart-pounding moments.