Japan triumphs over USWNT to claim first SheBelieves Cup championship

SAN DIEGO -- Japan clinched their first-ever SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday night after defeating the United States Women’s National Team 2-1 in another title matchup adding to the two national club’s rival histories. 

The third and final matchday in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup saw the United States Women's National Team face off against Japan in a critical winner-take match for the first-place finish at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego California. 

Winning the previous five SheBelieves Cup tournaments, the United States looked to continue their streak to six consecutive tournament victories and an eighth gold medal in total. 

Since the start of the annual SheBelieves Cup back in 2016, the record-holding four-time Fifa Women’s World Cup Champions, USWNT, have claimed seven out of the ten gold medals in the competition with one silver place finish back in 2019.

Japan sought their first SheBelieves Cup holding a third-place bronze medal in 2019 and a second-place silver medal from the tournament’s 2023 addition, falling short of the gold medal to UWMNT. 

The USWNT and Japan rivalry in the last 15 years continues to grow with the 2025 SheBelieves Cup being another match with silverware and history attached to it.

Both teams have had a World Cup Championship taken away from one another as Japan took home the 2011 edition of the competition defeating USWNT 3-1 in a penalty shootout after finishing regular and extra-time level 2-2 on July 17, 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Four Years Later in the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup, the two nations met again in the final where USWNT had revenge on the Japanese squad in blowout fashion with a 5-2 victory on July 5, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. 

Level on six points with both teams winning their first two matches, Japan held the top spot coming into the final matchday of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup having a plus-seven goal difference, with USWNT in second place having a plus-three goal difference. 

2025 SheBelieves Cup Matchday 1&2 Results:

Matchday 1, Feb. 20 at Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas: 

• Japan 4, Australia 0
• USWNT 2, Colombia 0

Matchday 2, Feb 23 at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Japan 4, Colombia 1
• USWNT 2, Australia 1

Japan only needed a tie against the USWNT to claim their first SheBelieves Cup.

As for the Americans, they needed to find victory against Japan to leapfrog into the first-place gold medal position as a draw kept the two nations in the same positions coming into the match. 

Japan struck first and fast as it only took under 2 minutes for forward Yuka Momiki to find the back of the net to give her squad the early and statement lead.

A through ball pass near the goal area saw Momiki control the ball and spin around tumbling USWNT goalkeeper Jane Campbell as Momiki finished her shot into the top left corner of the goal with Campbell out of position to make a save. 

Momiki recorded her first goal in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.

A tough way to start the match for the USWNT needing a win and the three points to secure the first-place gold medal. 

A great passage of play and connection by USWNT forwards Catarina Macario and Ally Sentnor got the U.S. on the scoreboard and level 1-1 in the match at the 14-minute mark.

A pass in behind into the penalty box by Macario found Sentnor making the dangerous run curving her shot past Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita placing the ball into the bottom right corner. 

Sentnor tallied her second goal in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.

After a fast-paced end-to-end first half, the squads went into the locker rooms at a 1-1 match scoreline. Japan held the 55%-45% possession advantage and total number of attempts 6-4. Despite trailing in total attempts, USWNT led in shots on target with a 3-2 upper hand. 

At the 50-minute mark, USWNT’s Campbell made a great initial goal-saving play on the free kick attempt, but the ball remained loose in the box as Japanese defender Toko Koga met and slotted in the rebound to give Japan the lead once again at 2-1. 

Koga netted her first goal in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. 

The remaining 40 minutes of the match saw the Americans push their attack creating more pressure and chances in the offensive third, but Japan managed the rest of the match and their lead well maintaining the match at 2-1. 

The final whistle blew at that 2-1 scoreline as Japan won their first-ever SheBelieves first-place gold medal, getting to celebrate on U.S. soil at Snapdragon Stadium. 

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes spoke at the post-game press conference on the quality and the performance of Japan and what the match teaches moving forward with a young and inexperienced but talented squad. 

“I completely understood the quality of the opponent we would face tonight,” Hayes said. “They without question are one of the best teams in the world with players that are extremely well playing together.”

“It's okay to be disappointed,” Hayes said. “I told the players that it's really important to remember moments like this and the learnings that we take from it. I look forward to the next opportunity we're together to build on some of that progress and learn the most important things when you play a top-class opponent. I'd rather do that now than much later.”

Japan finishes their 2025 SheBelieves campaign with three victories out of three matches, accumulating nine points, scoring 10 goals and only two conceded in the three games. 

“Hasegawa in the middle of the park is probably the best pivot in the world at both the domestic and international level,” Hayes said on Japanese and Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa. “And our pivot is 17 years of age and played in three caps. So we have to be patient too in our expectations.”

Japanese forward Mina Tanaka was named the 2025 SheBelieves Cup Most Valuable Player recording four goals and three assists in the three matches played finishing the tournament as the top scorer. 

USWNT claimed the second-place silver medal finishing with two victories and one loss coming to Japan. Six points, five goals scored and three goals conceded.

Japan gets the latest hit in the USWNT and Japan rivalry as they end the USWNT SheBelieves Cup consecutive winning streak and in addition, they get revenge on their 2023 second-place finish to the United States.

This story was updated at 11:44 p.m.