ไทย
English
中國人
The U.S. women's national team has just completed its most significant test since the 2024 Olympics: a three-match friendly series against Japan during the April FIFA international window.
Ranked fifth globally, three spots below the USWNT, and fresh off claiming the 2026 Women's Asian Cup title, Japan arrived in strong form. The U.S. kicked off the series with a 2–1 victory, fell in Game 2 by a 1–0 margin, then wrapped up the friendly trio with a confidence-building 3–0 triumph.
With the 2027 Women's World Cup just 14 months away, stakes are rising fast. Continuing the approach seen at the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, manager Emma Hayes assembled the strongest roster available. Aside from Mal Swanson (maternity leave) and Cat Macario (hip injury), this was also the most formidable USWNT squad seen since the Paris Games.
The battle for spots has never been fiercer. Let's examine who made their case and what questions linger after this three-game friendly run against Japan.
Who stepped up for the USWNT?
Gisele Thompson
It's difficult to name a U.S. player whose profile has risen more sharply in 2026 than Gisele Thompson. The Angel City fullback has transformed from a developmental prospect to a projected starter in just a few months. She appears poised to become the USWNT's established left back.
Thompson earned starts in two of the three matches and featured in all three, logging 178 minutes in total. That was the second-highest tally among outfield players, trailing only Emily Fox (180). This level of reliance is a clear indicator of the trust Hayes has placed in the 20-year-old.
In the 2–1 win over Japan, Thompson was dynamic up and down the flank. She spearheaded a high press that helped set up the game's second goal and delivered a crucial last-ditch tackle inside the box. It was equally telling that, when the U.S. found themselves down 1–0 in the second friendly, Hayes turned to Thompson as one of four substitutes tasked with rescuing a result from that rotated starting lineup.
Gisele 😤 Thompson 😤 pic.twitter.com/YUGsO1lSWf
Kennedy Wesley
Could it be that Hayes has been keeping tabs on Sports Illustrated's weekly Stock Up, Stock Down column? Following a brilliant start to the 2026 National Women's Soccer League season with the San Diego Wave, Kennedy Wesley had been making a compelling case for a prominent USWNT role.
Hayes answered the call against Japan, giving Wesley two appearances (135 minutes) at centerback, including a full 90-minute outing in the 2–1 win. Wesley handled her defensive responsibilities adequately in that opening victory, though she did show some vulnerability when attempting to play out from the USWNT's defensive third.
Wesley truly came into her own in the 3–0 win, however. Introduced at halftime in place of Tierna Davidson, she registered her first international goal and assist in the second half. Set pieces proved decisive for the USWNT, and Wesley's sharp anticipation at the back post combined with a deft redirecting header was a moment of genuine quality. The composed 25-year-old continues to expand her skill set.
Rose ➡️ Kennedy ➡️ Naomi ➡️ Goal pic.twitter.com/7N1sFyESBi
Claudia Dickey
Heading into this window, Hayes was quick to push back against any suggestion that she had settled on a clear-cut starting goalkeeper. In her view, Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce were level in the pecking order, and she sees value in both.
"It seems to me we have an obsession in football with finding a number one?" Hayes told reporters last week. "My job is to develop at least two goalkeepers who will be contention for next summer. ... Without question, they [Dickey and Tullis-Joyce] are the two leading the way."
During this window, Dickey received two starts compared to Tullis-Joyce's one. Dickey won both of her outings, recording the window's only clean sheet in Game 3. But it was her five-save display in the 2–1 win that truly stood out. The 26-year-old rose to the moment with a series of sharp late stops as Japan piled on the pressure.
What questions remain for the USWNT?
Jameese Joseph
No player received less opportunity to make an impression than forward Jameese Joseph, who managed just a single substitute appearance (11 minutes) during the 1–0 loss in Game 2.
Introduced with the U.S. already behind, Joseph failed to register a shot or create a chance during her brief cameo. The situation wasn't entirely of her making. Hayes also brought on Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Lindsey Heaps in an attempt to force an equalizer, resulting in a rushed, direct style of play that looked disjointed.
There is plenty to admire about Joseph's game. The 23-year-old is versatile and capable of operating on the wing, though she is being groomed as a more central attacking option. Her relentless off-ball pressing is a genuine asset, but her ability to create in tighter spaces still needs further development.
Ally Sentnor
Unlike Joseph, forward Ally Sentnor was given plenty of opportunity against Japan. The 22-year-old featured in all three friendlies — twice as a substitute (in the 2–1 and 3–0 wins) and once from the start (in the 1–0 defeat) — accumulating 130 minutes, which ranked 12th across the window.
Despite that reasonable amount of playing time, Sentnor's performances underwhelmed. She looked lightweight in possession and surrendered the ball in the buildup to Japan's decisive goal in the 1–0 defeat. Coming off the bench, she struggled to influence matches or find her footing as either a false nine or an advanced creative attacker.
Ultimately, the USWNT scored five goals across the window and Sentnor was absent from the pitch for every one of them. That likely did little to strengthen her World Cup roster prospects. While her technical quality is evident, her best position still feels unclear. The question remains: is she ready for the demands of elite international football?
Lilly Reale
For Lilly Reale, the defining moment of this April window may well be the sequence in which she was outmaneuvered by Maika Hamano for Japan's winning goal in the 1–0 defeat.
Japan open the scoring in Seattle through Maika Hamano 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/tmQiWcU5dm
Reale's first error was positional. She pressed too close to Japan forward Mina Tanaka in the buildup, inadvertently gifting Hamano room on the wing. Then, once Reale committed to the challenge, Hamano read the tackle brilliantly and cut the ball back inside, leaving the U.S. defender behind.
Hayes substituted Reale out of that 1–0 defeat in the 65th minute. Her only other involvement against Japan came in the final seven minutes of the 3–0 win, a spell that produced little of note. It was a difficult window for Reale, who had already departed the SheBelieves Cup with an injury and now finds herself in need of rediscovering her best form.
More Women's Soccer from Sports Illustrated
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.