Throwback Thursday: Remember when USWNT's Carli Lloyd became first player to score 3 goals in World Cup final?

In the summer of 2015 against Japan, Carli Lloyd scored the fastest hat-trick in World Cup history

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  What happened?

  The 2015 FIFA World Cup was held in Canada, and the USWNT made it to the final, again, only to play a familiar foe: Japan. In front of a sellout crowd of more than 50,000 fans, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the USWNT were on a hunt to bring back the World Cup title. Carli Lloyd was a key member of the team, and the last time she was in a World Cup final missed her penalty kick, a shootout that eventually went in Japan's favor.

  This day would be different.

  Within the span of 2 minutes and 15 seconds, Lloyd had already scored twice. She ended up adding a third goal, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA Women's World Cup final.

  Lloyd went on to win the Golden Ball as player of the tournament, and the USWNT were finally able to bring back a World Cup trophy, after struggling to win since the inaugural tournament in 1991 and then only once more up until this point in 1999.

  Here's how in happened.

  Lloyd put the U.S. ahead just in the third minute after she went hunting for the ball off of Megan Rapinoe's corner kick. Lloyd timed her run, and was able to get a piece of her left foot on it to re-direct it to the far post.

  She made it 2-0 when she poked the ball in after a brilliant free kick from Lauren Holiday. Her historic third goal came from much further out. Lloyd caught a glimpse of Ayumi Kaihori in goal and noticed she was off her line. In an effort to back track, Lloyd took a shot from a distance right over Kaihori, off the post, and into the back of the net.

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  Why it mattered

  Not only was Lloyd's hat-trick historic, occurring in just 13 minutes (all in the first 16 minutes of the match) it was also the fastest ever - men or women - in a World Cup. But the result, and statement on the World Cup stage mattered even more.

  The USWNT had everything to prove, after their loss in 2011. This re-match featured eight of Japan's starters from 2011 taking the pitch, and just four Americans who started that game four years prior. One of those players was Lloyd.

  Lloyd's response was iconic, one of her best performances - and best for the USWMNT - ever. The Americans then went on to win another World Cup title in 2019.

• From those who were there

  It was game that seemingly everyone was watching. Social media was melting down over Lloyd's goals, and the Internet's early days of sports drama and reactions were at a fever pitch. Even President Barack Obama chimed in.

  “It was like nothing else around me was penetrating," Lloyd told CNN after the game. "It was me, the field, my teammates, the ball, and that was all I was thinking about.

  “That’s what happens when you are in that flow state – just being in that moment. A lot of good things happen when you’re in that space.”

  Redemption from the 2011 loss to Japan was a clear motivator.

  “I can remember that day vividly," Lloyd said. "I remember waking up the night before multiple times, finding my brain and my mind thinking about the World Cup final, thinking about winning."

  Lloyd's third goal was the most impactful for the record books, but the first one clearly set the tone for the U.S.

  “We got off to one of the best starts in a tournament that you could ever ask for,” Lloyd said. “It sounds pretty crazy, but scoring the first goal, it was like, ‘OK, I want more, we need more.’ Then you score the second goal and then it’s like, ‘OK, we need to keep pressing on.’

  “I just couldn’t believe it, honestly, to be able to pull that off in a World Cup final and to be able to complete a hat-trick in that fashion - you don’t get many moments like that.”

  @fifawomensworldcup

  And this was to complete a hat-trick scored inside the first 16 minutes… 😨 #CarliLloyd #FIFAWWC

  ♬ original sound - 🎶🎧

• What came next

  The USWNT won another World Cup in 2019, and upon the arrival of new coach Emma Hayes, claimed 2024 Olympic gold. The USWNT totaled four World Cup titles overall and five Olympic gold medals.

  Lloyd retired in 2021, and would leave the game with two World Cup titles and two gold medals (2008 and 2012) to her name. And she will always be remembered for that hat-trick, a brilliant moment on a brilliant stage. 

  “For me it’s the compilation of the journey,” Lloyd said. “Without the journey from start to finish, everything in between doesn’t happen and it’s not as meaningful.”