COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Kennedy Wesley made her mark by scoring her first international goal and assisting another after coming on as a substitute at halftime. Naomi Girma and Rose Lavelle also found the net as the United States triumphed over Japan with a score of 3-0 during a friendly match on Friday night.
Claudia Dickey was solid in goal for the U.S., making three saves.
Wesley, who stepped in for Tierna Davidson, assisted Girma’s header to open the scoring in the 47th minute, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead.
Davidson, after a hard fall in the 30th minute, was evaluated but managed to complete the first half.
Lavelle extended the advantage to 2-0 in the 56th minute. Following a turnover by Japan at midfield, Trinity Rodman fed the ball to Lavelle, who raced past the defense and scored from the edge of the penalty area.
In her last ten matches, Lavelle has contributed to ten goals—five goals and five assists.
Wesley added her goal in the 64th minute, volleying in from a corner taken by Jaedyn Shaw, sealing the score at 3-0.
“I really can’t express how I feel. The ball was perfectly placed by Jaedyn, and I was just in the right spot at the right time. I’m ecstatic,” Wesley said.
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Despite outshooting Japan 9-1 in the first half, the match was tied 0-0 at halftime.
Japan’s Miyabi Moriya came on for Hikaru Kitagawa, who was carried off due to injury during the 25th minute.
“Winning against Japan by a score of 3-0 is really something special,” said U.S. head coach Emma Hayes after the match. “I’m delighted we scored three goals against such a formidable opponent.”
The game was held in near-freezing temperatures at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home to the Colorado Rapids, with earlier snowfall blanketing the field.
This match concluded an unusual three-game series against Japan. The U.S. had previously won the first encounter last week in San Jose, California, 2-1.
Japan claimed victory in the second game, 1-0, on Tuesday in Seattle, breaking the U.S.’s ten-match winning streak. The U.S. hadn’t lost since a 2-1 defeat to Portugal on October 23 of the previous year. The Americans’ 42-game run without a shutout ended with this loss.
Hayes rotated her lineup completely for the second match as she evaluates her player pool ahead of World Cup qualifiers later this year. This marks the fourth time during Hayes’ coaching that she has introduced an entirely new starting lineup in consecutive matches.
“You don’t reach elite status by merely wishing for it. It requires hard work, and I assure you that each one of us is dedicated to putting forth that effort to ensure we are at our best. That’s our only control,” Hayes added.
Japan arrived fresh off a championship win in the Women’s Asian Cup, having outscored rivals 29-1 and clinching the title with a 1-0 victory over host nation Australia.
Renowned for their technical capabilities, Japan also surprised the U.S. during last year’s SheBelieves Cup.
This report includes contributions from the Associated Press.