@#$% you, penalty kicks!

The USA has Hope, so they'll be back in 2015 for another shot at the title.

Penalty kicks suck.

They should never have to decide the outcome of an epic soccer match like they did today at the Women's World Cup Final. Penalty kicks are completely nerve-racking for players. Goalkeepers are pretty much guessing which way to dive, and the shooters are trying not to think about how they could possibly miss a 24-foot wide net from twelve yards away with only one player glued to the goal line until the ball is struck. In essence, PK's are like a chess match, not a soccer match. Not that intelligence isn't a part of sport, but how many other sports change the way the game is played to decide their champion? Play the game to conclusion. All goals in soccer are climactic. Why not have a "golden goal" overtime that lasts indefinitely and have the ultimate climax to close a tournament? Can you hear me, FIFA?

The United States and Japan locked up in a seesaw battle in which every time the favored Americans went ahead, the relentless Japanese women equalized minutes later. A lot will be made of the missed opportunities the US had early in the game, and that penalty kicks would have never been an issue if the US converts just one of the five or six chances they had in the first half, but they didn't get the bounces. Japan did, and they deserved to raise that trophy today.

Young Alex Morgan, soon to be plastered on countless teenage girls (and boys) walls, put the US up 1-0 in the 69th minute, only to see Japan's Aya Miyama tie it up twelve minutes later after the US defense got a bad bounce on a clearing attempt in the box. The head of Abby Wambach put the US back in front as Morgan threaded a beautiful pass over the Japanese defense and on to the deadly melon of Wambach who easily potted it for her fourth goal of the tournament. With the title seemingly in the Americans grasp, Homare Sawa equalized off a corner kick for Japan with just three minutes remaining, drilling home her fifth goal of the Finals, and clinching the Golden Boot award as leading goal scorer.

                     Abby Wambach did all she could to help the USA to the title.

After Americans Shannon Boxx and Carli Lloyd missed the first two penalty kicks, the writing was on the wall. Japan clinched their first World Cup title by scoring the 3-1 win in the PK round. The game is better suited to having a sudden death period to decide the true championship, like hockey does, or any other sport for that matter.

One goal to decide it all.