Photos Of Team USA’s Parade in NYC Show The Depth Of Soccer Fandom

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team on Friday was honored with a New York City parade and ceremony for defeating Japan to clench an historic World Cup victory.

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Cassidy Gabriel, 16, and her father Fritz traveled to Montreal to watch the USWNT face off against Germany.

"It was awesome," she told BuzzFeed News. "I hope more people start following women's soccer now."

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Bryanna (left) and Julianna woke up at 4 a.m. to travel to New York City from their hometowns in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

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Tamerra Griffin / BuzzFeed News

(From left to right) Allie Aloe, Tara Walenczyk, Emily Troisi, and Nneka Moneme of the Players Development Academy in New Jersey led the crowd to chants of "USA! USA!" from their float when the parade began.

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USA defender Julie Johnston and teammates celebrated as shredded paper confetti rained down Broadway.

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A fan held a sign that read "Please come back, Wambach" during the parade's procession. Before the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup began, Abby Wambach announced that it would be her last international competition.

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chirlane McCray, USA midfielders Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe, and team coach Jill Ellis waved from their float. The banner beneath them read, "Thank you fans."

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Bre Henderson, 20, told BuzzFeed News that team USA's defense inspired her with its stellar performance.

"I wasn't a defender before," said the center back at Francis Marion University in South Carolina. "Now I'm a big believer in defense winning championships."

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Hope Solo, who won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper in the Women's World Cup, waved to the crowd along with her teammates.

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Fans clad in U.S. soccer jersey's threw shredded paper confetti from a Broadway-facing building during the parade.

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(From left) Cassandra Davis, Kristin Desmond, Samantha Avallone, Lauren Johnson, Kaitlin Goncalves, and Samantha Turnbull — all 19 — grew up playing soccer together at the Huntington Boys Club in New York. They now play in colleges across the country.

Goncalves told BuzzFeed News she traveled to Canada to watch a few of the games, and wound up staying in the same hotel as the USWNT.

"I was in the elevator once with Carli Lloyd," she said.

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And patriotically-clad baby Jane accompanied her mother to the parade.