USWNT 2, Japan 1: Rose Lavelle scores in 100th start, Sophia Wilson returns

USWNT 2, Japan 1: Rose Lavelle scores in 100th start, Sophia Wilson returns

The U.S. women’s 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.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finding the ball off a cheeky volley from forward Trinity Rodman in the goalie’s 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.’s second goal when she found captain Lindsey Heaps wide open in the center of the box in the 48th minute.

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.

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.

The night was a promising start for the U.S. women’s national team, who will face Japan two more times over the coming days. The Athletic analyzes the key takeaways from Saturday’s match …

Sophia Wilson’s long-awaited return

After a promising return to the Portland Thorns in NWSL, Wilson has returned with the USWNT.

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 for 67 minutes, and earned her first start since the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Games.

The new mom was all smiles as she walked onto the pitch alongside teammates Trinity Rodman and Naomi Girma. Wilson started alongside Lavelle as the two lone forwards in the U.S.’s attack against Japan. Her high pressure in the attack created opportunities for the U.S., as she slowly builds her minutes in camp.

Saturday’s match was the first time that two-thirds of the ‘Triple Espresso’ 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 boxes at the stadium as she watched her mother return to the pitch. — Melanie Anzidei

Last-minute change to evolving center back pairing

Ever since Tierna Davidson’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year, there’s been an open-ended question about which center back would replace her to slot in alongside Naomi Girma — and a revolving door of auditions to find out. For the majority of 2025, the answer appeared to be Emily Sonnet, whether or not Girma was on the pitch; her appearances on the national team were sporadic due to injury. But in the build-up to Saturday’s match, Sonnet sustained an injury during training that forced Hayes to make a last-minute decision about her starting XI. Hayes said Davidson’s return to the team was a little further back from full fitness.

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’s 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’s 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.

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.

— Tamerra Griffin

What’s next?

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 – an opponent who Hayes described as a contender to win next summer’s World Cup and one she is a “secret fan of”.

Hayes has expressed to 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 – with regulars like Davidson and Sonnett potentially back in the mix, as well as players like Gotham FC’s Jaedyn Shaw or 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale.

Whatever Hayes does for their next fixture on Tuesday in Seattle will offer a rare glimpse into the head coach’s 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.

As for the third match, Hayes has left that open for what the first to matches show. — Anzidei

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

US Women's national team, Japan, NWSL, Women's Soccer

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