USWNT Focuses on Final Third Precision Ahead of Finale vs. Japan
USWNT Focuses on Final Third Precision Ahead of Finale vs. Japan In looking at the stats from the April 14 match between the U. S.
Women's National Team and Japan – where the U. S. held 67% of possession and recorded 12 shots to Japan’s nine – one would hope that the USWNT would be able to get on the scoreboard.
But it was Japan that earned the 1-0 victory in Seattle, scoring following a quick counterattack after the USA turned the ball over in midfield with the game-winner coming from Tottenham Hotspur’s Maika Hamano. The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the USWNT and was the first time the U. S.
has been shutout since it played England to a scoreless draw in November of 2024. The USWNT dictated most of the game at Lumen Field and created dangerous opportunities as early as five minutes in, but it was the lack of sharpness in the attacking third that ultimately led to the Americans falling short. “We had a lot of control, and that’s a really good thing, but it's like, alright, with all that control, what can we do?
” midfielder Lindsey Heaps said. “It’s that finishing phase. We had three, four chances at the end there.