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The U.S. women's national team kicked off its three-match friendly series against Japan on the right foot, claiming a 2–1 victory at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday evening.
Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle was the standout performer, netting the opener in the ninth minute before setting up team captain Lindsey Heaps for the second U.S. goal in the 48th. The occasion also marked Lavelle's 100th start with the USWNT.
Japan halved the deficit in the second half, with West Ham United forward Riko Ueki heading home from close range in the 61st minute. The USWNT defense argued for offside, but replays confirmed that Gisele Thompson had kept Ueki onside.
The USWNT will face Japan again at Lumen Field in Seattle on Tuesday. Here are the key takeaways from the opening match of this triple-header friendly series.
Revenge for 2025 SheBelieves Cup
Saturday's clash in San Jose marked the first meeting between the two sides since Japan stunned the USWNT in San Diego at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. That loss was the first suffered by the U.S. under head coach Emma Hayes, who now holds a 31-3-2 record at the helm of the USWNT.
A friendly is a friendly, yet this result will feel like a gratifying answer against one of the most technically gifted international sides in the world. Currently ranked fifth globally and fresh from lifting the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, Japan is never a team to be taken lightly.
"I think 12 months ago, we might have drawn this game," Hayes said following the final whistle. "I think the progress is in staying in the game and not conceding a second goal. Where we've come from the last time that we played them in the SheBelieves Cup. We've come a very long way."
USWNT Veterans Shine
Both of the USWNT's goals were delivered by their most seasoned and experienced players. Heaps, 31, notched her 40th international goal while earning her 174th cap. Meanwhile, 30-year-old Lavelle recorded her 28th goal and 29th assist for the national team in her 119th appearance.
In her 100th career start, Rose Lavelle gets her 28th career goal!
USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/Q8vi8IULLP
While 2025 was a year of experimentation — with Hayes opting to give younger players opportunities and spread minutes across the roster — 2026 has seen the USWNT shift toward fielding the strongest available XI at every opportunity.
From the start of 2025 through to these Japan friendlies, Heaps ranked eighth in total minutes for the USWNT, while Lavelle ranked 17th. Injuries and limited availability due to club commitments have also played a role in both players missing time.
Veterans like Heaps and Lavelle are once again stepping into the spotlight as players who must deliver, and on Saturday, the pair were in excellent form, demonstrating composure and quality in the box — particularly notable given that Lavelle has yet to score or assist in the NWSL in 2026.
Lindsey doubles our lead ✌️
USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/5OMALSFyWd
Test in Possession
One of the most challenging aspects of facing Japan was the relentless intensity of their press. Both teams were frequently dispossessed when attempting to play out from their own box. USWNT centerbacks Naomi Girma and Kennedy Wesley were both guilty of surrendering possession on the edge of their own area and required assistance to recover.
There is little question that one of the reasons Hayes will welcome facing Japan three times is the demands it places on her team in possession. On the surface, the passing accuracy from USWNT centerbacks Girma (89%) and Wesley (87%) was not alarming. However, Girma went 1-for-6 on long passes, indicating she was attempting to bypass the U.S. half more quickly but struggled to connect with the higher lines. Against Japan, any lapse in precision can be exploited by the press, and the handful of errors that emerged could easily have proven costly.
Japan Rotates While U.S. Digs in
Hayes was measured with her in-game substitutions against Japan compared to some previous friendlies. Nine players logged 85 minutes, with seven completing the full 90. The USWNT made just four changes throughout the match — two in the 67th minute (Michelle Cooper replacing Trinity Rodman and Ally Sentnor replacing Sophia Wilson) and two more in the 85th minute (Claire Hutton replacing Heaps and Emma Sears replacing Alyssa Thompson).
Japan, by contrast, was quick to shuffle and manage player minutes. Interim manager Michihisa Kano made nine substitutions during Saturday's match, with only two players starting and finishing the game: centerback Toko Koga and goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita. Kano also withdrew six players before the hour mark, just ahead of Japan cutting the USWNT's lead in half.
The USWNT deserves credit for holding firm at 2–1. Despite Japan's fresh legs, most of their best opportunities in the final 30 minutes came from set pieces, with the U.S. showing greater directness and width along the flanks.
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Theo Lloyd-Hughes is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer based in the Southern United States. Originally from England, he can often be found in a press box across the NWSL or at international matches featuring the USWNT and other Concacaf nations.