The U.S. women\u2019s national team passed its first test against Japan in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, topping the 2026 Asian Cup champions in a 2-1 victory for the first of three matches between the longtime rivals.<\/p>\n
Midfielder Rose Lavelle opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finding the ball off a cheeky volley from forward Trinity Rodman in the goalie\u2019s box. Scoring in her 100th career start for the U.S., Lavelle only needed one touch to finesse the ball as it fell before her. The 30-year-old carried this momentum into the second half, contributing to the U.S.\u2019s second goal when she found captain Lindsey Heaps wide open in the center of the box in the 48th minute.<\/p>\n
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Japan responded in the second half with a goal from Riko Ueki in the 61st minute, taking advantage of a flat-footed U.S. backline. Ueki nearly equalized in the 79th minute, but was unable to get around goalkeeper Clauda Dickey, who had a standout performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime you can play a team of this caliber, it\u2019s going to be a great learning experience,\u201d Lavelle, who played a full 90 minutes, said after the match. \u201cI can\u2019t say it enough, like, they are such a good team, so to be able to have the opportunity to play them 3 times in one window, I think we can take it and it\u2019s really going to help.\u201d<\/p>\n
The match was a promising start for the Americans, whose last match against Japan ended in heartbreak during the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. During that match last year, it was Japan who started each half with two quick goals in the fifth and 50th minutes, with that momentum helping them lift their first-ever SheBelieves Cup title. The U.S. spent the last year regrouping.<\/p>\n
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The night was a promising start for the U.S. women\u2019s national team, who will face Japan two more times over the coming days. The Athletic analyzes the key takeaways from Saturday\u2019s match \u2026<\/p>\n
Sophia Wilson\u2019s long-awaited return<\/p>\n
After a promising return to the Portland Thorns in NWSL, Wilson has returned with the USWNT.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old started for the U.S. for the first time since giving birth to her daughter in early September. It was her first game for the team in 17 months. She played 67 minutes and earned her first start since the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Games.<\/p>\n
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The new mom was all smiles as she walked onto the pitch alongside teammates Rodman and Naomi Girma. Wilson started alongside Lavelle as the two lone forwards in the U.S.\u2019s attack against Japan. Her high pressure in the attack created opportunities for the U.S., as she slowly builds her minutes in camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny time you can get a result (like this) against a team like Japan, we\u2019ll take it. I think we put out a solid performance. There were definitely moments within the game that we maybe dipped a little bit, but that\u2019s something that we\u2019ll work on,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cWe\u2019ll go back and look through everything and make sure that the next game we fix those things, and I\u2019m sure the next game, more things will come up, but that\u2019s just the sport, and we just continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s match was the first time that two-thirds of the \u2018Triple Espresso\u2019 trio were on the same pitch playing for the same side since the Olympics. As Wilson exited the pitch, replaced by Ally Sentnor, the broadcast panned to her daughter, Gigi, in one of the stadium boxes, watching her mother return to the pitch.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt was good for me to get this game out of the way, the first game back with the national team, and now my feet are wet,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cI feel confident going into the next few games.\u201d \u2014 Melanie Anzidei\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last-minute change to evolving center back pairing<\/p>\n
Ever since Tierna Davidson\u2019s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year, there\u2019s been an open-ended question about which center back would replace her to slot in alongside Girma \u2014 and a revolving door of auditions to find out. For the majority of 2025, the answer appeared to be Emily Sonnet, whether Girma was on the pitch; her appearances on the national team were sporadic due to injury. But in the build-up to Saturday\u2019s match, Sonnet sustained an injury during training that forced Hayes to make a last-minute decision about her starting XI. Hayes said Davidson\u2019s return to the team was a little further back from full fitness.<\/p>\n
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Kennedy Wesley, who plays for the San Diego Wave, earned her fifth international cap when she lined up beside Girma. The two were flanked by Gisele Thompson and Emily Fox with Seattle Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey behind them. The backline\u2019s mandate to play out of the back was clear in the first half and was largely successful apart from a few nervy moments. But Wesley\u2019s aerial dominance and physicality with her press allowed Girma to keep the group organized. The security provided by the two Stanford alumni in the middle also freed Fox and Thompson to exploit the flanks and involve themselves in the attack.<\/p>\n
Dickey recorded three key saves in the first half and one in the second, including a close-range shot from a corner kick. Her performance tightened the competition between her and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for the U.S. No. 1 role. \u2014 Tamerra Griffin<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n
This was just the first of three matches the U.S. will play against Japan. The back-to-back-to-back fixtures offer head coach Emma Hayes a unique opportunity to test her players in real time against one of the most technical opponents in the world \u2014 an opponent who Hayes described as a contender to win next summer\u2019s World Cup and one she is a \u201csecret fan of.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Hayes has told reporters that her plans for this camp were to field two different teams for the first two matches against Japan. This roster may feature an entirely different look \u2014 with regulars like Davidson and Sonnett potentially back in the mix, as well as players like Gotham FC\u2019s Jaedyn Shaw or 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale.<\/p>\n
Whatever Hayes does for their next fixture on Tuesday in Seattle will offer a rare glimpse into the head coach\u2019s thinking for what this player pool has to offer, especially as more experienced players return to the fold with younger players who have risen through the USWNT ranks over the last year.<\/p>\n
As for the third match, Hayes has left that open for what the first two matches show. \u2014 Anzidei<\/p>\n