The U.S. women’s national team defeated Japan 1-0 to claim its second victory in as many tries at the SheBelieves Cup.
Mallory Swanson — who else? — claimed the game’s only goal on a breakaway late in the first half after being released by Alex Morgan. And while the U.S. was made to sweat at times in the face of Japan‘s technical ability, the defense held firm to secure the win.
Brazil plays Canada later on Sunday, and that result will determine what kind of result the USWNT needs to win the tournament for the fourth time in a row in their last game of the tournament on Wednesday. However, winning the SheBelieves Cup is secondary to preparation for the World Cup, which begins in five months.
Rapid reaction
1. USWNT wins a different kind of game
The tournament-opening 2-0 win over Canada saw the U.S. start fast and furious, creating numerous turnovers off its press on its way to a two-goal lead by halftime. Sunday’s match against Japan was completely different and the Americans were pushed way out of their comfort zone at times.
While the U.S. had the edge in possession during the first half (55%-45%), the match seemed to be played on the Nadeshiko‘s terms. Japan forced numerous turnovers, and made the U.S. look disjointed in attack.
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Then in one swift move, the U.S. took the lead. Sofia Huerta hit a long ball to Alex Morgan in the center circle, and she immediately played forward to Swanson. At first it looked like Japan defender Shiori Miyake had the angle to get to the ball first. But Swanson’s speed proved decisive and she soon got herself in the clear and delivered a cool finish past Japan keeper Ayaka Yamashita. Swanson’s five-game scoring streak is the longest by a USWNT player since Christen Press scored in six straight from November 2019 to February 2020, per ESPN Stats & Information.
The U.S. looked a little sharper to start the second half, but Japan finished the match with flurry, and the USWNT had goalkeeper Casey Murphy to thank for preserving the win. Fuka Nagano went close in the 79th minute with a drive that went just over the bar. Yui Hasegawa then forced a sharp save from Murphy two minutes later. June Endo had another opportunity in second half stoppage time, but Murphy was on hand again to make the save.
Overall, this will be precisely the kind of challenge that U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski wanted for his players in one of their final matches before the Women’s World Cup in July. But he’ll have some questions to ponder as he goes deeper in his pre-World Cup preparations, especially with regard to his midfield.
2. Finishing makes the difference for USWNT as Japan can’t do it
Japan has long played an aesthetically pleasing style, adept at keeping the ball while staying organized in the back. It is on the back of these traits that the Nadeshiko have been among the best teams in the world, including their triumph at the 2011 World Cup.
But finding a high-scoring forward has historically been a challenge. The since-retired Homare Sawa was primarily a midfielder, and remains Japan’s all-time leading scorer with 83 goals in 205 appearances.
The SheBelieves Cup has highlighted once again Japan’s lack of cutting edge from its forward line. Against Brazil the Nadeshiko had the edge in expected goals 1.40-1.19. In Sunday’s match against the U.S., Japan again had the edge in xG, or expected goals (0.94-0.70) as well as more shots (15-5), but they couldn’t convert, despite some stellar chances late.
