U.S. Fall Short in SheBelieves Cup Finale
After five straight SheBelievs Cup titles, the U.S. streak comes to an end.
Wednesday saw the United States attempt to secure their sixth-straight SheBelieves Cup title when they squared off against Japan.
Jane Campbell got the start in goal behind the back line of Crystal Dunn, Tara McKeown, Emily Sonnett, and Emily Fox. Sam Coffey and Lily Yohannes played deep in the midfield, while Ally Sentnor, Lindsey Heaps, and Yazmeen Ryan played higher up. Catarina Macario served as the lone striker up top.
Things got off to a horrific start for the United States as Japan found the opening goal just two minutes into the match. It started on a throw-in when Japan got the ball to Yui Hasegawa. Hasegawa sent the ball forward into the box to Yuka Momiki. Campbell and Sonnett attempted to pressure Momiki, but she spun to avoid it and slotted the ball into the empty net to give Japan an early 1-0 lead.
The United States’ first chance of the night came in the 12th minute when Dunn lobbed a ball to Heaps at the back post. Unfortunately for the U.S., Heaps’ header veered straight to the hands of Ayaka Yamashita.
Despite the early setback, the U.S. elbowed their way back into the game when Sentnor received Macario’s pass into the box and curled the ball past the reach of Yamashita and into the net to level the match at one apiece.
Emma Hayes made two changes before the start of the second half as Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw replaced Dunn and Sentnor.
Like the first half Japan wasted no time, getting onto the scoresheet in the 50th minute. Following Ryan’s foul on Aoba Fujino, Hasagawa lobbed the ensuing free kick to the upper-left corner of the net. Campbell got her hands to the shot but couldn’t get a grasp on it as the ball bounced into the box. Koga was alert as she ran onto the rebound and slotted it home to give Japan a 2-1 lead early in the second half.
Hayes made a triple change in the 58th minute as Lynn Biyendolo, Alyssa Thompson, and Korbin Albert replaced Macario, Ryan, and Yohannes. The final change of the night came in the 68th minute when Tierna Davidson replaced McKeown.
Yamashita came up huge for Japan in the 89th minute when she leaped into the air and narrowly tipped Tierna Davidson’s shot over the net to keep their 2-1 lead intact.
Despite the valiant effort, it wasn’t the United States’ night as Japan secured the 2-1 victory and the 2025 SheBelieves Cup trophy. On top of the title, forward Mina Tanaka took home the MVP award after netting four goals and three assists throughout the tournament.
Hayes and the USWNT return to action in April when they face Brazil in a pair of friendlies on the 5th and 8th.