SHANGHAI, China -- Abby Wambach gave the United States something more than bad memories to carry home from the women's World Cup.
Wambach's two goals, and two more from Lori Chalupny and Heather O'Reilly, led the United States to a lopsided 4-1 victory over Norway on Sunday in the third-place game.
Brazil played defending champion Germany later for the title.
The powerful American striker scored in the 30th and 46th minutes, giving her six goals for the tournament and putting the United States in command.
The U.S. team, distracted by the expulsion of goalkeeper Hope Solo, pulled together three days after a humiliating 4-0 semifinal loss to Brazil that ended a 51-game winning streak.
"I feel like in this tournament -- from the time I came for the draw -- the U.S. was behind the eight-ball, because we had a very difficult group," coach Greg Ryan said. "I felt like each game was so under the gun. Each match became an elimination match for us."
"Tonight I was so happy the players completely relaxed and played some great soccer, some entertaining football."
The Americans dominated Norway from the first few seconds, with forwards O'Reilly, Wambach, and Kristine Lilly all threatening with balls in the box, making Wambach's breakthrough seem inevitable.
She deflected in Chalupny's bouncing shot from outside the area in the 30th. Sixteen minutes later, Wambach chipped in a loose ball that Norwegian keeper Bente Nordby failed to control.
In the second half, Chalupny and O'Reilly scored in quick succession. Chalupny hit home in the 58th on a freak shot that hit a Norwegian defender's leg, then went in from long range. A minute later, O'Reilly knocked in a rebound from close in.
"These past couple days have been real emotional. It's never easy losing," Wambach said. "Our team showed today that we have serious character. We are women of heart."
Norway got its lone goal in the 63rd on Ragnhild Gulbrandsen's header -- her sixth goal of the tournament -- that just escaped the fingertips of American keeper Briana Scurry.
The United States has won the World Cup twice -- 1991 and 1999 -- and finished third in 1995, 2003 and this year.
