The SheBelieves Cup is over, the awards are handed out, the confetti is swept away, and the post-match press report is filed and published. Japan was the victor in 2025, the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) coming in second, which is not a disaster but not exactly the hierarchy one would hope to see.
There was a time when the USWNT might be relied on to steam over tournaments, heaping up trophy cabinets with a sense of destiny that rendered the whole exercise nothing more than going through the motions. But football, as it does with so much else, has an annoying habit of pressing on. Challengers emerge anew, tactics adapt, and that which once so readily came in the past must now be grappled with after a little effort.
The issue, if it can be described as that, is not a lack of talent—anything but. The US still has a team full of class. Instead, the problem lies with cohesion, with identity, and with the tiny but vital issue of having exactly the right idea of how to get all the moving pieces working together.
A Shift in Power? Not Quite, But…
There is a feeling of unease when a team so accustomed to being at the top is having to play catch-up. The USWNT is not so much in decline, but it is transitioning, a term that does a lot of heavy lifting in football. It suggests something temporary, a phase that will pass, when in reality it often means “we’re working it out as we go along.”
Japan’s SheBelieves Cup victory wasn’t an isolated event. It was a tactical masterclass, based on technical precision, fluid movement, and the kind of choreographed pressing that can leave an opponent looking curiously sluggish. It was, short of a thing, what the USWNT used to do to all the rest.
All of which is not to say that the US is somehow bound for averageness. The team still retains its quota of veteran leaders—Lindsey Heaps being among them—and a new crop of talent who will, with time, drive the next chapter of the team. The challenge, naturally, is to span that gap without losing steam, for in football, as in much else, the moment you pause to count your blessings, someone else is already passing you by.
Key Players in the SheBelievesCup From the US
Although the 2025 SheBelieves Cup ultimately ended in failure for the US, there are plenty of positives to take away from the tournament, primarily in the performances of standout players. We’ve already mentioned the leadership qualities of Heap but several rookie names made sure to grab their fair share of the spotlight, with Catarina Macario and Ally Sentnor chief among them.
Sentnor, 21, can play as a midfielder or a forward, and she showcased her sharp attacking instincts with two goals across the competition. By finding the net against both Colombia and Japan, she finished as the top US scorer. Naturally, now more eyes will be on her progress at club level when she takes the field for Utah Royals in the NWSL. The Royals are away to San Diego Wave next, with a win for the visitors priced at +295 with Draft Kings. Given Sentnor’s trajectory and growing confidence, it seems like a decent pick. Here you can find out more about bonuses for new users with DraftKings before placing your bet. It’s important to read the terms and conditions as it varies from bookmaker to bookmaker.
Building Towards 2027
The 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, is now the clear target. Two years is a long time, but anyone who has ever tried to fix something knows that time has a peculiar way of vanishing. By the time the tournament comes around, the USWNT needs to be more than a collection of talented players—it needs to be a team with a clear, functioning system.
This is where Emma Hayes comes in. She is tasked with restoring the USWNT to dominance, no mean feat considering the increased level of competitiveness for women’s football around the world. Those days of using raw physical power are long gone. Tactical adaptability is the new currency, and Hayes will need to ensure that her team is as comfortable with having the ball as they are with pressing high up the field and counterattacking with pace.
There is also the question of depth in the squad. It is simple to have a talented first XI, but tournament football is a different beast altogether. Games come thick and fast, there are injuries, and the luxury of being able to introduce quality cover is often the difference between a respectful exit and a trophy lift.
Away from the pitch, USWNT’s role in the overall discussion of women’s sport remains important. It has been out front in the fight for equal pay, investment, and recognition for decades, and despite the progression made, the fight is not yet won.
What Comes Next?
In the near term, USWNT has the small matter of qualifying for the World Cup proper to occupy their focus. Qualification will probably come as a breeze for the US, but expectation and reality do not always get along, and it would not do the team any harm to approach the process with the sort of focus that suggests they have learnt something from recent setbacks.
Other than that, the next few years will be about refining tactics, developing the squad, and ensuring that, in 2027, the USWNT is once again thought of as the team to beat, not merely one of a list of potential contenders. Because despite all the transition chatter, all the rebuild chatter, the simple truth is the USWNT is not here to contend. They are here to win.
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