A year ago, the U.S. women lost to Japan in the World Cup final in a shootout.

On Thursday evening, the Americans won the gold medal, beating the same Japanese team 2-1 in front of 80,203 fans in the fact that the temple of football, Wembley Stadium.

Here are three consecutive gold medals for Team USA and four in five Olympics since women's soccer debut. Gold are great, but a victory in Beijing four years ago was not the game that inspired Americans. It was that goiter sticking out losses in Japan.

The Americans needed to get better, and they did.

What's the difference?

Carli Lloyd, for example. Lloyd was to the south, until shortly before the Olympics when Shannon Boxx was injured. Lloyd scored two goals Thursday.

Alex Morgan, for another. Morgan, a former Cal star, was a super sub at the world championships last year. She scored one of the goals in the final 2.2, allowing the U.S. a chance to penalty kicks tiebreaker. But it was to the south.

Lloyd Morgan, and hated not start. Hated it. They kept their mouths shut and worked harder.

"When Boxx went down, I knew that a lot of work," said Lloyd. "I had to take a moment."

Morgan, 23, whose teammates call her Baby Horse, when she joined the team, champed at the bit. In the end, she just can not stay out of turn. While it's great that the patchwork south, the power of the Morgan and instinct are something you need on the field from the outset. As in eight minutes on Thursday.

"She has a gift," the coach Pia Sundhage explained.

Veteran star Abby Wambach Morgan pulled away not so long ago, and told her that she was the top scorer with Wambach played with great Mia Hamm.

Morgan, a sturdy 5-foot-7, brought her a gift to these Olympics. She won the title in the 123 th minute against Canada on Monday to send Americans to the title game.

On Thursday, Morgan did not have a goal, but it was a brilliant account of orders in the first game.

The Americans returned is happening in this tournament. They came from behind three times to beat Canada, and a knife in their game, they came from 2-0 to beat France. Dramatic, perfect for fans, but certainly not what the Americans wanted to do against Japan, a much more dangerous and ruthless team than any of the five they had previously failed.

Cue Morgan. In eight minutes, Tobin Heath brought the ball to the far left side of the line and Morgan, on the opposite side of the field, rushed towards the Heath, beat her defender and set on a low block.

Heath turned the ball into Morgan, who snapped up their right to the left leg, spun it right and sent the ball on the field. Wambach was there and hit the volleyball pass, but Lloyd clipped and headed missiles at a target.

"After I got that pass from Tobin," Morgan said, "I was just trying to get it in the mixer, from the keeper enough where it will stay on the line .... I tried to fake my counsel ....

"I've left foot, so twist your body in any way to get my left foot on the ball. I knew that I wanted to get it from the keeper enough where it does not come and hit him."

Password: the perfect angle, perfect height, perfect target velocity.

Lloyd was a clever game of aggression. She knew that Morgan is likely to send the ball into play through the window, so she was attacked from the outside, throwing the ball in the head almost upside Wambach.

"I was ready for it in one gulp," Wambach said, "but it may have left my feet at the wrong angle, and here comes Carly. I would be heading Carly every day."

A year ago, Lloyd missed a penalty kick in the tiebreaker against Japan and it was a year to think about getting even.

On her second goal on Thursday, largely Lloyd authorities drove the middle of the defense of Japan, has got a fair distance, and fired. This was tantamount to an attack, and LeBron James dunk - Power, aggression and self-confidence.

"What I do best," Lloyd shrugged "is dribbling the players, with the space and take pictures from a distance. I'm dribbling and I do not think about it and just unleashed a shot, and saw that enter"

Long-time team of stars Wambach and Solo goalkeeper Hope came huge.

Wambach was the leader, calling his fellows to play through fatigue, pounding her chest and shouting at them in the last minute suck it up: "Well, guys, we're all tired."

Solo, mainly through the untested tournament until Thursday, made three sensational savings, including two aimed shots to the right under the crossbar. It helps to be seven feet tall. Or, to be able to jump as if you are.

The old stars were shining, but they could not have done it without the new children's block.