The USWNT and Japan will square off at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday. Catch our SheBelieves odd series, featuring our USA-Japan prediction and pick.
The United States Women's National Team kickstarted their campaign in the friendly tournament with a 2-0 win over North American neighbors Canada on Friday, thanks to two goals by Mallory Swanson in the first half.
Japan, meanwhile, tallied a 1-0 defeat against Brazil in their opener, with Debinha finding the goal in the 72nd minute.
Here are the USA-Japan soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
SheBelieves Cup Odds: USA-Japan Odds
USA: -270
Japan: +650
Draw: +390
Over 2.5 Goals: -132
Under 2.5 Goals: +108
How to Watch USA vs. Japan
TV: Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, TNT USA, UNIVERSO,
Stream: fuboTV, HBO Max, Peacock Premium, HBO Max
Time: 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why USA Can Beat Japan
On Thursday, the USWNT got off to a quick start against Canada and the commitment to an aggressive press paid off early. Forward Mallory Swanson remains in incredible form and scored two goals against Canada in the USA's win. The Americans, who have won the last three titles, are tied with Brazil with three points, but they are ahead of the standings in goal differential. The USWNT will be looking to record a second win against a tough Japanese squad.
Prior to this tournament, the USA team cruised their way to the CONCACAF Women's Championship, tallying 13 goals and five clean sheets with victories over Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada. They also won five out of eight club-friendly international games.
The current FIFA Women’s World Cup champions are bookmarked as favorites to come out on top, as the USWNT have won 13 of their last 19 meetings against Japan, with four matches ending in a draw. Entering their fourth game of the current year, this USA squad aims to maintain their 100% record in 2023.
Head coach Vlatko Andonovski will likely make some player rotations in the match against Japan. The statuses of Rose Lavelle and Naomi Girma are up in the air as their statuses are still being evaluated. Ashley Sanchez and Alana Cook might see consecutive starts, while Taylor Kornieck's delegation into a deeper role in the middle third might also be seen. Swanson will share forward duties with Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman. Alyssa Naeher will see another starting role as goalkeeper.
Why Japan Can Beat USA
Japan has been in an up-and-down run in international games. The opening loss against Brazil provided some interesting looks at Japan as head coach Futoshi Ikeda had the team line up in a three-back formation throughout the first 45 minutes of the match. Japan matched Brazil in ball possession, but although they pulled 12 shots in the game, only one attempt was on target. It was a back-and-forth game, but Debinha managed to slip through the defense and tally the goal in the 72nd minute. Japan showed its resilience and created two great chances in the final 10 minutes of the match, but they did not find the back of the net.
Japan previously won two of four international friendly games, recording 2-0 wins over Nigeria and New Zealand, but had losses to England and Spain. The loss to Brazil was the third consecutive defeat for the Japanese team, including matches from 2022.
The Asian side will try to amend their start of the competition with a win against the USA. It is noteworthy that the team has not scored in the last three consecutive defeats. The Japanese attack will need viable set-ups and offensive adjustments, especially for a team like USA that plays aggressively on the offensive end. Japan's defense has seen some improvements, but they will need some consistency. Japan hopes to replicate its run in the AFC Asian Cup, where Riko Ueki, Yuika Sugasawa, Yui Narumiya, and Yui Hasegawa combined for 14 goals. Japan will likely field Shiori Miyake, Moeka Minami, Saki Kumagai, and Risa Shimizu as the back four, with Momoko Tanaka slated as starting goalie.
The matchup between both nations will be the first since the March 11 meeting at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, which ended in a 3-1 win for USA.
Final USA-Japan Prediction & Pick
The USWNT have not been at their very best in recent months. But despite a slight drop-off in form, USA possesses a strong arsenal of offensive options, which will be too much to handle to a frail Japanese team. USA will likely pick up the win and a clean sheet in what seems to be a fun match.
Final USA-Japan Prediction & Pick: USA (-270)
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