'Pearl Harbor' Trends on Twitter as US Wins World Cup

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While the 5-2 World Cup win by the US Women's National Team over Japan in Vancouver set most Americans in a festive mood last Sunday, a few fans took a different route in expressing their sentiments on social media. Some of them have decided to relate the win to a historical event that occurred in 1941, making "Pearl Harbor" one of the top trends on Twitter.

Reuters reports that after the Women's World Cup victory, where the USA has become the only country to win three Women's World Cups, fans have started posting on Twitter how the win is like a revenge against the Japanese for what has happened in Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Cloyd Rivers' tweet, found below, has been retweeted 10,200 times, quickly encouraging other users to follow suit.

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

— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) July 6, 2015

The Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941 by the Japanese has persuaded the United States to join in the foray of World War II. An estimated 2,500 died and 1,000 were injured during the attack.

BBC News writes that many users found the tweets offensive and racist. Taylor Perry tweeted "Pearl Harbor isn't funny. Hiroshima isn't funny. Nagasaki isn't funny. This isn't WW2. This is women's soccer match in 2015."

Pearl Harbor isn't funny. Hiroshima isn't funny. Nagasaki isn't funny. This isn't WW2 this is a women's soccer match in 2015 lol — Taylor Perry (@Tayty_Perry) July 5, 2015

Other Twitter users also defended the Japanese, like Ginge, who said "Wow. Pearl Harbor trending? You're not funny. You're awful human beings."

Wow. Pearl Harbor trending? You’re not funny. You’re awful human beings.

— Ginge (@Ginge) July 5, 2015

According to Topsy, an analytics website, "Pearl Harbor" has been mentioned around 500 times daily but last Sunday, it increased to more than 50,000 due to netizens' reactions to the original tweet.

In related news, The Inquisitr reports that some fans have taken it up a notch on Twitter and has started attacking U.S. Goalkeeper Hope Solo, after the player had won the Golden Gloves award for a spectacular performance throughout the event.

Twitter user Robert Bittal tweets, "If it makes you uncomfortable when I call Brittney Griner or Hope Solo a domestic abuser & not focus on court/field, remember equality."

If it makes you uncomfortable when I call Brittney Griner or Hope Solo a domestic abuser & not focus on court/field, remember equality — Robert Littal (@BSO) July 6, 2015