VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- For a few moments over the past month, the Women's World Cup seemed to push aside the FIFA scandal that is simmering a half planet away.
Those moments came on the field: From upstart Cameroon crashing the party in the knockout stage, to England's fantastic run, to host Canada's tournament-opening victory on star Christine Sinclair's stoppage-time penalty kick.
And, finally, Carli Lloyd's hat trick in a 5-2 victory for the United States in the final against Japan.
Controversy simmered over the artificial turf and about who would present the championship trophy, but the Women's World Cup set records for attendance and TV ratings. The corruption case enveloping the sport's world governing body at least temporarily took a backseat.
And FIFA can thank the Americans for pushing the corruption case enveloping the sport's world governing body into the background for a few weeks.
The U.S. women started out the monthlong tournament across Canada as one of the favorites, but were dogged by a sputtering offense and questions surrounding U.S. coach Jill Ellis' tactics.
But Ellis made a key shift late in the tournament, moving Lloyd up top as an attacking midfielder and putting 22-year-old Morgan Brian into a defensive midfield's role.
Lloyd flourished.
The U.S. dominated Japan from the start in the final, after toppling top-ranked Germany in the semifinal. Lloyd's three goals against Japan came in the first 16 minutes, including an astounding shot from near midfield.
It was the U.S. team's third World Cup title, more than any other nation, and it vindicated the USSF for its decision in April 2014 to fire coach Tom Sermanni -- who had replaced Pia Sundhage the previous year -- and replace him with Ellis, the British-born American who had been an assistant.
"We'll probably let her continue tomorrow," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said "She did her job, right? For any coach on this team the job description is to win the World Cup and the Olympics. She did a great job. We went through this competition unbeaten. We had a lot of people doubting it along the way and a lot of people second guessing. ... I'm extremely pleased for Jill. She worked hard, she believed it what she was doing, and it paid off."
The U.S. is embarking on a victory tour and then Olympic qualifying this fall.
For FIFA, it's back to reality. The organization is the target of a U.S. Justice Department corruption investigation and it was roundly criticized for allowing the tournament to be played on artificial turf and its officials were loudly booed at the awards ceremony, where veterans Abby Wambach and Christie Rampone accepted the championship trophy.
Wambach last year led a group of players who filed a legal claim in Canada, saying that the artificial turf amounted to sex discrimination because the men's event would never be staged on fake grass.
It's already been established that the next World Cup, held four years from now in France, will be held on the real thing.
"I still think that it was not ideal. We all believe that," U.S. forward Sydney Leroux said. "For us to fight that, hopefully for the future it never happens again, and we have that equality."
Ellis said she believes that progress is being made.
"I think people can't help, FIFA included, but to notice how popular this sport is. And to make sure, it's like anything, there is always an evolution. There is always a process to go through before equal footing is gained," Ellis said.
That evolution will continue as the next big stage for women's soccer is just a year away at the Rio Olympics.
Sports on 07/07/2015