SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Maika Hamano scored and Japan beat the U.S. women’s national team 1-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night to snap the Americans’ 10-game winning streak.
The loss was the first for the U.S. since Oct. 23, 2025, a 2-1 setback to Portugal, and marked the first time the Americans lost in a shutout in 42 games. The U.S. had won 10 straight matches for the first time since 2023 after .
Coach Emma Hayes did not regret the team scheduling a three-game series with Japan.
鈥淚f we would have picked a lesser opponent and I would have sat here and said, 鈥榃hat a great night, we won by multiple scorelines,'” Hayes said, “I鈥檓 sure I鈥檇 feel good and fill your columns with lots of things that further enhance the reputation of the team. But, I don鈥檛 believe in it.鈥�
Before Saturday, Japan had won the last meeting with the United States 2-1 in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup final.
Hamano fooled Lilly Reale, and then booted a left-footed shot over goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce鈥檚 outstretched left hand in the 27th minute.
鈥淭ough one,” Tullis-Joyce said. 鈥淛apan鈥檚 very technical.鈥�
Hayes made sweeping changes to the lineup she had used on Saturday in San Jose, resting players including Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman, who started in the previous game. Hayes defended her decision to deploy a younger lineup on Tuesday.
鈥淚 think if I play solely to win, we maybe don鈥檛 change a lot in these games,” Hayes said. “We play the vast majority of seniors, whether it鈥檚 sprinkle in a few more seniors, sprinkle in a few. But, that鈥檚 not where I鈥檓 at. And, I don鈥檛 regret those decisions.鈥�
Wilson and Rodman entered as substitutes in the 65th minute, as did Tierna Davidson and Gisele Thompson. Davidson had not played for the United States since February 2025, after tearing her ACL in a match with Gotham FC last March.
Wilson played for the second straight match after the birth of her daughter. She had not played for the U.S. since October 2024.
Tuesday marked the first time the U.S. women鈥檚 national team played on the that has been installed at Lumen Field for this summer鈥檚 . The women鈥檚 team had not been to Lumen since 2017 because of the stadium鈥檚 artificial turf.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 notice it at all,鈥� said Lindsey Heaps, 鈥渟o that means it was a good thing.鈥�
The announced crowd was 36,128 for the game, which broke the record for a standalone women鈥檚 match in Seattle. Megan Rapinoe鈥檚 with the Seattle Reign in 2023 drew 34,130 fans.
The finale of the three-game series between the U.S. and Japan is slated for Friday in Commerce City, Colorado.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a world-class team,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淚 think when you win the first one, inevitably, the second one becomes that challenge. They are a top side, so we have to give them a lot of credit. So, game on for the third game.鈥�
___
AP soccer:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
