Against all the odds, Japan announced themselves to the world as a new force in women's football by defeating the USA in the World Cup final on Sunday. The exciting final in front of a sell-out crowd in Frankfurt was a great showcase for the women's game with the Americans and Japanese battling their way into a penalty shootout. With the score tied at 2-2 after added time, Japan went on to win the shootout 3-1 when Saki Kumagai slotted the final shot high past goalkeeper Hope Solo. 

1) Japanese players warm up prior to the final match [Johannes Eisele/AFP]

2) Fans travelled to Germany from the US and Japan to support their respective sides [Christof Stache/AFP]

3) The excitement was high prior to the match [Johannes Eisele/AFP]

4) Japan's defender Saki Kumagai and USA's midfielder Carli Lloyd (2nd R) vie for the ball during the match [Johannes Eisele/AFP]

5) Japan's goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori reaches out for the ball [Johannes Eisele/AFP]

6) Homare Sawa (R) of Japan challenges Carli Lloyd of the US [Alex Domanski/Reuters]

7) Japan's head coach Norio Sasaki [Alex Domanski/Reuters]

8) Alex Morgan of the US celebrates after scoring against Japan [Ralph Orlowski/Reuters]

9) Japan's defender Saki Kumagai (R) scores past US goalkeeper Hope Solo [Patrik Stollarz/AFP]

10) The US lost 3-1 on penalty kicks [Christof Stache/AFP]

11) Japanese players celebrate [Christof Stache/AFP]

12) Japan's players celebrate with the trophy after the victory against the US [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

12) Japan fans celebrate on a street in Tokyo [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]