Delran cheers on local star Carli Lloyd

The first time Carli Lloyd scored, the crowd at Throwbacks Bar and Grill on Route 130 in Delran Township chanted, "USA! USA!

She scored again. "Carli Lloyd! Carli Lloyd!"

By the time Lloyd was done scoring - she had three goals - and the United States had beaten Japan, 5-2, to win the Women's World Cup title, the place was roaring, with staff standing on chairs, logging 360-degree views on cellphones.

Carli Lloyd! Carli Lloyd!

USA! USA!

"I can't wait for the parade!" said waitress Brittany Pleskoff, raising her voice above the happy noise.

Lloyd grew up in Delran, went to Delran High School, still lives in the area, and conducts camps for girls who love to kick soccer balls and dream about doing what Lloyd did Sunday night in Vancouver.

Lloyd scored two goals 135 seconds apart to give the United States a 2-0 lead in just the first five minutes of the game.

The defending Japanese were stunned.

And then it got worse for them.

Lauren Holiday of the United States scored in the 14th minute and Lloyd scored again two minutes after that. It was the first hat trick in the history of the Women's World Cup final.

B.C. Place was packed with 53,341 fans, including Vice President Biden. The intensity was no less at Throwbacks. The local girl had done very, very well.

The local fans watched on 10 screens in the main dining room, more in party rooms, and more out on the deck.

"She's very aggressive, a fantastic player," said Megan Schmitt of Delanco, gathered with 14-and-under teammates from the Delran Soccer Association to watch from a screen on Throwbacks' outside deck. "When she's near the net, she wants the ball in the goal."

Three goals by one person in a high-level international match is rare.

Lloyd scored the first two goals near the net, but the third one was, well, goofy. And joyous for the Lloyd legion in Delran.

Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori was far out of the net, which is normal when the ball is at the other end. But when Lloyd got the ball after a turnover, she launched a long shot from midfield. Kaihori got only a piece of it, not enough to prevent the ball from reaching the back of the net. The keeper put her hands on her face as she lay on the ground.

At Throwbacks, "This place just went nuts," as waitress Pleskoff put it.

Lloyd is appreciated in Delran because she spends time with local girls learning the game. A summer camp might last only a few days, but it gives young girls a taste, a chance to talk to an idol.

"Ultimately, their dream is be Carli Lloyd," said Kevin Meldrum, a coach in the Delran Soccer Association. "She's a hero in these girls' eyes. They want to be like her."