Yesterday’s Women’s World Cup final between the United States and Japan was notable for several reasons, including the high final score. The US women ended up beating Japan 5 to 2, but most notably, Carli Lloyd managed to score three goals, the most impressive of which was taken from midfield. It was incredible to watch, and Telemundo announcer Andres Cantor caught the moment beautifully when he screamed the world "goal" at the top of his lungs for a full 30 seconds. Catch it, below.
Sportscasters who cover soccer have always been good at goal calls, but Lloyd’s most impressive goal was a particularly exciting moment and thus deserved a particularly fabulous goal call. During the 16th minute of play, Lloyd took a pass at the halfway line, maneuvered a bit around a Japanese defender and let the ball fly after noticing the other team’s goalie was out of position. The ball soared a whopping 55 yards before goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori got a hand on it. Still, it landed in the goal, and while the Telemundo announcer was hollering, the women were already celebrating as if it was a pretty sure victory.
Later in the game, Japan did end up scoring. Even later, the US women made a mistake and played the ball into their own net. Still, the high-scoring game ultimately yielded a 5-2 victory for the US team, and Carli Lloyd earned the prestigious Golden Ball Award. More than likely, she also earned a ton of sponsorships and various personal life opportunities moving forward as the stand-out of the 2015 Women's World Cup.
Soccer matches are always intense, but they almost never end up with scores as high as this year’s women’s World Cup final, and a goal scored from around the halfline is all the more impressive. It’s no wonder Cantor was freaking out as the ball sailed into the goal. It’s not just one of the most intense World Cup moments we’ve ever seen, it's one of the most memorable moments in sports we’ve ever seen. People will be playing the clip for years during soccer montages, and given this incredible call, the accompanying sound may actually be worked in too.
A big congratulations to all the women on the USWNT. They accomplished their ultimate goal of winning the World Cup, and they gave us a lot of incredible moments along the way, especially this incredible shot.
