On Wednesday, the United States women’s national team hit a first for the Emma Hayes era: It lost.
Japan overpowered the U.S. to take a triumphant 2-1 win in the SheBelieves Cup. With the win, Japan lifts the tournament’s trophy for the first time — and breaks a five-year U.S. SheBelieves win streak in the process.
The high-powered matchup had turned to a de facto SheBelieves final in San Diego, with the two at the top of the table. But Japan held advantage based on goal differential, meaning that the U.S. needed a win in order to take the trophy, while Japan only needed a draw.
U.S. manager Emma Hayes found a balance of experience on Wednesday’s roster, with vets like Emily Sonnett and Crystal Dunn anchoring the back line alongside players like Lily Yohannes and Ally Sentnor — two young standouts who were both key in the USA’s win over Colombia — up towards the front.
Pace was always going to be key in this matchup: Japan has been on a tear in this tournament, finding the back of the net quickly and efficiently. (Against Colombia, it only took Japan’s Momoko Tanikawa 18 seconds to find the back of the net.)
On Wednesday it took a little bit longer, but not by much. Yūka Momiki scored after 90 seconds of play, taking advantage of a bumble between Sonnett and U.S. keeper Jane Campbell and catching the U.S. completely off guard.
But just over 10 minutes later, Sentnor got one back, hitting a beautiful finish in the box and continuing to prove her place on this roster.
Both teams made changes at halftime. For the U.S., Jaedyn Shaw and Jenna Nighswonger came in for Sentnor and Dunn with the hopes of reviving the attack.
Early in the second half, Japan was given a dangerous opportunity, with a free kick just outside the box. Although Campbell was able to stretch for the save on the kick, 19-year-old Tōko Koga — who had just subbed in at the half — got the rebound to put Japan up 2-1 in the 50th minute.
Down by one in a must-win game, Hayes opted to switch tactics, using five substitutions before the 60-minute mark. But the USWNT looked uncomfortable taking the kind of risks that were needed to get a win on Wednesday. In the final minutes, a few missed set pieces and unfortunate offsides calls sealed the deal for Japan. Japan, knowing that a tie would be enough, could cruise to secure the win.
In the 10 years since the SheBelieves began, the U.S. have only lost the annual tournament twice. Prior to this year, the USWNT has won five SheBelieves trophies in a row; that streak ended Wednesday, as the U.S. was overwhelmed by a Japanese team that, frankly, played better.
For Japan, the tournament itself was a great success, trophy or not. This was a Japanese team that lost to the U.S. in the Olympic quarterfinals and the 2024 SheBelieves semifinals, a team that had lost in the quarterfinals of the 2023 World Cup. But Japan was alive again throughout this tournament: ruthless on the attack, demonstrating the same clinical precision that the team has been famous for.
For the U.S., the primary goal of this tournament wasn’t necessarily taking home the trophy, but proving the team’s depth. Playing without some of its key players — including the Triple Espresso frontline (Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson), midfield anchor Rose Lavelle and exceptional center back Naomi Girma — was always going to be tricky. On Wednesday, the U.S. proved that the depth is there, but that there is still plenty of work to do to keep its reputation as a powerhouse.
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