Keys to the United States' 5-2 win over Japan in the Women's World Cup final

RESTARTS

The United States had a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks and scored its first two goals off restarts and three of its five. Carli Lloyd put the Americans ahead in the third minute off a grass-hugging corner kick from Megan Rapinoe, who appeared to surprise a Japanese team that on average is 2 inches shorter than the Americans and likely was expecting a ball in the air. Lloyd doubled the lead two minutes later when Lauren Holiday took a free kick from the flank and played a low one-hopper that Julie Johnston played to Lloyd with a back-heel flick. The final goal was scored when Holiday's corner kick went to the far post and Morgan Brian played the ball back in front to Tobin Heath.

FORMATION

VANCOUVER - The union for soccer players around the world wants to increase support for female players.

FIFPro announced the initiative on Friday, two days before the Women's World Cup final between the United States and Japan. The key component is the opportunity for female players to become direct members, allowing player representation in countries where there is no other players' union

Former Swedish national player Caroline Jonsson is head of FIFPro's Women's Football Committee. She said the diversity of women's soccer is "huge" and "we have to find a way to reach out" to all the players.

Jonsson said the impetus of FIFPro's new initiative to include women was the outcry about the use of artificial turf instead of grass at the Women's World Cup in Canada. FIFPro Secretary General Theo van Seggelen said FIFPro tried to intervene in the issue, but it was too late.

A generation of American women who grew up playing sports because of Title IX now makes up the television audience that advertisers covet.

Today's adults were young, impressionable fans when Brandi Chastain ripped off her jersey to celebrate the winning penalty kick at the 1999 Women's World Cup, and even earlier when the buzz of soccer landed in the United States for the 1994 men's tournament.

Now those grown-ups are tuning in to this Women's World Cup — with their kids alongside.

Viewership is up big for this summer's tournament, with a major assist coming simply from geography. With the event in Canada, the most important games air in prime time in the U.S. on Fox's networks during the first North American Women's World Cup since 2003.

VANCOUVER - Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will cheer on the United States in the Women's World Cup final on Sunday.

The U.S. women's national team plays defending champion Japan in the title match at Vancouver's BC Place.

The Bidens will lead a delegation including U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan, and former U.S. players Cobi Jones and Mia Hamm.

"We're honoured to be part of the Women's World Cup Final," the Bidens said in a statement.

MANCHESTER, England - England's national teams keep finding ways to make agonizing exits from major soccer tournaments.

Penalty-shootout defeats? There have been six of those by England's men alone since the World Cup semifinals in 1990. Refereeing injustices? England midfielder Frank Lampard's shot that crossed the line but wasn't awarded as a goal in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal exit to Germany still rankles, and led to the introduction of goal-line technology.

Now it's the turn of England women's class of 2015 to feel the pain.

The nation woke Thursday to news that Laura Bassett had scored an own goal in second-half stoppage time, consigning England to a 2-1 loss to Japan in the women's World Cup semifinals.

TORONTO - FIFA president Sepp Blatter is skipping the Women's World Cup final. And his No. 2, secretary general Jerome Valcke, is also staying away.

"Due to their current commitments in Zurich, the FIFA president and the FIFA secretary general will remain at the FIFA headquarters," a FIFA spokesperson said Tuesday.

Valcke was due to attend the opening of the tournament in early June. But in the wake of the growing corruption scandal around the world governing body of soccer, FIFA said Valcke would remain in Zurich.

Blatter, meanwhile, was initially due to attend Sunday's final in Vancouver. But his travel plans were downgraded to undetermined.

MONTREAL - The Women's World Cup semifinal clash between top-ranked Germany and the second-ranked United States will feature two of the best goalkeepers in the game: Nadine Angerer and Hope Solo.

The two women will be the last line of defence Tuesday night for their teams, with is each seeking a spot in the final match. Historically, when the Germans have met the Americans in the World Cup, the winner has gone on to win the title.

Both teams have won it all twice: The United States in 1991 and '99, and the Germans in 2003 and '07.

Solo, despite being inundated at the start of the tournament with new revelations about her domestic violence arrest last June, has been nearly perfect. She has only allowed one goal — in the first half of the group-stage opener against Australia.

VANCOUVER - FIFA says talent is on the rise in women's soccer.

The sport's governing body expanded the field at the 2015 Women's World Cup to 24 teams from the 16 that participated in Germany four years ago, and despite some lopsided scores in the group stage officials are confident the move was the right one.

"Of course there are some teams here, you can see from the quality, it's not the same," said Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's deputy director of competitions and head of women's football. "(There are) the top teams and then there's a difference with some of the other teams.

"But I just think for the tournament itself, we've had entertaining games, we've had great games."