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Reuters
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Manager Nielsen proud of Japan after SheBelieves win over US
Feb 28 (Reuters) - Japan manager Nils Nielsen said he was proud of the way his side had come together in a short space of time after they beat the United States 2-1 to clinch the SheBelieves Cup. Both teams headed into the match at the Snapdragon Stadium in California late on Wednesday with six points, though a draw would have been enough for Japan to take the title thanks to a superior goal difference. Goals from Yuka Momiki and Toko Koga either side of halftime secured all three points for the visitors against the top ranked side in the world. Australia and Colombia also took part in the four-team tournament. "I am proud of my players. They adapted to the team in a small number of training sessions and showed a very smart and brave team style. They came together as the games went on," Nielsen told reporters on Thursday. The Dane, who coached the Denmark women's team from 2013-2017, was appointed the first foreign manager of the Japanese women's side in December. "The more you get to know the players, the more you understand them and the more you get to know their individual personalities," he said. "Some players are shy, some are confident, and some are willing to speak up in front of everyone. "In the first few days of camp, not many players answered my questions, but gradually they started to do so. Today we are happy to beat the best team in the world."
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USA 1-2 Japan: key takeaways from the SheBelieves Cup
The US women's national team missed out on the SheBelieves Cup title for the first time since 2019 after a 2-1 loss to Japan in the final game of the round-robin tournament. Japan, who claimed the title for the first time, struck early with a second-minute goal by Yuka Momiki, then regained the advantage through Toko Koga in the 50th minute. The win is the first time the SheBelieves Cup has been won by a nation outside the US or Europe, and just the third time in the tournament's 10 editions that it has been won by any team other than the United States. It also marks Emma Hayes' first loss in charge of the national team since taking over in May 2024, and the team's first loss of any type in almost exactly a year. Here are three takeaways from the match. Related: With over 100 caps, Emily Sonnett is the USWNT's secret veteran in a new generation Japan had proven to be the class side of the tournament after opening with a 4-0 win over Australia, followed by a dominant 4-1 result over Colombia. Those results and the goal difference meant that Nadeshiko Japan needed only a draw in the final match to capture the title. Nonetheless, as they had done all tournament, Japan came out on the front foot, aggressively working passing angles to get the US backline looking disorganized after just a minute or so. That pressure paid off with an opener that was as well-worked as it was indicative of the difference in speed of thought between the sides for most of the match. Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa was able to create the chance when given space while receiving the ball on a throw-in deep in US defensive third. With no defender stepping to her, Hasegawa was able to identify the run of Yuka Momiki, and play a ball that caught goalkeeper Jane Campbell and the covering defender Emily Sonnett off-guard. Momiki took a deft touch away from the duo as they ran into each other, and finished smartly after just 90 seconds. Hayes spoke early and often about this part of her tenure being all about testing the team's depth and putting young players in tough situations, to see how they will respond. Just 12 minutes after the opener, those young players responded with an equalizer. It will be encouraging to everyone in the USWNT camp that Catarina Macario, who recently returned to the team after a long bout of injury troubles, provided the assist in a transition moment. It's also encouraging for the team's enviable forward depth that 21-year-old Ally Sentnor was the one to finish it, giving the Utah Royals striker her second international goal in her opening trio of USWNT games. The winning goal came off a set piece, with Koga's smart follow-up run allowing her to finish past a helpless Campbell after she had made an outstanding diving save off a Hasegawa free-kick. But make no mistake, this game was largely won on the ground. For large portions, Japan held a 100-pass attempt advantage over the US, with a possession percentage that hovered around 60% for most of the game until the US pushed for a late equalizer. That meant most of the US's best moments came in transition. Even in those moments, though, the Japanese defense did well to track US runners and limit dangerous opportunities. In the closing moments, Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita capped the defensive effort with a terrific save on a long-range effort from Tierna Davidson. It's worth noting, however, that not only was this an excellent Japan side in great form, but also that this was a US squad lacking many of the core group that won Olympic gold in 2024. Rose Lavelle, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson (née Smith), Trinity Rodman, and Naomi Girma were all absent; all names that ring out in this squad, with many leaders in their respective positions. So while the loss may dent the program's pride slightly, there's a good chance that the squad as a whole will be better for it in the long run. A whole new group of players have gained tournament experience and know what it's like trying to solve an elite opponent under pressure. For Hayes, that may be all that ultimately matters. As expected given the US squad, Hayes named a lineup heavy on youth and low on international experience, with the notable exceptions of captain Lindsey Heaps and defenders Crystal Dunn, Sonnett and Emily Fox. Even with those decorated veterans on the field, though, the average number of caps in the starting XI (50.9) was the lowest such mark for any USWNT team facing Japan since July 1993, when the American lineup boasted an average of just under 19 caps per player, according to Opta. That mark is even more notable in context: A USWNT player with 19 caps for that game in 1993 would have played in about 24% of the team's all-time games at that point. On Wednesday, a 51-cap player would have appeared in just 6.7% all-time games. It's a gap in experience that makes for an entirely different look for a USWNT who have traditionally been built on what one might call 'extreme veterans'. Recent retirees like Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Heather O'Reilly can each claim to have played in around 30% of the team's all-time games. They are among 17 all-time USWNT players to have played in more than a quarter of the team's games. (An eye-popping side note: USWNT record cap holder Kristine Lilly still, at time of writing in 2025, has played in over 46% of the team's games. At the time of her retirement in 2010, that figure was 77.4%).
Japan Times
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Nadeshiko Japan defeats United States to capture first SheBelieves Cup title
Toko Koga scored the go-ahead goal in the 50th minute to help Nadeshiko Japan defeat the United States women's national team 2-1 in San Diego on Wednesday to end the host nation's five-year reign as SheBelieves Cup champion. Japan won the title for the first time. Yuka Momiki gave the Japanese the lead in the second minute before Ally Sentnor tied it in the 14th.
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
USA 1-2 Japan: key takeaways from the SheBelieves Cup
The US women's national team missed out on the SheBelieves Cup title for the first time since 2019 after a 2-1 loss to Japan in the final of the three-game round-robin tournament in San Diego on Wednesday night. Japan, who claimed the title for the first time, struck early with a second-minute goal by Yuka Momiki, then regained the advantage through Toko Koga in the 50th minute. The win is the first time the SheBelieves Cup has been won by a nation outside the US or Europe, and just the third time in the tournament's 10 editions that it has been won by any team other than the United States. It also marks Emma Hayes' first loss in charge of the national team since taking over in May of 2024, and the team's first loss of any type in almost exactly a year. Here are three takeaways from the match. Japan had proven to be the class side of the tournament after opening with a 4-0 win over Australia, followed by a dominant 4-1 result over Colombia. Those results and the goal difference meant that Nadeshiko Japan needed only a draw in the final match to capture the title. Nonetheless, as they had done all tournament, Japan came out on the front foot from the opening whistle, aggressively working passing angles to get the US backline looking disorganized after just a minute or so. That pressure paid off with an opener that was as well-worked as it was indicative of the difference in speed of thought between the sides for most of the match. Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa was able to create the chance when given a halo of space while receiving the ball on a throw-in deep in US defensive third. With no defender stepping to her, Hasegawa was able to pick up her head, identify the run of Yuka Momiki, and play a ball that caught goalkeeper Jane Campbell and the covering defender Emily Sonnett off-guard. Momiki took a deft touch away from the duo as they ran into each other, and finished smartly after just 90 seconds. Hayes spoke early and often about this part of her tenure being all about testing the team's depth and putting young players in tough situations, to see how they will respond. Just 12 minutes after the opener, those young players responded with an equalizer. It will be encouraging to everyone in the USWNT camp that Catarina Macario, who recently returned to the team after a long bout of injury troubles, provided the assist in a transition moment. It's also encouraging for the team's enviable forward depth that 21-year-old Ally Sentnor was the one to finish it, giving the Utah Royals striker her second international goal in her opening trio of USWNT games. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion The winning goal came off a set piece, with Koga's smart follow-up run allowing her to finish past a helpless Jane Campbell after she had made an outstanding diving save off a Hasegawa free-kick. But make no mistake, this game was largely won on the ground. For large portions Japan held a 100-pass attempt advantage over the US, with a possession percentage that hovered around 60% for most of the game until the US pushed for a late equalizer. That meant most of the US's best moments came in transition. Even in those moments, though, the Japanese defense did well to track US runners and limit dangerous opportunities. In the closing moments, Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita capped the defensive effort with a terrific save on a long-range effort from Tierna Davidson in the game's closing moments. It's worth noting, however, that not only was this an excellent Japan side in great form, but also that this was a US squad lacking many of the core group that won Olympic gold in 2024. Rose Lavelle, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson (née Smith), Trinity Rodman, and Naomi Girma were all absent; all names that ring out in this squad, with many serving as leaders in their respective positions. So while the loss may dent the program's pride slightly, there's a good chance that the squad as a whole will be better for it in the long run. A whole new group of players have now gained international tournament experience and know what it's like trying to solve an elite opponent under pressure. For Hayes, that may be all that ultimately matters. As expected given the US squad, Hayes named a lineup heavy on youth and low on international experience, with the notable exceptions of captain Lindsey Heaps and defenders Crystal Dunn, Sonnett and Emily Fox. Even with those decorated veterans on the field, though, the average number of caps in the starting XI (50.9) was the lowest such mark for any USWNT team facing Japan since July 1993, when the American lineup boasted an average of just under 19 caps per player, according to Opta. That mark is even more notable in context: A USWNT player with 19 caps for that game in 1993 would have played in about 24% of the team's all-time games at that point. On Wednesday, a 51-cap player would have appeared in just 6.7% all-time games. It's a gap in experience that makes for an entirely different look for a USWNT that has traditionally been built on what one might call 'extreme veterans'. Recent retirees like Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Heather O'Reilly can each claim to have played in around 30% of the team's all-time games. They are among 17 all-time USWNT players to have played in over a quarter of the team's games. (An eye-popping side note: USWNT record cap holder Kristine Lilly still, at time of writing in 2025, has played in over 46% of the team's games. At the time of her retirement in 2010, that figure was 77.4%).
New York Times
27-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Japan unseats USWNT in SheBelieves Cup, ending five-year tournament winning streak
Japan won its first SheBelieves Cup title, thanks to its 2-1 defeat of the U.S. women's national team in the tournament's final game on Wednesday. It's only the second loss to Japan in the USWNT's history and might help reignite a rivalry that peaked across a run of major tournament finals in 2011, 2012 and 2015. Advertisement Japan struck first and early, with Yuka Momiki scoring in the second minute of the game. The U.S. found an answer soon enough, with youngster Ally Sentnor scoring her second international goal (and her second of this tournament), assisted by Catarina Macario. Defender Tōko Koga provided the game-winner for the Nadeshiko in the second half, poaching a goal after U.S. goalkeeper Jane Campbell made a diving stop on a Japan free kick. Despite several changes following the opening goal, the USWNT was unable to find an equalizer, let alone a comeback-winning goal. They came close in the final minute of regular time, with Lynn Biyendolo sending it back to center back Tierna Davidson for a long-range shot. Japan's goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita got enough of a hand to the ball to push it over the bar. Wednesday's loss to Japan is also Emma Hayes's first defeat as head coach of the USWNT, having previously won 15 games and drawn two since taking the job last year. Clumsy sequences were expected in this tournament given the number of untested players head coach Emma Hayes selected. In the second minute of Wednesday's finale, Japan capitalized on a U.S. mistake. However, it wasn't a pair of newcomers who cause the error. Japan took a quick throw-in as the United States regained its defensive shape in the opening minutes, creating an advantage of momentum in a short-field setting. A clever through ball found Yuka Momiki, who ran beyond Emily Sonnett. As the U.S. defender tried to regain an advantageous positioning, she instead tumbled to the ground after not seeing that her goalkeeper, Jane Campbell, made a mistimed dive toward Momiki and the ball. It wasn't the first time that Japan had taken the initiative early against the United States, having given Hayes' side its first scare of the Summer Olympics by scoring in the opening minute. On Wednesday, the United States was again caught unaware. Advertisement Sonnett's slip came on the high-trafficed zone of Snapdragon Stadium's now notorious surface. The San Diego venue was the site of last year's water-logged contest against Canada, one which finished with Alyssa Naeher's penalty shootout heroics. Throughout the 2024 season, the San Diego Wave incurred multiple fines due to concerns over player safety on this pitch. The Wave's season finale was forced to be relocated, again due to issues with Snapdragon's surface. Regardless, the slip couldn't have come at a worse time for Sonnett and her team. With the veteran defender and 2023 NWSL goalkeeper of the year out of the sequence, Momiki set herself up for a very easy finish to open the scoring. The crowd at Snapdragon Stadium was largely stunned — but it was a goal borne from Japanese ambition that forced the hosts into some uncharacteristic mistakes. —Jeff Rueter Last year concluded with longtime starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher calling time on her international career. She stuck the landing on a tenure that included backstopping to a World Cup title in 2019, coming up big in the Paris Olympics and providing a needed leadership bridge from a difficult 2023 through to Hayes' arrival. Now, for the first time in three decades, there isn't a clear option atop the goalkeeping depth chart. Hindsight has largely forged a straightforward lineage from Briana Scurry to Hope Solo to Naeher. Alas, there is now a truly open competition in goal — and these three games didn't provide much conclusive evidence toward appointing a new No. 1. After starting the opening match against Colombia, Campbell made her second SheBelieves lineup on Wednesday. Her attempt to dive head-first and clear the ball on Momiki's opener was well-intentioned if imperfectly executed, and may have worked as intended if Sonnett hadn't stumbled into her path. Advertisement However, Japan's second goal came off of an unforced error by Campbell. In the 49th minute, Yazmeen Ryan — who was among the USWNT's best players in the first half — committed a foul just beyond the penalty arc. Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa took a sharp direct free kick, looping it above the United States' defensive wall and toward the corner to Campbell's right shoulder. The Houston Dash goalkeeper made a brilliant diving save but ended up taking all velocity off the ball as it fell in front of her. Had Campbell punched the ball toward the flank or pried it beyond the end line for a corner kick, the score may have stayed level. Instead, 19-year-old defender Toko Koga was quick to pounce and was quite literally handed the second international goal of her young career. Campbell's acrobatic stop on the initial free kick is a worthy showcase of the skillset that has made her among the NWSL's best goalkeepers even as the team in front of her has struggled. However, the ensuing mistake (and, to a lesser extent, the dive on the opener) are the types of gaffes that one would hope don't crop up regularly for a team with the United States' ambition. Mandy McGlynn started the middle match against Australia. She conceded one goal, having been caught with clumsy positioning on a point-blank header. Phallon Tullis-Joyce is probably the most in-form option in the pool as she continues to excel with Manchester United, but was only brought into this camp as a training player. As a result, this remains an open question that's seemingly no closer to being answered than it was entering this window. —Rueter In the end, Japan deserved to lift the trophy at SheBelieves Cup after the most consistent and cohesive performance across all three matches of the tournament. They're also just fun to watch, even as they're clinical and organized. Mina Tanaka had her breakout performance with four goals and three assists. While the USWNT was successful at limiting her on Wednesday night, it was not enough to contain Japan as a whole. Advertisement Ahead of the final game of the tournament, Hayes expected 'a very, very difficult match,' and that's exactly what they got. 'Well, I think it's fair to say Japan as a team are more played-in together than we are, so their connections and their application of their way of playing will probably be more pronounced than ours,' Hayes said Tuesday. 'But that's not to say we can't have success, and it doesn't matter if you have 150+ caps or your third cap. It's about us playing our way, in our style, with our principles, and to execute that at another level, which is what this game will be.' There will certainly be plenty for Hayes and the technical staff to pick apart after their first loss with the USWNT, but losing to this Japan team in February at this point in the World Cup cycle isn't, nor should be, panic-inducing stuff. Largely, the tournament fulfilled its purpose for this particular edition, for Hayes to rotate through the full roster and evaluate players in the first competitive matches of the year. Australia, on the other hand, should maybe be considering something at least adjacent to panic after their last-place finish. They looked listless and particularly hapless in defense under head coach Tom Sermanni — a puzzling development as multiple players are in season in the Women's Super League in England. —Meg Linehan
