USWNT Win Over Japan Highlighted by Kennedy Wesley Performance Off the Bench

From a close-range, acrobatic shot by forward Sophia Wilson to Claire Hutton smashing a shot from the top of the box that clanged off the crossbar, the USWNT was showing urgency in the final third that head coach Emma Hayes implored from her side ahead of the matchup. Despite going into halftime scoreless, the crowd of 17,589 at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park felt a breakthrough on the horizon. They didn’t have to wait long as defender Naomi Girma scored the opener just 155 seconds into the second half.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle doubled the lead less than 10 minutes later, and defender Kennedy Wesley put the exclamation point on the game soon after. Wesley entered the match at halftime in a planned sub for fellow center back Tierna Davidson, earning just her sixth USWNT cap. Her goal was the first of her international career and it came off a corner kick from midfielder Jaedyn Shaw.

She grabbed her first international assist on Girma’s goal following another corner kick, and Wesley’s interception started the counterattack that led to Lavelle’s goal. “I think you could feel that there was a goal coming,” Wesley said. “We had a lot of good chances.

We were in their box a lot. So, coming in the second half, I know I really only find myself up there on set pieces, so I just needed to execute my role, and I did that for the most part, at least I tried my best. The team has been working so hard to wrap this camp up on a good note and show all the details that we have been working on, so it was a great showing from the group.