Japan's 1-0 quarterfinals victory over the Germans was a major upset by all accounts. After Japan's 2-0 loss to England in the final game of group play, their second-round exit was all but a forgone conclusion.
And being matched up against the reigning, two-time World Cup champs in their home country? No one outside of Tokyo would argue that this was the end of the road for the Japanese.
Forget the little-known fact that Japan is ranked fourth in the FIFA World Rankings; Ian Darke's "Japan are playing well" comments around the 28th minute could still be interpreted as, "Hats off to Japan who have kept it scoreless...for now."
Also forget the fact that Germany was without midfielder Kim Sulig (who was having a great tournament before her injury a few minutes in) and soccer legend Birgit Prinz, who was on the bench due to her poor form and sideline meltdown against England two games ago.
Though they were two big keys to the team, the home nation had enough depth to get by for at least one night.
But they didn't. Karina Maruyama's goal in the 108th minute turned the nightmare of an improbable German loss into a painful reality.
While German interest in the Cup took a hit today (an estimated 20 million Germans tuned into the match), the tournament gained something often missing from women's sports: parity.
Part of the reason that women's sports don't fare well in America is they don't veer too far from the original script. The UConn Lady Huskies' tournament loss, seemed like a death blow to the Women's National Championship game, but the ratings actually increased over the past year.
The biggest beneficiary of this will be the United States, if they beat Brazil tomorrow; the domestic ratings were pretty low for the women's group stage matches.
They'll be much higher for the Brazil game and could remain in that area if they advance, as they will be the new tournament favorite.
Add the fact that compelling on the field drama is something that's desperately lacking in American sports right now and it seems like a no-brainer to me.
Will the ratings be anywhere near what they were in 1999? Highly unlikely, but the circumstances are much different.
The important thing is that the tournament has earned a degree of unpredictability and that there will be a new Women's World Cup champion come next weekend.
I hope you'll be watching.
Natalie Imbruglia Patricia Velásquez Jennifer Morrison Adrianne Palicki Amanda Righetti
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