The United States Women’s National Soccer team ended its three-match series against Japan women’s national football team in emphatic fashion Friday night, earning a commanding 3-0 victory in Commerce City. Powered by a dominant second-half performance, the Americans closed the April international window with one of their most complete outings under head coach Emma Hayes.
After a scoreless first half, the U.S. quickly found another gear once play resumed. Defender Naomi Girma opened the scoring in the 47th minute, heading home a perfectly placed corner from Rose Lavelle after a flicked assist from rising center back Kennedy Wesley. It was Girma’s third international goal, and notably, all three have come via headers.
Just nine minutes later, Lavelle doubled the lead with a composed finish after a flowing counterattack started deep in the American half. Trinity Rodman delivered the final pass, sending Lavelle through on goal before the midfielder calmly slotted her shot into the lower corner. The tally marked Lavelle’s 29th international goal and continued a strong run of form, giving her 10 goal contributions in her last 10 appearances for the national team.
The third and final goal came in the 64th minute, and fittingly it belonged to Wesley. Moments after entering the match at halftime, the young defender capped a standout performance by redirecting a corner kick from Jaedyn Shaw into the net for her first international goal. Wesley also assisted the opener, making her the clear breakout performer of the evening and earning Woman of the Match honors.
While the goals stole the headlines, the American defense was equally sharp. Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey made three saves as the U.S. secured its first clean sheet of the April camp and eighth shutout victory in its last 10 matches. Japan managed just five total shots and rarely threatened despite several second-half substitutions.
The match was played in chilly 38-degree conditions at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park before a crowd of 17,589, making it the coldest U.S. women’s match since 2022. With the victory, the Americans not only closed the series in style, but also showed increasing chemistry, depth, and confidence as Hayes continues shaping the squad for the road ahead.
