Japan lifts SheBelieves Cup with 2-1 win over USWNT

Japan wins the final of the SheBelieves Cup 2025 in San Diego, California, versus a strong USWNT with 2-1. The women’s national team of Japan demonstrated an aggressive forward pressing on defense, and killing speed and through balls on offense. The crowd at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego saw a thrilling match with three goals between two of the best soccer teams in the world. Watching famous players like this live, gives you great opportunities to learn from the best.

Warm-up for a soccer game

This part, they never show on TV. Yet, it’s so crucial for any player. The warm-up. Being live in the stadium gives you the opportunity to check out how the stars warm-up. How do they prep for the game? Which drills do they do? The goal of any warm-up is to prepare for the upcoming activity. One wants to activate cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system by progressively increasing intensity. This way, you prepare your body to perform on its highest level and you reduce the risk for injuries. Japan’s warm-up started with basic running drills and stretches, followed by drills for first touch, passing, and dribbling. They further increased intensity with runs and a small-sided game and finished with some shots and sprints. The entire warm-up took about 30-35 minutes. And here is the key feature: Every player needs to stay in motion! Avoid long standing time by smaller groups, providing more balls, and taking short breaks.

Defense wins championships! Japan wins SheBelieves Cup 2025!

If you don’t concede a goal, you cannot lose. Keep the ball far away from your goal and you won’t concede any. Japan demonstrated this style of play impressively last night at the Snapdragon stadium. As a team of prowess, the USWNT idea was to build up the game from their back four and Japan took advantage of this. Mark all players but one, to lure your opponent to build up short. However, after the USWNT played the first pass short, Japan’s wingers in their 4-4-2 pushed high, pressing the American wing-backs. Japan’s left wing, right wing, and two strikers now pushing higher and higher, followed by their CM. Japan’s back four is now positioned at the midline, while the US back four is trapped in their own box. This way, Japan often intercepts inaccurate passes high up the field, or the opponent can only clear it uncontrolled. The ball is far away from Japan’s goal, they will not concede a goal. They will not lose.

The USWNT tries to build up their game. However, Japan presses high and tightens the space around the ball by overloading with players and aggressively chasing the ball. Finally, Japan forces the opponent to play an inaccurate pass, intercepting the ball and starting the counter attack.

The USWNT builds up the game with short passing. Japan presses high. This tightens space and time to play for the USWNT, meaning more pressure, leading to inaccurate passing.

Thru Traffic! Japan's through balls were killing it!

Japan’s warm-up was intense and the same way they started into the game. It’s minute one, Team USA continuously builds up the game over CB and GK. Japan already pressing high, winning the ball by a throw in. And suddenly, they start with sprints behind the back four. This means, if they now manage to pass the ball through the space between the defenders, this attacking player is running with the ball and full speed at the goal. The first attempt was even by Japan’s RWB! The defense’s attention immediately shifts from the ball to the runner. While the defenders try to mark and cover the runner, they open even more gaps between them, more space for more through balls. And there goes the next player deep, just a different gap. With this pattern, Japan scored the first goal of the game, just after two minutes. And the same pattern, they repeated over and over, causing confusion and gaps between the defenders and creating lots of chances.