Tom Dart’s full match report is now live:

Championship-winning efforts are rarely straightforward. They involve moments in which everything seems to have gone wrong, moments of inspiration from unlikely places, and yes, a bit of luck. We in the Class of People Who Use A Lot of Words like to make grand pronouncements based on the small data points of the few meaningful moments that make a difference between winning a championship and departing in the quarterfinals.

But even if the USA looked far from dominant in this win, they more than earned their spot in the final. Germany rarely looked too dangerous aside from the last play – which, I’ll say again, likely would not have produced a goal that survived a VAR check.

Berger is a fine goalkeeper, perhaps the best in the world. (Sorry, English fans.) But if the ball is placed into danger too many times, even the best goalkeeper gives one up. She stopped several US chances that were better than the one on which she conceded. That’s how it goes sometimes.

It’ll be interesting to see if they end up facing Brazil. Before the 2008 Olympic final, I sat in the press tribune because people sent me places back then, and I informed my colleagues that the USA had no chance of winning against Marta and company. Oops. Might we see long-simmering revenge?

We’ve got a few days to think about it. This US team will be returning with a medal that has proved to be elusive recently.

See you later in the week when they determine the color.

“We had a hard year last year,” Smith says. “We knew we were better than that. We knew we could be so good.”

Just got another replay – Naeher could’ve raced into the stands to have a snack and let Germany score there. The player who shot was quite clearly offside.

NBC is interviewing Sophia Smith, who says she can’t remember anything from the last 120 minutes.

Peter Oh: “Germany just can’t get the ball past the Naeher-side of the US goal!”

Beats being on the dark side of the moon.

Unfortunate for Germany that they came in as short-handed as they did, and it wasn’t a vintage US performance.

But under Hayes, this team is maintaining the traditional US mental edge and adding some better tactics. And Hayes is uniquely placed to manage any ego problems or disagreements within the squad.

Player of the game is either Naomi Girma or Mallory Swanson.

120 min +1: Albert battles for the ball deep in the German half, legitimately running time off the clock.

Throw-in … and it’s over.

120 min +1: One minute of stoppage time. Waste, waste, waste that time. This should be a yellow, frankly.

120 min: Smith wins the ball at midfield and splits two players. One on one with Berger! But once again, the Gotham FC keeper is equal to the task.

NBC hails the Naeher save. It wouldn’t have counted.

119 min: Pass? Shoot? Or blast into the wall.

Germany pop the ball over everyone, and Naeher makes a save against any of the 40 German players who were offside.

118 min: The USA give too much space at midfield now, and Germany can dribble within 40 yards of the goal. They don’t want to have the ball pinging around in the box where it can find a German foot or a US hand.

Sophia Smith gets a yellow for an unfortunate foul just outside the US penalty area. This could be trouble.

117 min: Girma plays the ball wide for a throw-in. Rodman is back playing almost a right wing-back role.

Handball on Brand, and Naeher will kick this as if auditioning for the Patriots.

115 min: The ball hits the referee, who awards a dropped ball, giving me a chance to do a quick rant about something that bothers me – please stop referring to an “uncontested dropped ball.” Since the Laws changed a few years ago, all dropped balls are uncontested. Try to keep up.

Germany finding no way past the middle line of the US system, much less the backline.

114 min: OK, US fans, exhale. The corner kick is knocked down and clangs off the tumbling Brand high into the air, but Naeher is able to collect.

113 min: Nighswonger concedes a corner. This game might be a bridge too far for the promising but callow US defender.

112 min: Now that we’ve said that, Germany will surely score.

I might actually expect a goal somewhere here because Germany are pressing forward with such intent that they are leaving acres of space at the back, and if a long clearance finds Rodman, it’s 2-0.

111 min: Germany now seem to be pondering where to attack with the veteran Krueger placed into the game to shut down the danger.

Peter Oh: “Without Popp, Germany’s attack doesn’t truly rock.”

They have not been particularly effective, no.

109 min: I’m not going to say the Germans have identified Nighswonger as the weak (or at least inexperienced) link in the US backline, but they’re certainly playing the ball down that flank a lot.

The USA win the ball and play long to Williams, but the US forward can’t hold onto the ball. Smith gets it and goes to the corner as if to show her much older teammate how it’s done.

Another US sub: Casey Krueger comes in to replace Mallory Swanson, who played brilliantly. Krueger, though, is clearly going in to help Nighswonger.

107 min: Nüsken plays wide to Gwinn, who easily beats Nighswonger but whose cross is too close to Naeher.

Yellow to Brand for grabbing Smith to stop a US counter.

106 min: Collision, foul, same thing. Swanson takes a minute to get up, perhaps disappointed that her breakaway chance was snuffed out.

But she’s back up to press the German defense. She should consider entering the marathon after this.

Kári Tulinius: “Berger hesitated just as she got to where Rausch and Smith were struggling for the ball, and that gave the attacker a gap to aim for. The German have defended near perfectly all game, but that was a costly mistake from the goalkeeper.”

Fair point.

Before that, from the same correspondent: “I know that Hayes can’t sharpen Smith and Rodman’s play in the final third in just a couple of months, but I’d expect her to at least encourage others to try their luck, even if just to make the opposition uncertain. As it is, the American attack is very predictable, making things easy for the German defense.”

Also a fair point. Williams has been startlingly invisible so far.

Michael Staples: “Women’s football is evolving and proof will be in leaving the Americans Germans behind, the Americans had the best system when nobody else had a system.”

To rephrase – women’s football has grown to the point at which several teams are on the USA’s level in a given year, and like Brazil’s men, the US women won’t win the big prize every year.

I’d point out, though, that Germany absolutely had a system 21 years ago when they destroyed the USA in the World Cup with superior tactics.

Brian Fuller:

I agree with you and your colleagues on the referee message board that persistent infringement has literally disappeared from the game. Several years ago, when it had become a significant focal point of FIFA, it was a pleasure to see a player receive a card for multiple simple fouls like late attacks on opposing players’ Achilles tendons, or repeated jersey pulls or other tugs.

In both the recent EUROS and COPA, I am fairly certain I did not see a single card issued for it. The COPA, in particular, was SO poorly officiated in general, with a significant number of games played with either too many fouls without equivalent cards issued, or too few fouls called altogether. A huge amount of that would have been easily remedied by enforcing persistent infringement.

While I am complaining, modern referees seem to be under direction to not issue cards too easily. I certainly have always believed that the first yellow card in a game sets the tone of control over excessive physicality and overly aggressive play. Calling fouls and issuing cards establishes the boundaries of play on the field, AND protects the players. The sloppy manner with which this is often done currently is a disservice to the game.

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As do I.

Naeher is warned to avoid time-wasting. She wastes about 10 more seconds.

OK, let’s hit the inbox.

105 min: Corner kick to Germany. Complex movements in the penalty area.

Then an effort at an Olimpico! Naeher has to stretch up to punch the ball away before it swings into the top of the net.

One minute of stoppage time.

104 min: Cautious US possession now as we draw nearer to the break.

Then a CHANCE, and how did Sophia Smith miss? Nighswonger puts the ball over the top, and Smith is one-on-one with Berger. The shot she scored on was so much more difficult that this opportunity, though replay shows how well Berger did to stretch a leg to it.

103 min: Rodman seems to feel another goal is coming. She tees herself up for a shot that fizzes over the bar.

102 min: Albert shows her industry in midfield. Whatever Hayes did to get the team to accept her after her social media transgressions, it has paid off.

Nüsken holds two US jerseys at once. That’s impressive if not legal.

100 min: Girma is simply superb. She rushes across the field to shield a ball out of play. A simple play, but she just seems one step ahead of everyone, mentally and physically, at all times. She has a good case for player of the game, as does Swanson.

If it stays this way …

99 min: Swanson will take the corner because she’s now playing eight positions at once. It sails past everything.

98 min: I see mail coming in – I’ll get to it in the extra-time break.

Germany seem shocked by the goal. Here comes Swanson again. She plays to Rodman, who tries a cheeky shot that gets deflected for a corner.

So as I was saying, of course Emma Hayes was making all the right decisions. Never a need to bring in Jaedyn Shaw. That’s what I said, right?

Just like that! Swanson puts it to Smith, and even with Rauch apparently in the right spot, Smith stretches out a leg and taps the ball past Berger.

93 min: Swanson’s exertion level today is astronomical. She’s on the right flank at midfield with it now.

Germany gain possession, and Bühl takes on Fox one-on-one. Her shot goes through Fox’s legs but right at Naeher.

92 min: Rodman with a speculative cross. Not a terrible idea.

Swanson wins the ball and seems to be the only one moving on the field, but she gets weak contact on her shot from 22 yards.

92 min: Lohmann is the player Germany have taken off.

It’s a passive, wary start to extra time for both sides.

So Jaedyn Shaw remains on the bench. She’s inexperienced, sure. She might not be fully fit – but if she’s not, why wasn’t she replaced on the roster by alternate Croix Bethune?