The U.S. women’s national team’s three-match slate with Japan got underway with a win on Saturday.
Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps both scored as the USWNT edged their intercontinental rivals 2-1 at PayPal Park in San Jose. Lavelle also picked up one assist in the match while Sophia Wilson earned her first minutes since October 2024 following the birth of her daughter.
The result extended the USWNT’s current winning run to 10 matches dating back to last fall.
“I think 12 months ago, we might have drawn this game,” Hayes said in her postmatch press conference. “I think the progress is in staying in the game and not conceding a second goal.”
Lavelle opened the scoring for the Americans after nine minutes, finishing off Trinity Rodman’s looping pass into the bottom-left corner. Sam Coffey’s free kick flew to Rodman, whose one-time pass allowed Lavelle to race into the box and deliver the finish.
Three minutes into the second half, Lavelle went from scorer to distributor, teeing up Heaps for her 40th career international goal. A frantic play inside of the Japan 18-yard box eventually led to Lavelle laying off a pass for Heaps to slot home into the bottom corner.
Japan trimmed the deficit after the hour mark through Riko Ueki’s headed finish, but it would be the closest that the visitors would come to a comeback.
USWNT goalkeeper Claudia Dickey registered five saves in the win, finishing the match as the busier of the two keepers.
Claire Hutton, Emma Sears, Ally Sentnor, and Michelle Cooper all featured off of the bench while Naomi Girma, Lavelle, and Coffey were among those to play the full 90 minutes in the match.
The USWNT-Japan series will next shift to Seattle’s Lumen Field on Tuesday night.
*I was saying before I think….
these games are fun to watch and good tests
I’d like to see Wesley again, she looked nervous to me and kind of struggled out there, so maybe another game and she’ll feel more settlednbecause Japan really went after her
And Alyssa had some good opportunities, uncharacteristically a little unfocused in those moments for some reason, idk, Wilson back and others returning…Thompson’s got to keep that mentality of not deferring to anyone, just look to dominate and others will catch up, imho
It will be interesting when Mallory Swanson returns. There is no timetable for return but Chicago has said they expect her to play this season. Everybody deserves their own timetable but if you follow Sophia, she gave birth in September. Mal gave birth in November, so perhaps in the next few months. Of course Sophia’s husband is in the offseason and Dansby Swanson has just started his MLB season so support systems are important too. Emma Hayes is likely to have some very tough decisions on rosters and minutes at the next WC and Olympics.
exactly, good problems
I was saying before O think it’s Mal who drops back into the midfield on the flank, she’s done it before and she’s awesome at it, both sides of the ball and in transition. You could get Rodman Wilson Swanson and Thompson all out there together, pretty cool.
the question with that lineup imo is where do you put Heaps? if she’s up high somewhere, then where is Lavelle? Or if Heaps is deeper, then the same issues with her paired with Coffey back there, just kind of slow in certain matchups like against Brazil or France or Germany for example