VANCOUVER — It took all of three minutes to erase four years of heartbreak.
Another two to quiet the endless comparisons.
And the goals in the 14th and 16th minutes? Those were to put an emphatic stamp on the legacy that is most definitely, most deservedly, their own.
Carli Lloyd. Abby Wambach. Julie Johnston. Megan Rapinoe. Yes, even Hope Solo. These are the icons of a new generation.
The U.S. women didn't just step out of the shadow of the '99ers by beating Japan 5-2 to win the World Cup title on Sunday, the Americans' third and first since that iconic final in the Rose Bowl.