Soccer never stops. All year round, most every weekend is lined with action. That much isn't abnormal.
But Sunday is something different. A confluence of factors aligned stars and shifted galaxies, lending a rare day featuring huge games that didn't interfere with one another. From 11 am ET right on through 11 pm ET, it was a streamline of high-pressure soccer, including two continental finals, a World Cup final and two marquee MLS games.
It's glorious. Here's a rundown of what happened.
Women's World Cup final: United States 2, Netherlands 0
The day started with the US women's national team in a World Cup final. Can it possibly get any better than that!?
After dispatching of England and France in their last two thrilling knockout round games, the Megan Rapinoe converted from the penalty spot, Rose Lavelle scored a brilliant individual goal, and the United States captured their fourth World Cup title before undoubtedly tens of millions of viewers on FOX.
MLS Regular Season: Atlanta United 3, New York Red Bulls 3
If you stuck around on FOX (or MLS LIVE on DAZN if you find yourself on Canadian soil) for a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Championship. you were treated to yet another spectacle in what is becoming one of MLS' best intra-city rivalries.
This time, both Josef Martinez and Bradley Wright Phillips scored in second-half stoppage time of another wild and contentious encounter before more than 68,000 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For the Red Bulls, it was their first visit to Atlanta since the fatal 3-0 loss in Leg 1 of the Conference Championship last year.
Copa América final: Brazil 3, Peru 1
Three MLSers were eying a big upset heading into Sunday's Copa América final, but it wasn't to be for Peru, who fell 3-1 at Rio de Janeiro's Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho, better known as the mighty Maracanã.
New York City FC's Alexander Callens, Seattle Sounders star Raul Ruidiaz and Portland Timbers winger Andy Polo all started the game on the bench, and both Ruidiaz and Polo got on with Peru chasing the game at 2-1 and just having gotten a man advantage after Gabriel Jesus' red card. It wasn't to be for Los Incas, though, who conceded the final goal via a late penalty.
Peru will still hold their heads high after this one, though — it was their first trip to this tournament's final since 1975, and they stunned onlookers by knocking off Uruguay and Chile in the knockout stages after squeaking in as a third-placed team.
MLS Regular Season: Philadelphia Union 2, Orlando City 2
This Eastern Conference clash, which was postponed from its original Saturday slot due to inclement weather, provided plenty of late drama. The two teams traded goals in the last 10 minutes of regulation, including a 90th-minute equalizer from Kacper Przybylko.
The Union could've even taken all three points were it not for a stunning save from
Orlando
's
Brian Rowe
on
Jack Elliott
in stoppage time.
MLS Regular Season: New York City FC 0, Portland Timbers 1
There was plenty of intrigue heading into this one: Would Brian Fernandez keep scoring? Could the Timbers hand NYCFC just their second loss of the season?
After a humid 90 minutes at Yankee Stadium the answer to the first question was no, but thankfully for Portland, the answer to the second was yes. Fernandez's five-game scoring streak — the longest by any player to begin their MLS career – came to an end on Sunday, but thanks to his compatriot Sebastian Blanco the Timbers were able to eke out a win on the East Coast.
Gold Cup final: Mexico 1, United States 0
To bookend the day with US national teams playing in finals, the USMNT didn't lift a trophy like the USWNT did.
In a Gold Cup final we've all be waiting for, a Jonathan dos Santos goal powered Mexico over the United States. It's their all-time leading 8th triumph in the tournament. A match mired with fouls and multiple instances of players coming together after the whistle, it was just another chapter of the fierce US-Mexico rivalry.
