February 22, 2025 - The first matchday of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup has finished, with USA and Japan earning three points in their respective matches.
SheBelieves Cup Table:
After MD1 | Matches Played | Goal Differential | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 1 | +4 | 3 |
USA | 1 | +2 | 3 |
Colombia | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Australia | 1 | -4 | 0 |
Japan 4, Australia 0.
Nadeshiko Japan's first match under Nils Nielsen was a massive success, a 4-0 win against fellow AFC side Australia to kick off the 2025 SheBelieves Cup - the largest margin of victory for Japan at the SheBelieves Cup. (previous record: 3-0 win against Canada in 2023)
Japan, under Nielsen, have reverted to the 4-3-3 look after playing the 3-4-3 under Futoshi Ikeda at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where they lost to the USWNT in the Quarterfinals. Nadeshiko thrived with early crosses from their wide players, particularly from fullback Hikaru Kitagawa, who recorded 2 assists on the night. Australia's backline, particularly their centerback partnership of Alanna Kennedy and Clare Hunt, had a difficult time communicating on those early crosses, highlighted by Mina Tanaka's second goal.
Lineups:
JAPAN (4-3-3): 1 Yamashita; 5 Takahashi (21 Moriya 85'), 6 Koga, 3 Minami, 13 Kitagawa; 14 Hasegawa (C), 4 Kumagai, 10 Nagano (7 Miyazawa 60'); 17 Hamano (8 Matsukubo 71'), 11 Tanaka (22 Momiki 85'), 15 Fujino (9 Ueki 60').
Head Coach: Nils Nielsen
AUSTRALIA (4-2-3-1): 1 Arnold; 21 Carpenter, 14 Kennedy (3 Heatley 64'), 4 Hunt, 7 Catley (C) (22 Grant 64'); 19 Gorry (10 Van Egmond 74'), 23 Cooney-Cross (5 Prior 85'); 16 Raso, 11 Fowler (15 Galic 64'), 13 Yallop; 9 Foord (17 McNamara).
Head Coach: Tom Sermanni
Scoring Summary:
6' Mina Tanaka (Assist: Fuka Nagano)
32' Mina Tanaka (Assist: Hikaru Kitagawa)
52' Maika Hamano (Assist: Mina Tanaka)
75' Moeka Minami (Assist: Hikaru Kitagawa)
WOTM: Mina Tanaka (2 goals, 1 assist)
Mina Tanaka overtook the spot for fourth most goals for Nadeshiko Japan on Thursday with her brace against Australia. The forward joined NWSL side Utah Royals in the summer of 2024, after playing for Japanese clubs Tokyo Verdy Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa over the last 13 seasons. Tanaka now sits behind just Homare Sawa (83), Yuki Nagasato (58), and Kaori Nagamine (48) with 41 Nadeshiko goals all-time.
USA 2, Colombia 0.
The US Women's National Team continue their streak of undefeated results under Emma Hayes, as they defeat Colombia 2-0 in Houston. No Tripple Espresso, no Rose Lavelle, no Naomi Girma, no Alyssa Naeher... no problem.
The USWNT allowed seven shots by Colombia - they blocked three and the other four were off target. Jane Campbell has a clean sheet to her name but ultimately had very little to do, with 36 total touches during the match. This... is a Colombia attack featuring superstar Linda Caicedo, who was held to one blocked shot during the entire match.
Lineups:
USA (4-2-3-1): 1 Campbell; 23 Fox, 14 Sonnett (C), 4 McKeown, 5 Nighswonger (15 Thompson 76'); 17 Coffey (3 Albert 77'), 11 Yohannes; 22 Ryan (21 Cooper 64'), 10 Heaps, 9 Sentnor 8 Shaw 76'); 20 Macario (6 Biyendolo 64').
Head Coach: Emma Hayes
COLOMBIA (4-3-3): 12 Tapia; 17 C. Arias, 3 D. Arias, 16 Carabali (14 Baron 43'), 5 Quejada (4 Guzman 68'); 10 Santos (23 Chacon 81'), 8 Restrepo (21 Reyes 67'), 11 Usme (C) (20 Martinez 82'); 7 Pavi (19 Torres 67'), 9 Ramirez, 18 Caicedo.
Head Coach: Angelo Marsiglia
Scoring Summary:
33' Catarina Macario (Assist: Yazmeen Ryan)
60' Ally Sentnor (Assist: Tara McKeown)
WOTM: Ally Sentnor (1 goal)
The 2024 US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year scored her very first USMNT goal on Thursday in a 2-0 win against Colombia. Her strike from distance comes as no real surprise - as she already scored two goals from range for the United States U20 Women's Team at the U20 Women's World Cup in September 2024, against Mexico and the Netherlands. Sentnor made her senior debut at Wembley against England in a friendly in late November 2024.
NEXT UP: Glendale, Arizona. Sunday, February 23. Colombia vs Japan, USA vs Australia.
