US will battle Japan for SheBelieves Cup championship

• The U.S. women’s national soccer team will face Japan on Wednesday night for the SheBelieves Cup Championship. Both teams enter the final without a loss.
• Head Coach Emma Hayes says this match is “just what you want” to learn more about her young players.
• Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, and can be seen on TBS and Universo.

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The U.S. women’s soccer team will have a chance to add a trophy to its Olympic gold medal Wednesday night, Feb. 26, when players take on Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final. Both teams are entering the game without any losses.

Is this championship matchup surprising?

The program is supposed to be in the middle of a retooling of sorts. A changing of the guard from retired veterans like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan to several young players still learning the ropes. 

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Take for instance, 22-year-old forward Michelle Cooper, who plays for the Kansas City Current. She played against Australia Sunday, Feb. 23, and scored her first international goal just six minutes later. That goal turned out to be the game-winner, as the U.S. remained undefeated in the tournament.   

“It was like a blur, to be honest. It was such a crazy moment, we just kept attacking them and attacking them and attacking them, and to be able to get the goal and win off of that, it felt great,” Cooper said.

How has the U.S. fared in the tournament?

Team USA has been feeling great since it opened training camp for this tournament in January. The team did have to move its camp to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, because of the wildfires in Los Angeles. On Thursday, Feb. 20, they beat Colombia 2-0 in the tournament opener and then on Sunday, Feb. 23, took down Australia 2-1.

However, U.S. Head Coach Emma Hayes said the championship match against Japan is another challenge entirely, and it’s something her team needs.         

“Well, it’s just the perfect game. It’s just what you want, and I think Japan, you can see on current form, scoring lots of goals, the quality of their play, is so, so high,” Hayes said. “I think they’re one of the top, top, top, top teams in the world. This is the perfect game for where we are at to learn a lot about ourselves.” 

What kind of opposition will Japan present?

Japan has scored eight goals in their two matches, including the fastest goal in the tournament’s history, 18 seconds into their match against Colombia. 

On the other side, Coach Hayes is a perfect 17-0 since joining the U.S. in May 2024. Her team is trying to win a sixth straight SheBelieves Cup. 

“I love watching Japan play anyway so I’m excited for the challenge. We could really use our fans, like these are the games when you want to make home soil advantage count,” Hayes said. “So, I’m going to encourage those to come out in the San Diego area and there’s a trophy to be won, so let’s get out and get it. I respect the hell out of them, they’re a brilliant team, but we want to win.”

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Kickoff is Wednesday night, Feb 26, at 7 p.m. EST at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. TBS and Universo will broadcast the game.