USWNT Focuses on Final Third Precision Ahead of Finale vs. Japan | OneFootball

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. Continuing to build the connections in the final third is super important for us.”

While the emphasis over the past year has been on developing the less-tenured players, building connections has become an important part of the ongoing team development. Emma Hayes has given 60 players international minutes since she took over the team in mid-2024, but following the January 2026 training camp, Hayes and her staff have begun to narrow down the player pool to start building cohesion before World Cup qualifying later this year.

Alignment in the final third is something Hayes says she wants to see in Friday’s match against Japan at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. With Olympic gold medal game hero Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario (the USA’s leading goal scorer in 2025) still absent, and Sophia Wilson still getting her legs under her after 17 months away from the USWNT, the team is looking to be more clinical in the attack.

“I always think the final third in football, that's where connections really matter,” Hayes said. “It's still very early on for us with that, so it looks a little clunky to me.”

Hayes played Wilson alongside forward Trinity Rodman in both matches this week as she tries to rebuild the “Triple Espresso” connection that led the USWNT to Olympic gold in 2024. The duo created one of the most dangerous looks of the second match off a play that started with Heaps.

Wilson had another chance earlier off a long ball from defender Tierna Davidson who played her first international match in over a year. Before coming off the bench, Davidson said she saw the team was building well but lacking precision with the final touch.

“We had a lot of good ideas, but we were just off by the ball being a little too long or a little bit behind somebody or just not exactly synched up,” Davidson said. “The more we fine-tune that, the more chances we create and hopefully score.”

As the USWNT prepares for the final match of the series on Friday, April 17, it has a chance to apply those takeaways to close the series with a complete performance in Colorado.

“While we don't ever want to be in that kind of position, it is good experience to be able to try and work back from that score line, especially against a team like that,” Davidson said. “It's a good reminder of where we don't want to be, and hopefully we can take that with us as we move on to the next game.”