The U.S. women’s national team ended its three-game series with Japan in dominant fashion, winning 3-0 on Friday night in Commerce City, Colo. And even though it was just one of three, this match was maybe the most representative of the United States going forward, which made it even more meaningful.
“Have we made progress in these three games? One million percent,” coach Emma Hayes told reporters after Friday’s match.
The U.S. won the first match 2-1, but failed to score in the second despite owning 67% of possession. They eventually fell 1-0 on Wednesday in Seattle. They came out Sunday, firing 15 shots in the third, seven on target, and held 65% of possession. All three goals came in a 17-minute flurry after the break.
The United States also set out a more experienced roster, which averaged 60.7 caps. Captain and Colorado native Lindsey Heaps led the group with 177. Defender Gisele Thompson and goalkeeper Claudia Dickey had the fewest caps, at 10 each.
Sophia Wilson and Tierna Davidson were also included in the starting lineup, making their first appearances this window after extended absences.
But even within that veteran group, goals came from unexpected places with Naomi Girma and Kennedy Wesley scoring out of the center back position. Wesley, who earned her first start of the April window, also assisted on Girma’s goal after subbing in for Davidson.
The third goal came from Lavelle, which was far less surprising, though as she collected her second of the series. The team’s fifth goal came from Heaps in the midfield.
But rather than feeling discouraged by a possible lack of production from her front line, Hayes seemed encouraged by the effort from the midfielders and defenders stepping up as players like Wilson and Trinity Rodman continue getting back to full fitness.
“If we’re scoring those goals without them, imagine what we’re going to look like when we get them from them,” Hayes said.
In all, Hayes started 23 different players in this window, including two goalkeepers in Claudia Dickey and Fallon Tullis-Joyce. The only real continuity was the presence of Wilson and Lavelle up front in Games 1 and 3. Ally Sentnor commanded the nine for the middle match.
Hayes was quite open going into this series against Japan about her plans to balance building familiarity within her squad and allowing players to gain experience against an elite opponent. She seems to have done that well here, while also utilizing nine subs in the third match. Hayes used six and four in the two prior.
“Of course I want to win every game of football, but not at the expense of what we’re trying to achieve,” Hayes said. “We need a lot of players to be better developed tactically at the highest level, because that’s where the highest end of the game is.”
Specifically, Wesley talked about the challenge of Japan’s relentlessness on offense, which led the team to the Women’s Asian Cup championship last month. They outscored opponents 29-1 in six matches.
“They are so dynamic in their movements offensively, so if you take a second off, they can punish you,” Wesley said. “I think the level of mental focus and fortitude you have to have for 90 minutes is really important.”
And that is exactly what Hayes wanted the younger player on this roster to experience ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup as she continues to hone this roster.
Although this 26-player camp roster had zero uncapped players, less than half played against Japan in the 2024 Olympics, meaning the team’s last match against a Top 5 opponent was against Japan in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. Fourteen on the current roster suited up for that match.
The next women’s FIFA window will open at the beginning of June, starting a countdown for Hayes of about 12 months to make final adjustments before the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
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