Women's World Cup Finals 2015: Live Stream Schedule for United States vs. Japan

The 2015 Women's World Cup will reach its conclusion on Sunday, as the USA and Japan go head-to-head in a repeat of the final of the 2011 tournament. BBC and Fox Sports will provide live streams of the match, with kick-off scheduled for 7 p.m. ET/midnight BST.

Four years ago, Nadeshiko Japan shocked the favoured Stars and Stripes, twice coming back from a one-goal deficit to force a penalty shootout. The Yanks avenged their loss one year later at the 2012 Olympics, and now the team has its eyes on the biggest prize once again―the World Cup.

The Americans have conceded just a single goal all tournament; Japan have scored in every match they've played. Something will have to give, as Sunday's clash is shaping up to be one for the ages.

Date	Time	Match	TV Info	Live Stream
Sunday, July 5	7 p.m. ET/Midnight BST	USA v Japan	BBC 3/FOX Network	BBC iPlayer/Fox Soccer 2Go

To access the BBC iPlayer, click here. For the Fox Soccer 2Go app, click here.  

Preview

Japan and the USA have been the two dominant forces in women's football since the 2011 World Cup, so fans really shouldn't be surprised the two giants will meet in Sunday's final. The draw certainly helped, pitting France and Germany against each other early in the knockout stages, but ultimately, both sides did what they had to do and deserve to be here.

There's nothing but respect for each other on both sides, and Abby Wambach underlined that ahead of the match, via the Yanks' official Twitter account:

In their typical style, Japan have done just enough to make it to the final, winning all of their matches by a single goal. Some fans may read those scorelines and think the team got lucky, but it speaks volumes to their ability to see out matches and defend a lead.

England put Nadeshiko Japan under real pressure, however, and if it wasn't for an unfortunate own-goal from Laura Bassett, Japan might have missed out on the chance to defend their title. By contrast, the USA are trending in the right direction after a sloppy start to the tournament.

The win over Germany should give the Stars and Stripes plenty of confidence, and Bleacher Report's Andrew Gibney thinks the team is heating up when it matters the most:

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On Sunday night, if Japan want to lift the trophy for a second time, they will need to raise their game against the United States. Jill Ellis’ team have been far from perfect themselves, but in their last two knockout games, they have raised the bar and looked much more threatening against China and Germany.

The Americans got fortunate in the semi-final—a penalty against them should have resulted in a red card for Julie Johnston, and Alex Morgan’s penalty looked to come from contact outside of the box—but they took their chances and are growing in confidence with every game.

Peaking perfectly in time for Sunday’s final.

"

Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd were excellent against Germany, giving the American attack a much-needed boost in light of Alex Morgan's struggles. The star forward is yet to truly make her mark on this year's World Cup, but Sunday's final would be the perfect stage to make up for her average performances.

The real star of the show has been the Yanks' defence, however. Julie Johnston has been excellent―apart from the obvious foul that resulted in a German penalty and should have seen the 23-year-old sent off―and Hope Solo has already tied the Women's World Cup record for shutouts, per the team's official Twitter account:

The USA defence has been superb so far, but it may face its greatest challenge yet on Sunday. Japan have scored in all of their World Cup matches so far, a streak they'll be eager to continue against the Stars and Stripes.

Shinobu Ohno, Japan's star forward, has had similar struggles in the knockout stages as Morgan, while Mana Iwabuchi has looked far more lively and could start on Sunday. But Japan's main strength lies in the fact that the team isn't overly reliant on its strikers, and just about anyone is capable of finding that decisive goal. Aya Miyama is currently Japan's top scorer with just two goals.

For all of their technical brilliance, Japan's lack of size and inability to defend set pieces presents a major threat to their chances. The defence almost looks comically lost at times on crosses, and the aerial battle happens to be a speciality of the Americans. Veteran Wambach in particular loves to fight her way to crosses, and she should be a major force coming off the bench.

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