USWNT v Japan in April 2026, pre/pbp/post

The sub is finally happening.

Hutton for Heaps
Sears for A Thompson

 

Japan makes a concussion sub

 

Final

United States of America 2 Japan 1

Same opponent, new time and city next.

 

https://www.youtube.com/live/DWOuI0fhLbA

 

Some of it might have been that Japan was tired but we routinely won the 1 v 1 battles, particularly with our defenders. Their forwards ran like they had lead in their boots. We clearly have better athletes.

As expected, Japan's midfield was solid but so was ours. Heaps strengths were apparent, and her liabilities are not exposed by a team like Japan. She was really good. We won the possession battle, which I would not have predicted before the game.

Rose was outstanding but seemed kinda gassed out at the end. I think, if this was a real game, you would have seen her subbed at some point..

Looks like we will see a younger lineup next game. Can't wait to see what Hutton, Lily, and Olivia can do against these guys.

 

Well, Rodman just played as a wingback for her entire playing time and did very well.
No, Joseph has a way too more salient target element in her game.
They thrive in very different game states.

 

The positives: Fox, Coffey, the Thompsons, Lavelle.
Decent: Heaps, she is skillful but I guess nothing can be done about her lack of speed. Faster opponents can exploit it. Girma was good but not invincible. Wesley let the ball get behind her too often. Dickey was fine, her kicking game needs work.
No ready for Prime time: Sophia Smith. I don't know what happened to Rodman. She has not been very good for a number of games.

 

Rodman played the most important tactical role in this hard-fought victory. Her presence deep in the right channel during the first half was the primary reason the entire right side of the shape—Heaps, Girma, Fox, and Rodman herself—was able to break Japan’s press effectively and move the ball into the attacking half. Rodman is a highly talented player, but against top-level opposition, especially at the national-team level, her best role may be as a right wingback.

It was also very important to have speed in the front line. Sophie did not have a particularly strong game, but her mere presence on the pitch carried strategic value. The long balls played over the shoulder for her did not always connect, but her pace still had two important effects.

1. First, it pushed the Japanese back line deeper, which created more space between the lines and made it more likely that second balls would fall in the U.S.’s favor.
   
   
2. Second, her runs forced Japan’s center backs into hurried clearances near the byline, allowing the U.S. to regain possession high up the field. The contrast was obvious once Sentnor came on and Rose became the highest-positioned player during counterattacking situations.
   

Girma and Wesley are both strong in distribution and buildup from the back. However, their ability to win duels in advanced positions, whether to clear loose balls or recover possession, is somewhat concerning. It makes sense to play both if the objective is to out-possess Japan. That is a useful experiment in a friendly, but it probably should not be the goal in a competitive match. Using two technical and mobile center backs who lack size, physicality, and power when stepping up to make clearances is probably something best reserved for friendlies as well. Despite some shortcomings, the entire back line, along with the two pivots and Rodman, did a fairly good job of denying Japan clear scoring chances, although that may also have been helped by Japan’s setup not being its most effective one.

Heaps had a decent game, but much of her effectiveness was tied to the overall tactical setup, especially Rodman’s heavy defensive work in tracking back, helping in defense, and assisting with press resistance. Heaps’s defensive coverage issues were exposed again later in the second half. Playing Hutton or Moultrie as one of the pivots would probably require less compensatory defensive work from the other players.

Rose had a very good game, and interestingly, she has increasingly been positioned higher on the pitch and is tasked with less defense duties.

Overall, the tactical setup for this match remained highly experimental. The probable objective was to out-possess Japan. The U.S. did manage to out-possess them and win. I expect the next two games to feature different tactical themes.

 

Can’t stand when Foudy announces. It’s like sitting next to a drunk at the bar who is talking about everything but the match

 

Tiernan is a target 9 that gets played out of position as a wing

 

Had to DVR it and just watched. Mostly impressive win. Thoughts.

Most surprising thing for me was we had 61% possession. I thought we'd be chasing a lot more than we did. Even cooler at least to my eye, was the way we kept altering the build up, even before the subs/352 switch.

Started out 433, but with Coffey low and Heaps and Lavelle both higher and Fox & GT pushed wide. But morphed into a double pivot with Heals deeper and of course more of a back 3 eith GT & Rodman as the WBs at times, but with Heaps higher. That kind of in game adjustment is really high level stuff.

In terms of the players, I thought Heaps, Lavelle, and Fox stood out. G. Thompson and Dickey also real good. It was clunky at times. And there were missteps from everyone at times. Especially early.

I thought we had lots of promising transition moments and failed to score or even get a shot on too many. Wilson was rusty, as expected. Still managed to set Thompson on a plate once, though. But failed on what should have besn a 2 v 1 a moment later. Rodman also rusty, still. But involved in first goal and did a lot of dirty work. A. Thompson blew that goal, but her hustle helped keep the play for the 2nd goal alive. A sequence G. Thompson created with awesome pressure. She (and Fox) also had crucial track backs to stop Japan chances. Too bad she kept Japan onside on the goal. Rose had a goal and an assist, but wish she'd have been greedier a couple times, or passed too soon.

Aside from Wesley (Davidson/Sonnett), & A. Thompson (Swanson), I think this is Hayes' first XI atm.

I have a feeling Campbell may startvthe next one. But PTJ probably gets it. Patterson & Reale wide. IDK how serious Sonnett's knock is. Expecting Hutton, Yohannes + Moultrie in the MF. Sentnor, Sears, & Cooper up top. Though Shaw pooping up somewhere would not surprise me.

 

1. Heaps passing was exceptionally sharp, especially in the first half--even for her.
2. Been a long time since Rose went 90. And in the first half, entirely too much of her quickness and speed was needed defensively; no wonder she was leaving three tracks by the end.
3. Same old (pre-Olympic) Soph. Creator of and recipient of more chances than anyone else ever, and pisser away of almost the same number. She didn't do that so much in the Olympics, so hopefully she get all the way back to that level.
4. I thought Hasagawa was frighteningly omnipresent for much of the game. If you let her be the keystone, they'll beat you about all the time. Keep the ball away from her and I think you'll win.
5. Cooper's backpassing was awful in this game. Not, I think typical, and I thought the approach was particularly effective across the team-- but not from Cooper.
6. Great games overall from Fox and G.Thompson, no matter who gets the "blame" for the goal.
7. Dickey seems to be having a profitable period in the weight room; seems to be sturdier without giving up agility. Also liked her long clearances; she seemed to be seeing situations where those balls might be received or recovered mostly.

I'm guessing Olivia and Lily will be key players for the rematch.
.

 

Popping up. Egads.

 

I'm not as high on G Thompson as some - she allowed Japan to be onsides twice late in the game and I think she may have been the culprit on the long ball in the first half (the one she raced back to block)? And how did her sister not score (trying to hit the ball instead of just side-footing it, IMO)?

Fox was her usual awesome self - the play to knock the ball away from behind in the box in the first half without fouling was an outstanding defensive play not many can make.

Conversely, we need to do better than Wesley. Too many thru ball chances from Japan and had problems passing out of Japan's excellent counter trap.

Smith has been missed.

 

I wish they would try different former players.
Why is she getting all the gigs?

 

Maybe, she works cheap?

 

I think that Sophia, in an obvious display of Sportswomenship, dialed back her Complete and Total Awesomeness not wanting to crush the hopes and dreams of female footballers around the world in her first international match back.

She will be fine.