Laken Litman
College Football & Soccer Analyst
The US women’s national team experienced their first defeat during Emma Hayes, with the more experienced and tactical Japanese side beating the Americans 2-1 to win the Shebelieves Cup title at Snapdragon Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Japanese who took part in the game with eight goals in the first two tournament matches got hot in the two minutes and scored. Man City’s step-order played Leicester City’s Yuka Maiki, defeating Emily Sonnet and blew the shots to goalkeeper Jane Campbell. USWNT eliminated Japan in the quarterfinals of the Parisiolmín Games last summer, but this moment was Deja Vu of the 2024 Chevelieves Cup, where Japan recorded 30 seconds in the semifinals.
The US was equal after a while with a beautiful strike from Ally Senner, but the Japanese regained their lead from the set pieces in the second half. Ultimately, the Americans made mistakes and struggled to finish consistently in the last third with too many departures.
“We fully understood the quality of the opponents we were facing tonight,” Hayes said after the match. “They are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the world, and the players are played together very well, but perhaps the majority of them are in the middle of them. [club] season. And I think that was shown in the game.
“And it’s okay to be disappointed. I told the players. It’s really important to remember moments like these and the learning we’ve gained from it. And I look forward to working together to build some of that progress and learning what’s most important when playing top-class opponents.
USWNT entered this window without at least five regular starters. Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sofia Wilson’s “Triple Espresso” frontlines were not available for roster selection. Neither Rose Lovell nor Naomi Gilma. Additionally, Alyssa Naeher retired late last year, with Campbell winning the 10th cap vs Japan alone.
But the main purpose of Hayes in this camp – and most of 2025 is to give young experienced players the opportunity on the pitch with quality opponents in high pressure situations. The US is always hoping to win, but these are still the early days of Hayes, who develop talent.
The coaches often mentioned it early in the week when we talked about the future growth of this team.
“The hardest part in my position is that I can’t give them something that only takes time,” Hayes said. “So, let’s say you have an alliance and a cat macario. How many times have they played? [together] in front? Allies need to learn about cat trends, what Lindsay’s tendencies are, and more.
“Triple Espresso, their chemistry was very strong because we played together so many times…it’s going to take a little while. [to develop that chemistry]. But I think this is a really, really good start to this year. ”
This is the takeaway from the match:
Game Play:
In the 14th minute, Macario grabbed the ball past midfield and played through ball towards the centuries.
“The cat’s incredible ball had a perfect pace on it, so all I had to do was finish it,” Sennor told the broadcast at halftime. “If we can do more of that in the second half, we’ll succeed.”
USWNT could not capitalize in the second half as Japan managed the game. However, Sentnor quickly established himself with this senior team. The 21-year-old has now got two starts at USWNT, scored two goals and made three contributions in the tournament.
“Aly has been protesting in her first professional year, rising through the national team of youth. [in the NWSL] She has the qualities to decide the game, Hayes said.
“And I think having this tournament and being given some start will build her confidence.
Turning Point:
Japan regained its lead shortly after halftime.
In the 50th minute, Japan was awarded a free kick outside the box. Hasegawa’s first strike was saved by Campbell, but Tokakoga got a rebound and took a shot past the US goalkeeper, giving him a 2-1 advantage.
At this point, USWNT realized that they were in a position where Thailand would need to score two goals to win the sixth Chevelieves Cup title, as the goal difference would support Japan.
Key Statistics:
Japan has become a habit of scoring quickly against Americans.
In the opening match of last year’s Shebelieves Cup, Kiko Seike scored in the first 30 seconds.
What’s next for USWNT?
USWNT will not see them again until the next window in April ahead of their two matches between Los Angeles and San Jose’s Brazil. That camp will include both senior and under-23 teams running simultaneously, just like how things went in January.
It will be interesting to see which players will back up and join seniors and meet players stopping by to play with the U-23 team. Hayes said that if players need more time at a lower level, they should not be considered a demote. Instead, ensuring that the player pool continues to develop the right way is all part of the strategy.
Hayes was asked if he now knows which players train where. She said the program has a “really thorough process” in deciding on it.
“We’ll be taking up what we think has the best path to progress for all players in the coming weeks, and we feel like we’re in a solid place in terms of that journey,” Hayes said. “I think taking the risks we take now is the right decision for the program.
“So now, it is moving on to the next step and the great thing about this period is that we held camps in April, May and June. [that’s] Something we are very looking forward to. ”
Laken Litman covers Fox Sports’ college football, college basketball and soccer. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and Indianapolis Star. She is the author of Strong Like A Woman, published in the spring of 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her @lakenlitman.
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