International sporting tournaments are always bellwethers for what player techniques and managerial tactics are in vogue but the Women's World Cup is unique in that it also gives a snapshot of the development of the women's game and, perhaps more than anything else seen in the month-long tournament, the real winner is women's football overall. In the four years since the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, the championship has leaped from being a handful of professional sides flanked by a legion of hobbyists to being a fully fledged sporting feast.

This was represented in the final, which was predicted the moment the groups were drawn. Going into the World Cup, the USA were the defending champions and, unlike Germany, the men's champions of the last go-around, hadn't missed a step in the previous four years. It makes sense: Not only is the U.S. the only country where the beautiful game is soccer rather than football, but it's also the only country where it's a woman's game first and a man's second. Their infrastructure from the children's level up to the professional league is head and shoulders above the rest, and that could be seen as they maintained clean sheets throughout the group stage, then only shipped one goal apiece in the knockouts. Their position in the final had been predicted from the start, their play style on the way earned it.

On the other hand were the Netherlands. Unlike their male counterparts who have a rotating schedule of dominating a World Cup and collapsing at the next, the female KNVB didn't even qualify at the first six events. Their first international tournament of any kind were the 2009 Women's Euros in which they came out of nowhere to win the bronze medal, then in 2014 and 2015, they made it to the group stage and then they won the 2017 Women's Euros which were being held on home soil.

It was the world champs vs. the European champs, perennial favorites vs. the exciting upstarts and for the first hour – exactly one hour plus the injury time of the first half – the two sides were a perfect match. Rarely has a final ever been so open and free-flowing as this one in Lyon. It took roughly half an hour for Team USA to get any good chances but, even then they all came from moments of individual skill by Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz.

As half time approached, it felt as if the game would shift entirely on the mentality of Team USA: Could they handle being held at bay for so long? In the 61st minute, this wasn't answered so much as it became clear that the wrong question was asked. A penalty to the USA, coolly and calmly put away by Rapinoe, totally shattered the mentality of the Netherlands. They deserve plaudits for not falling to pieces – they did remain a cohesive unit – they did, however, become testy and let the individual efforts that came so close in the first half actually pay off.

Less than 10 minutes later, Rose Lavelle drove straight through the middle and made it a decisive 2-0. It showed the shift in play as neither Team USA nor the Netherlands are used to scoring or capitulating from that position, respectively. From there, it was academic; the breakaways lacked commitment and the closer the final whistle came, the less anybody believed the result could be changed. Having defended their title and now won four of the eight Women's World Cups, Team USA's reign at the peak of the sport has been etched in stone. Now it's up to the rest of the pack to catch up.