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Summary Japan became the first Asian nation to lift the women's World Cup.
Japan won the womens World Cup on Sunday for the first time, stunning the heavily favoured United States 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in extra time.Japan was in need of a good news story after the tsunami disaster which rocked the country in March and their womens soccer team delivered it in dramatic fashion despite being dominated for long spells in the final.It was hard to imagine a more thrilling finale to the three-week tournament played in packed stadiums before enthusiastic crowds around the country and in front of record television audiences of up to 16 million in Germany alone.
