Goal And Assist From Rose Lavelle Lead U.S. Women's National Team to 2-1 Victory in First of Three Matches Against Japan
Lavelle Records 28th Career Goal, 29th Assist in 100th Start; Lindsey Heaps Scores 40th Career Goal and Second of 2026
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (April 11, 2026) – The U.S. Women’s National Team began its three-game series against long-time rival Japan on a high note with a 2-1 victory behind goals by midfielders Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps. Lavelle’s 28th international goal moved her past Shannon Boxx and Joy Fawcett into sole possession of 24th place on the all-time USWNT goal scoring list. With her 40th career goal, Heaps became the 16th player in USWNT history to reach the milestone.
Japan looked like a team that had spent a month together while winning the 2026 AFC Asian Women’s Cup title on March 31, 1-0 over Australia, but the USA put together some dynamic attacking sequences and did well to keep the skillful Japanese out of dangerous positions. One notable defensive play came when outside back Gisele Thompson ran down Japanese forward Manaka Matsukubo who had gotten behind the defense on a breakaway in the first half.
The match marked the return of 25-year-old forward Sophia Wilson who earned the start in her first appearance since Oct. 27, 2024, after coming back from the birth of her daughter in August of 2025. She became the 18th mother to play for the USWNT and she drew the foul in the eighth minute that led to the USA’s opening goal.
Midfielder Sam Coffey lofted the free kick from the right side of the field towards the far edge of the six-yard box. Forward Trinity Rodman volleyed the ball back towards the middle of the penalty box where Lavelle leaped to connect with the cross using the outside of her left foot. The shot took a slight deflection off a Japanese defender before bouncing into the the left side of the net for the early lead.
The USA had a few chances to double the lead before halftime. In the 21st minute, Wilson held her run before slipping behind the backline and getting on the end of a pass from Heaps. Wilson played a square ball across to the goal to forward Alyssa Thompson, but her shot at the end of a blistering run into the box went just wide from a tough angle. Thompson earned another chance later in the first half and had time to set up a shot from the top of the box, but it flew over the goal.
It took less than three minutes into the second half for Heaps to extend the lead. Defender Gisele Thompson won possession of the ball in the final third and played her older sister, Alyssa, who quickly found Lavelle making a run inside the box. Japan worked to clear, but the ball ended up back at Lavelle, and she passed to an unmarked Heaps near the penalty spot. The midfielder slotted her shot first-time into the left side of the goal and the USA had a second just 141 seconds into the second half. The delivery marked Lavelle’s fifth match with at least one goal and one assist.
The 2026 Women's Asian Cup winners cut the deficit in half following a slew of substitutions at the hour-mark. A minute after entering the game, Japan midfielder Maika Hamano sent a cross from the right flank inside the box. Coffey headed the ball away but only as far as another substitute, Honoka Hayashi, who headed the clearance back inside the six-yard box. Riko Ueki, also just subbed into the match, redirected the service with a header past the outstretched arm of U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey with U.S. defenders calling for the offsides flag to be raised. Replays showed that Ueki might have been a step offside.
It was the first goal the USA has conceded all year and the only shot to make it past Dickey, who ended the match with five saves. She made a close-range stop following a Japan corner kick in the 79th minute and collected a looping header on the final play of the game to help the U.S. hold on to the 2-1 lead.
Up next, the USWNT heads to Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. on April 14 for the second match of the week against Japan before the third match on April 17 at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.
USA – ROSE LAVELLE(TRINITY RODMAN), 9th minute: Sam Coffey delivered a free kick from about 30 yards out towards the far left post. Rodman redirected the service back towards the center of the penalty area and Lavelle made a run into the space before using the outside of her left foot to volley the cross into the left side netting. USA 1, JPN 0
USA – LINDSEY HEAPS (ROSE LAVELLE), 48th minute: Gisele Thompson won the ball in Japan’s defensive third and played the ball forward to Alyssa Thompson who found Lavelle making a run inside the box. Japan intercepted Lavelle’s initial cross and blocked Alyssa Thompson’s follow-up shot, but the ball rolled back to Lavelle. She played a pass to Heaps, who sent her first-time shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. The goal came just 141 seconds into the second half. USA 2, JPN 0
JPN – RIKO UEKI (HONOKA HAYASHI), 61st minute: Midfielder Maika Hamano received the ball out wide on the right flank and lofted a cross into the penalty area. The USA cleared the delivery, but Honoka Hayashiheaded the ball back inside the box. Standing just barely onside – according to the assistant referee -- at the edge of the six-yard box, Riko Ueki flicked a header into the left side netting. USA 2, JPN 1
Additional Notes:
Match: United States vs. Japan
Date: April 11, 2026
Competition: Friendly
Venue: PayPal Park
Attendance: 17,435
Kickoff: 2:37 p.m. ET
Weather: 63 degrees and rainy
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| JPN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| USA – Rose Lavelle (Trinity Rodman) | 9th minute |
| USA – Lindsey Heaps (Rose Lavelle) | 48 |
| JPN – Riko Ueki (Honoka Hayashi) | 61 |
Lineups:
USA: 1-Claudia Dickey; 23-Emily Fox, 4-Naomi Girma, 25-Kennedy Wesley, 22-Gisele Thompson; 17-Sam Coffey, 16-Rose Lavelle, 10-Lindsey Heaps (Capt.) (15-Claire Hutton, 85); 2-Trinity Rodman (20-Michelle Cooper, 67), 11-Sophia Wilson (9-Ally Sentnor, 67), 21-Alyssa Thompson (19-Emma Sears, 85)
Substitutes not used: 24-Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 3-Avery Patterson, 5-Lilly Reale, 6-Emily Sams, 7-Lily Yohannes, 8-Jaedyn Shaw, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 26-Jameese Jospeh
Not dressing: Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Jane Campbell
Head Coach: Emma Hayes
JPN: 1-Ayaka Yamashita; 5-Hana Takahashi, 6-Toko Koga, 3-Moeka Minami (4-Saki Kumagai, 80), 13-Hkaru Kitagawa (21-Miyabi Moriya, 46); 19-Momoko Tanikawa (11-Mina Tanaka, 60), 10-Fuka Nagano (18-Honoka Hayashi, 60), 14-Yui Hasegawa (Capt.) (24-Maya Hijikata, 90); 15-Aoba Fujino (17-Maika Hamano, 60), 20-Manaka Matsukubo (9-Riko Ueki, 46), 7-Hinata Miyazawa (22-Remina Chiba, 60)
Substitutes not used: 2-Risa Shimizu, 12-Chika Hirao, 16-Yuzuki Yamamoto, 23-Akane Okuma
Head coach: Michihisa Kano
Stats Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 9 / 12
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 2 / 3
Corner Kicks: 4 / 2
Fouls: 9 / 12
Offside: 1 / 3
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Ref: Karen Andrade (MEX)
AR1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX)
AR2: Angelica Flores (MEX)
Fourth: Priscila Perez (MEX)