It's tough to sift through 122-plus minutes of a match filled with so much action, excitement and intrigue and distill it down to a few details. But here are the five major events from today's match that shaped the outcome of the game.

-Brazil's Early Miscue

The United States jumped out to an early lead thanks to a flub by Brazil just 74 seconds into the game.

1) To me, the shots of Abby Wambach and Hope Solo hugging it out in triumph after the USA's legendary and improbable win over Brazil yesterday are the most poignant. The two were at odds in the last World Cup, with Wambach one of the harshest critics of Solo's outburst, ignoring the honesty of her statements to lash out at the breaking of the team code.

It is always sad when a World Cup ends. No more matches at all hours of the day, no more constant media coverage, no more excitement with new heros daily emerging from obscurity. This year's 2011 Women's World Cup was as entertaining an affair as we have seen from this (or any other tournament) in quite some time.

It is always sad when a World Cup ends. No more matches at all hours of the day, no more constant media coverage, no more excitement with new heros daily emerging from obscurity. This year's 2011 Women's World Cup was as entertaining an affair as we have seen from this (or any other tournament) in quite some time.

Official Women's World Cup Team Photo (Photo Credit: USSoccer.com)USSoccer.com has been putting together these mini-profiles of each of the USWNT players that will complete in Germany for the 2011 Women's World Cup.
Here are the first six videos featuring 13 of the 21 players on the roster.

Defender Ali Krieger arrived in Portugal late last night after playing for her club team FFC Frankfurt in Germany on Sunday afternoon. She participated in her first training with the U.S. team since CONCACAF qualifying last fall as club commitments have kept her in Germany. The U.S. team is just waiting for team captain Christie Rampone, who will arrive on Wednesday morning, and the 24-player camp will be complete.

Dance. The essence of movement. The embodiment of rhythm. A fine, practiced discipline designed for entertainment and expression. Football, it's own form of dance. Two teams, two styles. Style deeply rooted in culture, passion, and attitude. An attitude that defines the way in which we play and perform.

U.S. captain Christie Rampone leads the victory charge

One word: Wow.
Playing almost half the game with 10 players, scoring in the final seconds of overtime and then winning in penalty kicks againts Brazil in the quaterfinal of the Women's World Cup which just happens to be in a sold-out stadium in Dresden where the U.

United States Drops Heartbreaker to Japan in Final

Writer Jerrod Roh has provided coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.

Most of us in South Florida who know of the existence of magicJack, the Women's Professional Soccer team playing in Boca Raton, have been wondering why the owner of the team (Dan Borislow) has not made a real website or even done some type of marketing for a team filled with stars who in their majority play for the U.

Hola muchachitas y muchachitos! Burrito want to tell you about his new love. Her name is Hope Solo and she gonna play in South Florida! Well, at least that's what SI.com say and Burrito believe anything they say cause they always have the swimsuit issue an if that no give you credibilitys then nothing will!

Come join Minnesota supporters of the Women's National Team, along with readers of IMSoccer News, duNord Futbol, and the Dark Clouds supporters group for a US National Team World Cup watch party.

The US National Team plays France in a 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Semi-Final match, Wednesday, July 12, with a 10:55 a.

The United States Women's National Team will play against Japan this afternoon in the 2011 Women's World Cup Final. Feel free to chat in the comments section below from now until the Philadelphia Union-New England Revolution game tonight.

Game Time: 2:45 pm Eastern (EST), with coverage beginning at 2 pm.

The U.S. team will miss the Chinese New Year on Feb. 3, but already you can see preparations being made around Chongqing, with many decorations being hung.
2011 is the Year of the Rabbit and a FIFA Women's World Cup Year. The last Year of the Rabbitt? 1999. Hmmmmm....
The U.

Hot shot: Juan Agudelo had the Home Depot center crowd - and U.S. soccer fans - buzzing with his performance Saturday against Chile in Carson (AP Photo).

Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo had an immediate impact on Saturday's U.S.-Chile game when the pair of youngsters came on as second half substitutes.

Alternate title: "Meet the cast of Galaxy Quest 2!!!"See the photo on the USsoccer.com front page to see why. Then read about the team here.G: Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden, Hope SoloD: Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Ali Krieger, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Becky SauerbrunnM: Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay

The U.S. Women's World Cup Team has arrived in Europe, but despite flying from Washington, D.C., to Munich, did not spend much time in Germany, host country for this sixth Women's World Cup. Instead, the U.S. team boarded a bus for a two hour drive southeast to the sight of its pre-tournament training camp about an hour from Salzburg, a wonderfully scenic setting set at the base or towering mountains with sweeping green forests.

Pre-tournament training for the U.S. WNT rolls on in the beautiful Austrian country-side and today was the USA's combo weights/on field training, where half the team hits the weight room and half does a field session before flip-flopping. It means a few trips for the bus driver, but also gets a lot of work done for the WNT.

More rain fell today, but thankfully most of the U.S. WNT training was spared of the wet stuff. Still, the rain that fell overnight made the pitch quite soggy and the goalkeepers certainly got a bit muddy. That's ok, though, they enjoy that.
Christie Rampone's oldest daughter Rylie is back home in New Jersey and requested a picture of her mom on the WNT Blog, so here it is.

Photo by Brad Smith/ISIphotos.com

The United States women's national team kicks off its World Cup campaign on Tuesday in hopes of securing its first World Cup championship since 1999.

The U.S. women have never finished worse than third in any of the five Women's World Cups, but after the standard that was set by the teams of the past, it figures to be win or bust yet again for coach Pia Sundhage and her squad.

LINEUP
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 19-Rachel Buehler, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 6-Amy LePeilbet; 9-Heather O'Reilly, 16-Lori Lindsey, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney; 8-Amy Rodriguez, 20-Abby Wambach 

Subs: 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 7-Shannon Boxx, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Stephanie Cox, 15-Megan Rapinoe, 17-Tobin Heath, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 21-Jill Loyden
LINEUP NOTES
- The USA plays its second consecutive game at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in all white uniforms.

The bus eventually moved, revealing the church, but we didn't get a shot of that.
The U.S. team went out to dinner tonight at a local Italian restaurant and had a good meal while watching the dramatic and exciting England-France semifinal. But before the team hit the restaurant, the team bus stopped in the main square in Dresden and the team took a photo in front of the famous and appropriately named Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady).

High fives, high pressure: Abby Wambach, right, high-fives teammate Christie Rampone during a U.S. training session Friday ahead of Sunday's World Cup final (AP Photo).

There were virtually no American reporters outside of those working for ESPN - which holds the broadcast rights to the tournament - planning to follow the U.

By Puck Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back into the Happy Hour. Hopefully, you have recovered from the USWNT drinking game I put together for the World Cup Final; I know it did the trick for me. I was dragging ass all day Monday for two reasons. First, I was hungover. The WWC Final was a [...]

(via U.S. Soccer)

CHICAGO (Jan. 13, 2011) – U.S. Women's National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named 23 players to the roster for the 2011 Four Nations Tournament taking place in Chongqing, China, where the USA will face Sweden, Canada and the host.

With the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup commencing in late June, the tournament will be a key part of Sundhage's crafting of the eventual Women's World Cup roster as the USA takes on three strong nations, including Sweden, which is the USA's third Group C opponent at the Women's World Cup in Germany.

Here is an excerpt from Christie Rampone and Abby Wambach's visit to Associated Press TV this past week in NYC.
http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress#p/search/5/GTzLu66vAIc

Editors's Note: The US Women are on the ground in Germany, but how will their back four fare on the pitch?

TSG guest columnist Maura Gladys takes a look. Offer her some feedback.

Christie Rampone, has nearly all the "Been there, done that" of the back four.

In Part 1 of Back Home with Christie Rampone we visited the U.S. captain at her home in Manasquan, N.J. before the team left for the Algarve Cup at the end of February. There we saw her unique house (an old, old house that had been almost totally and fantastically remodeled) and we of course met her family, and dog.

LINEUP:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 19-Rachel Buehler, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 6-Amy LePeilbet; 15-Megan Rapinoe, 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney; 8-Amy Rodriguez, 20-Abby Wambach
Subs: 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 9-Heather O'Reilly, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Stephanie Cox, 16-Lori Lindsey, 17-Tobin Heath, 18-Nicole Barnhart, 21-Jill Loyden
SCENARIOS:
- If the USA wins or ties it will play Australia on July 10 in Augsburg.

Writer Jerrod Roh will provide coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.S. He is a self-described fan, student, and teacher of the game.

Come join Minnesota supporters of the Women's National Team, along with readers of IMSoccer News, duNord Futbol, and memebers of Minneapolis and St. Paul, American Outlaws and the Dark Clouds supporters group for a US National Team World Cup watch party.

The US National Team plays Japan in a 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final Championship match, Sunday, July 17, with a 1:30 p.

The 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final is just hours away. Game days - espcially when kickoff is late - move pretty slowly. And this day in particular has been crawling along at a snail's pace! Game day in the hotel generally consists of rest, meals, more rest, and a pre-game meal. Not much to do other than get mentally prepared for the game.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the U.S. Women' National Team during their pre-game meal today to wish the team good luck ahead of the Women's World Cup Final.
Secretary of State Clinton called from Greece where she said she'll be watching the game tonight at a party.

Check out the schedule for this weekend's Women's Professional Soccer matches. Be sure to catch your favorite WNT players in action!
Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011
Atlanta Beat vs. Western New York Flash
KSU Soccer Stadium – Kennesaw, Ga. (Ticket Info)
7 p.m. ET
Western New York Flash has clinched a playoff berth and currently sits in second place in WPS standings.

Members of the U.S. team stop for a pic during a short walk to stretch the legs after a long flight

The U.S. team arrived in Chongqing, China on Saturday morning (China time) after traveling from Los Angeles via Beijing and by all accounts, it was one of the smoothest trips to China the U.

Christie Rampone has announced her signing with the Washington Freedom/magicTalk SC. Rampone spent two seasons with Sky Blue FC, winning the inaugural WPS Championship with them in 2009 and a fifth place finish in the 2010 season. In that 2009 championship run she led the team not only as a player, but also as the coach and captain.

Xie Xie China...
It's official, the U.S. Women's National Team trained in China for 11 days without the sun coming out once. Still, not too bad a day for the WNT today with a fun training that included some spirited small-sided games and the "hat trick" game, where one player takes a shot from outside the box, the second player plays a one-two with that player who shot first, and takes a shot from outside the box, and then both players go into the box for a cross.

*Just a month after turning 16, Newport Beach Galaxy Youth Academy product Jack McBean, currently in his first semester at the U.S. U-17 academy in Bradenton, Fl., is reportedly
poised to sign a professional contract with the Galaxy.

McBean scored nine goals in 10 games for the Galaxy's U-15/U-16 team last season, which is coached by Kenny Arena, son of Galaxy coach and GM Bruce Arena.

According to a report by Our Game Magazine, the magicTalk SC/Freedom have some official roster members...about time.
Now the question remains, where will the team play and will any games be played in the D.C. metro area?
According to email correspondence between VaSoccerNews and magicTalk SC owner Dan Borislow, the team is currently "Negotiating on a Venue".

Following a seven-day camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., US head coach Pia Sundhage has named the 24-player roster that will travel to Portugal for the Algarve Cup (March 2-9). Sundhage will name a 20-player roster before the start of the tournament.

Hope Solo will go on this trip, but is not ready to compete in matches, and will be in Portugal to train as she enters the final stages of rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.