On Sunday 19 February, the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) faced the USA Women's National Team in their second match of the SheBelieves Cup, where they lost 0-1.

Following their 0-1 defeat to Brazil on Thursday, head coach IKEDA Futoshi started YAMASHITA Ayaka in goal with KUMAGAI Saki, MINAMI Moeka, and MIYAKE Shiori forming the three-back defence line. NAGANO Fuka and HASEGAWA Yui continued to be named as the two defensive midfielders, while IWABUCHI Mana was given her first start of the competition along with UEKI Riko and FUJINO Aoba upfront.

Japan displayed great aggression from the early minutes, as they fiercely chased the ball from the frontline. In the fourth minute, Ueki connected with a cross delivered by SHIMIZU Risa to strike a header, but her attempt went wide of the US goal. The home side came within inches to take the lead in the 14th minute, when a cross delivered by Lynn WILLIAMS drifted towards the Japanese goal, but Yamashita was able to get a slight touch on the ball to redirect it off the cross bar. Ueki tried her luck from outside the box in the 25th minute, but her shot was just wide of the target. Although it was Japan who controlled the ball possession in the first half, USA scored the opening goal in the 45th minute, when Mallory SWANSON responded to a through ball sent by Alex MORGAN and won the foot race against Miyake to send the ball in the back of the net. .....

＞＞READ MORE "JAPAN FA"