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Usual US finals foe Japan won't be at the 2016 Olympics

Related Topics: Japan, 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final

Three times now in the past five years, the United States have faced Japan in a major tournament final.

In 2011, the United States lost in heartbreaking fashion in the World Cup final after going to penalty kicks. For Japan, though, it was a moment of hope for a nation that had so recently been devastated by a tsunami, and the popularity of the Nadeshiko subseqently skyrocketed.

In 2012, the Americans took some consolation in beating Japan at the London Olympics, coming away with a gold medal and a renewed thirst for the next World Cup.