It's a USA-Japan final

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany (AP):

Abby Wambach sure knows how to deliver.

A goal, a promise and soon, she hopes, a World Cup title.

The United States women had fans on edge once again until Wambach broke a tense tie with her header off a corner kick in the 79th minute yesterday. Alex Morgan scored three minutes later to seal a 3-1 semi-final victory over France, and the Americans let loose with a party that carried all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

Next up, a trip to the World Cup final Sunday in Frankfurt that will be the first for Americans since 1999, when they last won it all. They'll play Japan, who upset Sweden 3-1 to move one step away from realising their own dream.

"We've achieved part of our goal. We're in the final," Wambach said. "We want to complete it. We want to be world champs."

So do their fans, new and old.

When the final whistle blew, Hollywood celebrities, pro athletes and ordinary folks who didn't know a free kick from a corner kick just a few days ago flooded Twitter with congratulations. "My heroes. Wambach. Boxx. Rapinoe. Solo. That TEAM! Our team!" actor Tom Hanks tweeted. Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers said, "Awesome job US Women, finish it off Sunday now."

Shared moment

Wambach and company were glad to share the moment.

"These wins, we can't do it alone. We know a whole nation is cheering us on," Wambach said. "We believe in ourselves and we're in the final. I couldn't be happier."

Homare Sawa made up for a huge error by scoring the go-ahead goal and Japan advanced to the World Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Sweden yesterday.

Surprise call-up Nahomi Kawa-sumi had two goals for Japan, who will face the United States in Sunday's championship. It's the first World Cup final for the rising soccer power.

Josefine Oqvist scored for Sweden, who then allowed three unanswered goals.

In a battle of Japan's fine skills against the thrust and hustle of Sweden, the match turned in the second half when Kawasumi caught Hedvig Lindahl off her line and lobbed it over her from about 110 feet away for the final score, one of the best in a tournament full of excellent strikes.

The Japanese players always had more on their minds than their next game in the marquee event for women's football. In the wake of the March 11 tsunami and earthquake, they wanted to provide a feel-good story for fans back home.

And they came through.

Following their latest win, they again unfurled a huge banner that said 'To our Friends Around the World - Thank You For Your Support', referring to the global outpouring of aid after the tsunami that left nearly 23,000 dead or missing.