USA 1-2 Japan: key takeaways from the SheBelieves Cup | Alexander Abnos

• Japan complete a perfect tournament with three wins
• The loss is the US women's first in almost exactly a year

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.