""Japan is one of the best teams in the world," said U.S. head coach Emma Hayes in a statement. "I'm a big admirer of how they play and I have tremendous respect for their team and identity. "They are a highly experienced group and are fully committed to their style of football. Playing the same opponent three times is unusual but it presents a great challenge and a chance to test ourselves against a top-quality opponent.""
"The United States women's national team will play Japan in a trio of friendly matches during the April FIFA international window, the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed on Saturday. The opener will take place April 11 at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, with the second match to be played three days later at Lumen Field in Seattle. The final match of the window is scheduled for April 17 at Dick's Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, Colorado."
"Japan prevailed via a penalty shootout in the 2011 Women's World Cup final, while the U.S. won the 2012 Olympic final and the 2015 Women's World Cup final. The third of those matches featured an unforgettable hat trick from U.S. forward Carli Lloyd. The two teams also faced off in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics, with the U.S. winning 1-0 on an extra time goal from Trinity Rodman."
The United States women's national team will face Japan in three friendly matches during the April FIFA international window, with fixtures on April 11 in San Jose, April 14 in Seattle, and April 17 in Commerce City. Emma Hayes praised Japan as one of the best teams, noting admiration for their style and identity and calling the trio of matches an unusual but valuable test against a top-quality opponent. The rivalry features Japan's 2011 World Cup penalty-shootout win, U.S. victories in the 2012 Olympic final and 2015 World Cup final (including Carli Lloyd's hat trick), and the U.S. extra-time quarterfinal win over Japan at the 2024 Olympics. Japan beat the U.S. 2-1 at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, and the all-time record stands 32 wins, 2 losses, and 8 draws for the U.S.
Read at ESPN.com
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