(CNN) -- Despite their second-place status in the 2011 FIFA World Cup Final, the women of the U.S. soccer team hope their success in the tournament -- especially their appearance in the final game before a global audience -- encourages more Americans to get excited about the women's sport. "I think we did something pretty special for women's soccer here in America," said Megan Rapinoe, a midfielder from California. "Hopefully this has kind of opened people's eyes a little bit to how beautiful the women's game can be." Playing in a sport that has long labored in the shadow of the men's game, and representing a country where soccer has long fought for attention against football, baseball, basketball and other major-league sports, made the thousands of roaring fans in the final game in Frankfurt, Germany, all the more stimulating for the team.
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Players hope their appearance in the final round brings more attention to soccer
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"We did something pretty special," says one team member
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Penalty kicks helped Japan win Sunday in the World Cup final 5-3
@placeholder was considered by many to be the sentimental favorite going into the game, in the aftermath of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami in March.