USA vs. Japan: Celebration Highlights, Twitter Reaction for 2015 World Cup

A determined United States women's national soccer team left little doubt as to which side would claim the 2015 Women's World Cup, defeating Japan 5-2 on Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Carli Lloyd led the victorious charge for the Americans, netting three goals within the first 16 minutes of the grand finale. Lloyd capped her hat trick with a shot from midfield that eked past the fingertips of stumbling Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori.

ESPN tweeted a great action shot of Lloyd after one of the numerous goals her team scored:

Little suspense was to be had the rest of the way, even when Julie Johnston's own goal cut the deficit to 4-2. Just two minutes later, Tobin Heath found the back of the net at the 54-minute mark. Mashable captured the crowd's celebratory reaction:

The party was on from there for Team USA, with the rest of the showdown serving as more of a coronation than a contest.

Much of the best footage and photos came courtesy of the U.S. women's national team's official Twitter account, including the following from the celebration:

Then the festivities shifted into the locker room for a behind-the-scenes look at the players reveling in the glory:

Uber Football captured a moment Alex Morgan had with the ultimate international trophy:

Morgan later took to Twitter to express her excitement in her own words:

When the commander in chief is giving someone a shoutout, it's a pretty special day:

NFL legend John Elway and Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant were only a couple of the numerous marquee athletes to congratulate the United States on its triumph:

National Women's Soccer League News tweeted an epic reaction to one of the many crowds that gathered around the globe to see the Americans claim victory:

FIFA honored both Lloyd and USA goalkeeper Hope Solo for their tremendous World Cup efforts, as the pair won the most prestigious individual accolades:

ESPN stats guru Paul Carr added context to the transcendent performances Lloyd and Solo put forth:

After enduring her fair share of struggles in group play and having a tough time getting on the scoresheet, Lloyd moved to the attack and played more aggressively. This led to a rapid ascent to stardom and one of the all-time great sports performances in U.S. history.

The resilience the USA showed bodes well for its future. Longtime standout Abby Wambach won't be around any longer, but much of the American core ought to be back to defend the World Cup title in 2019, when the scene shifts to France.

Lloyd and Solo are aged 32 and 33, respectively, but they figure to be back for one last run, given how well they played this time around.