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Jessica Doyle, left, react as the U.S. loses to Japan during the Women's World Cup soccer final, while watching the broadcast at Public Bar in Washington on Sunday, July 17, 2011. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press
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Nicholas Iwaniuk yells during the Women"™s World Cup soccer final between Japan and the United States at the Highbury Pub on Sunday, July 17, 2011, in Milwaukee. Japan won the match and the title. Morry Gash, Associated Press
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Robyn Vinje and Nicholas Iwaniuk, right, react in the final seconds of the WomenÍs World Cup soccer final between Japan and the United States, as fans watch the broadcast at the Highbury Pub on Sunday, July 17, 2011, in Milwaukee. Japan defeated th Morry Gash, Associated Press
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Soccer fans react at Chatham Tap in Indianapolis, Sunday, July 17, 2011, after Japan stopped a penalty kick during the Women's Soccer World Cup final in Germany. Japan won on penalty kicks. Darron Cummings, Associated Press
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Robyn Vinje, front, and Alan Bykowski react in the final seconds of the WomenÍs World Cup soccer final between Japan and the United States, as they watch the broadcast at Highbury Pub on Sunday, July 17, 2011, in Milwaukee. Japan won on in a penalt Morry Gash, Associated Press
By Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — There was beer spraying in the air after a big goal, a wide variety of R-rated chants and even a guy in a Captain America superhero suit.

Beyond having a few more female fans at the bar than usual, the capacity crowd at Milwaukee's soccer-centric Highbury Pub for Sunday's Women's World Cup final looked and acted about the same as it does during U.S. men's games. Across the country, people who hadn't heard of Abby Wambach before this week joined hard-core supporters with fond memories of 1999 in bars, restaurants and living rooms across the country.

And when the U.S. lost to Japan on penalty kicks, it stung just as badly as it did when the men's team was eliminated by Ghana in last year's World Cup.

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