The April international window is finally over, and U.S women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes put her full squad to the test against Japan. The results offered variety with a loss and two wins, including a commanding 3-0 victory on Friday night in Denver.
From a 2-1 victory with a veteran core in San Jose, followed by a 1-0 loss in Seattle with a more experimental lineup, Friday’s 3-0 win offers even more examples for the USWNT roster to evolve.
Overall, the series served as a deliberate temperature check for a U.S. national team looking to integrate returning stars like Tierna Davidson and Sophia Wilson while fine-tuning roster depth ahead of World Cup qualifiers in November. The unique three-game window was a stress test following a 2025 that expanded the overall USWNT player pool and saw more players earn more first-time debuts than any other coach in 32 games on the job.
With World Cup qualifiers just seven months away, and one less international window this year during a men’s World Cup, each game till qualifers in November will be a key opportunity to evolve.
So what did we learn watching the USWNT face Japan three times?
Here are three things that stood out:
Experience finds a way through
With World Cup qualifiers later this year, there will be constant roster evaluations across positions, and who among the pool are the best capable duos and trios. As the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup gets closer, and windows against top teams like Japan become more regular, they serve as a reminder that sometimes going with what you know and trust isn’t being stagnant or repetitive; it’s wisdom and confidence.
A three-game window against Japan was mapped out as part of Emma Hayes ‘ longer-term plan in 2026. If 2025 was partially about expanding the player pool and relaunching the U23 program, then the first half of 2026 has been about truly weaving those things together with roster “regulars” when available.
A shiny new convertible is fun and exciting, but it isn’t going to be the first thing you pack up on a road trip to the wilderness. In fact, you might not even use that at all. Hayes’ three-game planning was reflective of that.
Ahead of match one, the manager was clear about her intention to navigate the window with two general lineups in mind: opting for starters with more veterans in the opening game and, by design, completely rotating to a less battle-tested lineup in match two.
But ultimately, it was the more experienced lineup that secured a 2-1 win in the opening match, setting the tone for the three-match series. In match two, it was the veterans who were impactful once more when subbed in, making the narrow 1-0 game more anxious for Japan in the later phases.
While the more experimental lineup struggled to generate momentum and sustain it against Japan, the most glaring problem was the lack of final-pass connections and problem-solving. It was especially evident once multiple veteran players entered the game, like first responders with flashlights, guiding their teammates through.
The numbers of the game were generally kind in match two. The USWNT had more team possession (66%) and shots (12), and even leveled the amount of attempts on target (five). But looking deeper into the stats, the ball stayed in mostly defensive areas of the pitch.
Centerbacks led the team in total touches between Emily Sams (122) and Emily Sonnett (96) with midfielder Claire Hutton (83) rounding out in the the top three. The team had the ball, but progression and decision-making seemed off at times. Ultimately, a narrow loss in friendliness to a more than formidable foe is never the end of the world; in fact, it’s exactly the type of game one wants in such a crucial year.
There are only a few windows left till the World Cup qualifiers, maybe even fewer opportunities against top opponents, and there’s less doubt now than a year ago that, if there are veteran players healthy, in form, and available? They’re getting called up to the roster to keep things competitive.
The Japan loss is the new obsession
If three games against Japan were billed as the progress report, both the roster and the coaching staff have a new obsession in front of them — a loss.
Obsessive, too strong a word? I don’t think so. Respectfully, I think it’s competitive and indicative of Emma Hayes’s buy-in to the USWNT culture and DNA during her time as head of the program. Japan handed the USWNT their first loss since October, and that previous loss came against Portugal.
It was the most recent lesson the group had as an example to improve. Hayes has even referenced the Portugal loss as recently as January during the team’s early camp together. Now that’s been replaced — by a loss against an elite global side and World Cup contender with Japan.
“I think, defensively, I think Japan are the best team in the world,” Hayes said ahead of the USWNT’s final game.
“I think the compact 4-4-2, the way they back press together, the way they read the triggers to do those things. The way they defend the box, exceptional. And I think sometimes we get caught in maybe that traditional bias. Japan, highly technical, highly tactical. Yes, they are that. But in order to win the biggest trophies, you better be defensively robust. And I think Japan … as a coach watching it, I think they’re the best team in the world at doing all of those things. Which is why, if you go one-nil down to Japan, you have to work so hard to get a goal. And I’m full of respect for [the] country, because [they] produce teams with so much versatility and flexibility, but always with the aim to win. One of my favorite teams.”
A variety of goal scorers bodes well
Midfielder Rose Lavelle was responsible for goals across two games, and defenders Naomi Girma and Kennedy Wesley got on the scoresheet during the finale against Japan. While a win against a top opponent means getting the goals any way you can, it is interesting to note that the goals on Friday were largely orchestrated by defenders. Getting attacking players on the scoresheet will be another bit of business that the team will likely work on moving forward.
