What we learned from the USWNT’s friendlies versus Japan – Equalizer Soccer

Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

History tells us not to place too much importance on the U.S. Women’s National Team’s friendly results. Before beating all comers to win Olympic Gold in 2024, their preparations wrapped up with an underwhelming 0-0 draw against Costa Rica. And at the previous Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, the USWNT went in looking virtually unbeatable before suffering one of their worst-ever losses in a competitive fixture, in which Sweden hammered them 3-0 in the opening group game.

Head coach Emma Hayes sides with history. “I almost want to lose sometimes,” Hayes told TNT Sports following the USWNT’s 3-0 friendly win over Japan to close out the teams’ three-game friendly series, the “sometimes” admittedly said through gritted teeth.

No fighter wants to leave their best fight in the gym. Hayes understands that from a soccer perspective, this is a process, a process aimed towards peaking somewhere around next summer and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The occasional loss and learning is no bad thing, and the U.S. got both in this series with Japan. Here are some of the main tactical takeaways.

Problem-solving to the rescue in game one

Under Hayes, the U.S. defensive system has become a lot more aggressive in its marking, and they go from defending in a block to pressing player-for-player. However, in game one there were some teething issues with how to press Japan, who built possession from a three-back.

At times, the front two of Sophia Wilson and Rose Lavelle were caught between pressing and sitting off as a compact unit, essentially doing neither, allowing Japan’s center-backs time to play and space to penetrate through.

This in turn led to a situation where the midfield duo of Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey could be overloaded, especially as Japan started the game without a single natural No. 9 up front. Instead, Japan played with two attacking midfielders in Manaka Matsukubo and Momoko Tanikawa, who both preferred to drop deep and take the ball to feet between the lines.

Here we see the U.S. defending in a 4-4-2, but with space between Wilson and Lavelle allowing Japan to play through them.