A goalkeeper from Fairfield County and two Long Island natives helped the United States win the FIFA Women's World Cup final 2-0 over the Netherlands on Sunday, July 7.
Alyssa Naeher of Stratford picked up the shutout, playing the entire game. The two Long Islanders on the team are: Allie Long, a midfielder from Northport, and Crystal Dunn, a defender, from Rockville Centre.
It was the second straight World Cup championship for the USA team and record fourth overall.
Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle scored the goals for the US. Rapinoe finished the tournament with six goals, tied for the overall lead, and three assists. Rapinoe's goal, on a penalty kick, gave the US team a 1-0 lead after the first half ended in a 0-0 tie.
At age 34, Rapinoe became the oldest player to score in a women's World Cup final, breaking the record set by Carli Lloyd (32) four years ago.
Lavelle (24 years, 54 days), meanwhile, is the second-youngest American to score in a World Cup final, trailing only Alex Morgan (22 years, 15 days) in 2011.
A spectacular late-game save by Naeher was one of the key plays in the United States women's national team's 2-1 victory over England on in the semifinals on Tuesday, July 2 in France.
Naeher made the save on a penalty shot with 10 minutes to play in the second half. To watch a video of the save, click here.
A Bridgeport native, the 31-year-old Naeher was a four-year starter at Penn State. Naeher graduated from Christian Heritage School in Trumbull in 2006.
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