[9][10][11] The 2011 final was the last major sporting event to be broadcast in Japan prior to the country's digital switchover that took place on 24 July 2011.

[12] Japan was bidding to become the fourth team to win a world championship, joining the United States, Norway and Germany.

Kozue Ando and Ohno made the American defenders hustle from 54' to 56' before Aya Sameshima's corner kick was cleared.

[25] Extra-time began with Japan enjoying better possession as usual, though they still maintained a defensive approach to fight against strong American attacks.

In 104', when it appeared that they would end the first half of extra-time with no goal, Wambach's powerful header from the centre of the area off of Morgan's excellent pass gave the U.S. a 2–1 lead.

The result was kept til the end of extra-time even after Azusa Iwashimizu received a red card, sending the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Wambach tried to salvage it with a goal, but it went in vain when Saki Kumagai scored the decisive penalty to give Japan the World Cup trophy for the first time.

[10][29][13] Miho Kajioka, a football fan from Tokyo summed it up "We haven't had a single piece of good news for the past four months.

"[30] Tony DiCicco, manager of the victorious American side in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup and a commentator in ESPN at the time, expressed the shocking outcome, “They feel they can win.

That's almost never been the case before.”[31] Aya Sameshima, who was part of the Japanese side in 2011, expressed that determination was the reason for Japan to overcome the adverse situations.

[32] Following the end of the game, the Japanese raised "thank you" banner to thank for international support to Japan in the difficult time, and was applauded by the majority of fans.

[35] Toyoshima insisted that he was focused on organizing a set of important and urgent documents in the main office building of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as a member of the accounting team.