Hayes to Make Changes to Starting XI as USWNT Tests Depth Against Japan in Seattle

Hayes to Make Changes to Starting XI as USWNT Tests Depth Against Japan in Seattle

The U.S. Women’s National Team bested Japan, 2-1, on Saturday in San Jose, Calif. behind goals from the two most tenured players on the starting lineup. Midfielder Rose Lavelle opened the scoring nine minutes into her 100th start with the team before assisting Lindsey Heaps on the game-winner, which was the captain’s 40th international goal.

Despite conceding its first goal of the year and Japan having the edge in total shots 12-9, the USWNT held over 60% of possession and looked like the stronger team for most of the match. The Americans flipped the script from the last time the two sides met in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup final where Japan took the 2-1 victory to clinch the tournament title.

“Maybe a year ago, we don’t win [Saturday’s] game,” Heaps said post-match. “We closed it out well. We got the two goals. We had more control than we did the last time we played them, so I’m proud of this team.”

Lavelle (119) and Heaps (174) were the only two players in the match for the USWNT with over 100 caps, pulling the starting XI’s average to a year-high 56.3 caps. While the veterans led the squad to the win, it will be a different test on Tuesday when the USA faces Japan in Seattle at Lumen Field.

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes plans to make wholesale changes to the starting XI which will mean a less-experienced lineup in the second match of this three-game series against Japan. With World Cup qualification looming at the end of the year, Hayes and her staff have begun to narrow down the player pool to minimize the difference in the level of performance regardless of which players are on the field. The best way to do that is by giving players chances to perform.

“I want the whole group to experience the highest level game,” Hayes said to media on Monday. “So, what a great situation we're in to be able to put another team out tomorrow to get that exposure against one of the best sides in the world, because you cannot close gaps until you identify what they are, and you can't do that when you're comfortable, and you absolutely can't do that when you're always the dominant side.”

Prior to camp, Hayes highlighted the versatility of forward Jameese Joseph, who has just four caps under her belt. Twenty-year-old Claire Hutton has received praise from Hayes over the past year as the midfielder competed with the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team before earning a more recurring role on the senior squad.

Both could be a part of Tuesday’s lineup as Joseph was an unused substitute while Hutton played only a few minutes after subbing in late for Heaps on Saturday. Hutton said she is looking forward to the challenge of facing Japan again later this week after gaining some insight from the first match’s starters.

“Playing a team twice is never easy, and I've never played a team three times in a row,” Hutton said. “The first to the second to the third game, being able to talk to the players who were on the field the game before,learning from them, watching clips with them, seeing different tendencies, I think it's going to be huge.”

With a three-game international window where Hayes can rotate through the roster, the takeaways are different for each match. Whether it’s the most experienced lineup or the least, each match against Japan moves the USWNT one step closer to where Hayes wants them to be before the end of this year.

“I wanted to put a lot of experience in the first game,” Hayes said. “We have to prepare ourselves for qualifying. We don't have a lot of windows left, so we need to get some of these players playing back together again. The second part is, I want to see a different side to us in the second game with a less experienced group and see the progress that we have made in the last 12 months. I’m very excited for that one.”