'Revenge Drama' as U.S. Women's Soccer Team Faces Japan in #FIFAWWC Final

I'm merging "revenge" and "drama" from this morning's Los Angeles Times into a slogan for today's women's soccer match-up.

It's definitely a "revenge drama."

See, "A lot on the line in Women's World Cup final":

There is more at stake than mere global soccer supremacy when the U.S. and Japan meet in the Women's World Cup final Sunday.

For a generation of U.S. players, led by star forward Abby Wambach, the game will provide one last chance at a title that has eluded the Americans for 16 years.

For troubled goalkeeper Hope Solo, it will provide another opportunity for redemption following a year in which she has been in the news more for her legal problems than for her ability to prevent goals.

And for U.S. Soccer, a win would avenge a heartbreaking loss in the last World Cup final, when Japan twice rallied — once in regulation and once in overtime — before winning on penalty kicks.

Yet no matter the outcome of today's final, the big winner figures to be the sport. Once written off as a boring diversion for immigrants and young children, soccer is now drawing passionate interest across the U.S.

Tens of thousands of Americans — many dressed in the Stars and Stripes — flocked to Brazil for last summer's men's World Cup, buying more than 200,000 tickets. Only the host country bought more.

And those who couldn't travel to Brazil watched on TV, making it the most-viewed World Cup in U.S. history. The final match between Argentina and Germany was the highest-rated soccer match in U.S. history, with 29.2 million viewers tuning in. To put that number in context, the most recent NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers drew an average of 19.9 million viewers.

The Women's World Cup is doing nearly as well. Three of the Americans' first six games were sellouts, and two others were played in front of near-capacity crowds.

"I feel like we are building on what happened last year in the World Cup in terms of just the general population being exposed to the game, so it's important for us," said Jill Ellis, head coach of the U.S. "It continues to excite little girls who want to go out and kick a ball and think they can maybe be on the team and play in a World Cup."

Today's final is already oversold with SeatGeek, a major Web-based ticket agency, which called it the most expensive soccer match in North America since at least 2010.

More than $2.8 million worth of tickets are expected to change hands on the secondary market alone, and tickets for the final match are selling for more than $700...

More.