The USWNT is kicking off a trio of friendlies against Japan on Saturday as the team starts a three game swing in San Jose, California. Over those matches, the team will continue to refine manager Emma Hayes’ tactics and narrow down the player pool ahead of World Cup qualifying. The USA will face stiff competition as Japan is fresh off of winning the AFC Women’s Asia Cup.
At this point Hayes has a good idea of what the players on the roster, and the ones at home on the bubble, have to offer. The team
kept three clean sheets on the way to sweeping the SheBelieves Cup dispatching Argentina, Colombia, and Canada. Those matches were important for Hayes to see what needs to be focused on in this window and a key thing to watch will be how the players on the field play together in the different lineups that she selects.
Among the most important areas to focus on will be how Hayes handles the goalkeeper and center back situation. Phallon Tullis-Joyce started two matches in the SheBelieves Cup with Claudia Dickey getting a nod also. In those matches Emily Sonnett started next to Naomi Girma, but Tierna Davidson is back and Hayes will want to see how the center back combinations play with the different choices at keeper.
Elsewhere, it will be interesting to see the way younger players are worked into the team. Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jameese Joseph have been called in and Hayes will want to evaluate how the fit into her preferred lineups. They will play alongside established starters like Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps, though the latter do not seem to be preferred to play together. In SheBelieves, Lavelle started against Colombia and Canada with Heaps starting against Argentina and coming in off the bench in the Canada match.
There will also be more competition on the forward line. Sophia Wilson returns to the lineup to join Trinity Rodman in a doppio espresso. It will be a key window for Michelle Cooper, Emma Sears, and Jameese Joseph to make a case for being called in to future rosters for competitive matches.
Looking at the matches, Hayes has well established her tactics and Japan is a strong opponent to test the different combinations that she has in mind with the World Cup approaching next year. While 2025 was much more of a “process” year, 2026 has the team gearing up and raising the intensity to qualify and prepare for what’s to come.
