USWNT celebrates with ticker-tape parade in NYC

NEW YORK – At exactly 11 a.m., Abby Wambach glanced at her watch. The captain of the U.S. women's national team seemed antsy. She'd been standing on top of a float for awhile, waiting for the NYPD to give the signal to start the parade.

She could hear the crowds chanting "U-S-A," but those fans were still about 10 blocks away. As she glanced down at her wrist, Wambach looked ready to go. Her watch confirmed what she was likely thinking: It was time. It was time to celebrate the 2015 World Cup Champions in New York.

Even greater than that, it was time – after more than 100 years of parades celebrating male athletes and heroes – to celebrate a female sports team in New York City's historic Canyon of Heroes.

About 10 minutes later, with bagpipers leading the way, the parade was finally underway. Governor Andrew Cuomo and his daughter joined Wambach, Christie Rampone, Christen Press, Julie Johnston and Whitney Engen on the leading float.

Crowds chanted "I believe that we just won" as the players snapped selfies from the floats. Screaming girls with flags painted on their cheeks waved and took selfies of their own; boys waving banners and flags yelled out the players' names; office workers tossed confetti out of building windows.

Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and coach Jill Ellis came later, Rapinoe holding the gold World Cup trophy proudly over her head.

All 23 members of the team joined the celebration, moving through the city streets aboard 12 floats. The final stop came at City Hall, where New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio welcomed the team with a ceremony led by ABC's Robin Roberts.

"Let me tell you, it's about time, isn't it?" the mayor said, noting that this was the first ticker-tape parade held for a women's team. "You can see out there the love that the people of this city and the people of this country have for this team and what they mean to all of us."

De Blasio also focused on the message this win sends to the world. "When they brought back that trophy, they also brought back a message about the power of women, the strength of women," he said.

A valid point, but slightly outdated. He failed to mention that 1999 Women's World Cup championship team had already inspired girls to dream, that many of the women on the 2015 team had grown up believing that they could do this because they had seen a group of phenomenal female athletes do it before.

“All of this for us started when we were little and we had a dream,” Wambach said to the crowd. “In my opinion all the women believed in that dream and kept believing in that dream, not only from the time they were 5 or 10 but through the time we won the World Cup.”

What has changed so much this time around is the celebration. Prior to the 1999 World Cup, U.S. star Mia Hamm told the NY Times that after the 1991 championship, "No one met us at the airport, there were no ticker-tape parades... One of our sponsors took an ad out in the papers to let people know we had won."

Hamm would lead the U.S. to the title again in 1999. Again, there would be no ticker-tape parade.

And so the message that 2015's team really offers the next generation is not "You should have dreams," so much as, "If you acheive your dreams, the entire country will celebrate with you."

And if the next generation of girls ever makes it to this stage, they now know what it will feel like.

"The World Cup was a dream come true, but having this parade here in New York City was one of the best moments of my entire life, and we all feel the same," said Lloyd. "So thank you guys for all your support.”

“To be a part of this ticker-tape parade …what an honor,” Wambach said, adding that it was one of the best experiences of her life.

Then, spreading her arms wide, she yelled into the mic, "We love you New York City."

As Wambach returned to her seat, the crowd returned the love in true New York fashion, chanting "Thank You Abby," in the way Yankees' fans often chant from the bleachers. The chants continued until Wambach stood up and waved again, in what may prove to be her final curtain call.

After the mayor presented each of the players with a key to the city, it was time again.

Time to hoist the trophy, to dance around the stage, to bask in the red, white, and blue confetti shooting into the air. Time to party, because the U.S. women are once again World Cup champions.

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Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.