PARIS -- To win one of the most anticipated games in its history, the United States women's national team ditched any artistry on a sweltering night in Paris. Megan Rapinoe scored two opportunistic goals, and the U.S. erected its barricade against a French team -- willed on by tens of thousands of fans -- that tried to break through.
The Americans entrusted their fate to a defensive effort led by the least known among the star-studded starting lineup. First with four defenders and then with five in front of the goalkeeper, the Americans withstood surge after surge in a 2-1 win.