Soccer Tweets Invoke Pearl Harbor after U.S. Win over Japan

A Twitter firestorm broke out when some soccer fans referenced Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki after the U.S. Women’s National Team trounced Japan 5-2 to win the World Cup in Vancouver Sunday night.

The heat exploded after some fans tweeted remarks such as “This is for Pearl Harbor,” “Japan wishing they never bombed Pearl Harbor right about now,” “That 4th one was for Pearl Harbor #USA,” and “Hiroshima, Nagaski and Vancouver Three locations USA has blown Japan away.”

I HAVENT SEEN TWO DROPPED ON JAPAN THAT FAST SINCE HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

— 🍉RikKanye West🍉🇹🇱:^) (@NintendoSoyboy) July 5, 2015

Hey Japan, that one was for Pearl Harbor. U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.

— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) July 6, 2015

Why do so many Americans lack class? #PearlHarbor is trending because of the soccer match. No wonder the world hates the US. Grow up people!

— Chris (@ChristosDallas_) July 6, 2015

I was just looking at pictures of Nagasaki and Hiroshima…oh wait those are Hope Solos nudes

— Danny LoPriore (@DannyLoPriore) July 5, 2015

Wow. Someone forgot to tell the U.S. Women’s team that we already avenged Pearl Harbor. #USAvJPN

— TED (@EpicureanDeal) July 5, 2015

According to Topsy.com, “Pearl Harbor” normally rates roughly 500 mentions per day, but after Sunday’s game, that number zoomed to over 50,000. “Pearl Harbor” ranked as one of the top-trending topics in the U.S. after the victory, along with “#USAvJPN” and “Hope Solo.”

Over 2,400 Americans died at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese launched a surprise attack. The Americans later used the first and only atomic bombs in warfare on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese surrendered immediately after the Nagasaki bombing.

Some of the blowback to the “Pearl Harbor” mentions included, “Pearl Harbor isn’t funny. Hiroshima isn’t funny. Nagasaki isn’t funny. This isn’t WW2 this is a woman’s soccer match in 2015 lol,” and Kami Mattioli, a college basketball editor for The Sporting News, tweeting, “Pro tip: that Pearl Harbor tweet you’re typing up … don’t send it, keep it to yourself, you heathen.”

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