It took 31 seconds for Saturday’s 2024 SheBelieves Cup opener in Atlanta to look as if it could become a complete disaster for the U.S women’s national team.
The U.S. back line was caught high, near midfield, and Japan midfielder Kiko Seike flew down her team’s right side, in behind, and neatly tucked the ball inside the far post to score. The USWNT had not conceded a goal that early in a match in 21 years.
Then, however, the rest of the match played out as if that opening sequence from Japan had never happened. The USWNT stuck with its game plan, holding a high line and applying relentless high pressure to disrupt Japan’s desire to play short passes out of pressure.
It eventually paid off with an equalizer from Jaedyn Shaw 20 minutes later, and the U.S. continued to dictate play in the second half before Lindsey Horan‘s penalty kick delivered a 2-1 victory for the Americans.
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More than anything, the USWNT’s performance marked the type of confidence of a world power that dictates games rather than a team that reacts to opponents — the type of swagger the Americans leveraged into World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 but consistently have lacked in recent years.
Even with impending head coach Emma Hayes still watching from afar,…
