Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; United States midfielder Lindsey Heaps (heart left) celebrates with midfielder Rose Lavelle (heart proper) after scoring a aim in opposition to Japan through the second half at PayPal Park. Obligatory Credit score: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Photos
On February 6, 2025, the US ladies’s nationwide soccer group misplaced to Japan, 2-1, within the SheBelieves Cup. Dropping to Japan, the No. 8-ranked group on the planet, is just not trigger for a disaster, but it surely was nonetheless a bruise for a USWNT facet accustomed to dominating that match — and the worldwide ladies’s soccer panorama extra broadly.
However on Saturday evening, when the U.S. took the sphere in opposition to Japan, they appeared like a unique group than they have been one yr in the past — one that isn’t solely evolving, however rising extra assured within the course of.
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