USWNT vs. Japan: Top Storylines and Predictions for 2023 SheBelieves Cup
The United States women's national team enters Sunday's SheBelieves Cup match against Japan with an attack in tremendous form.
The Americans won their first match of the SheBelieves Cup 2-0 over Canada. They have outscored opponents 11-0 in their first three games of 2023.
Mallory Swanson played a massive role in the attack's success, as she produced a pair of two-goal performances and five total goals across two January friendlies vs. New Zealand and the win over Canada.
Swanson's remarkable form has made an already deep USWNT attack even more formidable than it was in 2022 when Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith contributed the bulk of the scoring.
Vlatko Andonovski's side will try to pile on the goals against Japan to keep its edge in the SheBelieves Cup standings.
The USWNT leads Brazil on goal differential after one round of games. Brazil faces Canada in the other game played in Nashville on Sunday.
A USWNT win would eliminate Japan from winning the SheBelieves Cup and would allow it to clinch the competition crown on Wednesday against Brazil.
Mallory Swanson Leading In-Form Attack
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Swanson has been on fire in front of goal to start the year.
She bagged a brace in the first friendly against New Zealand, scored once in the second friendly in Auckland and then produced a pair of first-half tallies against Canada.
The 24-year-old has scored one-sixth of her international goal total in the last 30 days.
Swanson's tremendous form has come at the right time, as she is trying to nail down a roster spot on a crowded forward depth chart for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Andonovski can't ignore the form Swanson is in, and she is in must-start territory at the moment. Swanson should receive another start on Sunday because of her recent output.
Swanson needs to keep scoring to leave no doubt that she should be on the plane to Australia and New Zealand this summer.
Alex Morgan is the leader of the forward room. Megan Rapinoe, Lynn Williams, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch and Midge Purce will all be considered for the forward spots. All of the players, except for Smith, are on the SheBelieves Cup roster. Smith was left off the roster with a foot injury, but she should be fine for the summer.
Smith finished 2022 with four goals in the USWNT's last six games. Swanson joined Smith on the scoresheet in the last game of the calendar year on November 13 against Germany.
A front line of Morgan, Swanson and Smith could terrorize opposing defenses at the World Cup, and if they are the first three names on the forward depth chart, Andonovski will have to make some difficult decisions on the other forwards, including whether or not to bring the 37-year-old Rapinoe.
USWNT Defense Hasn't Conceded Yet In 2023
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The USWNT defense is starting to figure itself out.
The Americans produced three consecutive clean sheets to begin 2023 after they experienced a rough patch of form at the end of 2022 in which they conceded multiple goals to England, Spain and Germany.
The back four of Emily Fox, Alana Cook, Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn held Canada scoreless in a big test to open the SheBelieves Cup.
That could be the starting back line in the World Cup opener against Vietnam if that set of players continues to impress.
Japan poses a different threat to the back line than Canada because it only has one forward with a double-digit goal tally in international play: Mana Iwabuchi.
It could be much easier for the Americans to focus on controlling Iwabuchi than it was to deal with the deep and experienced Canada forward line, led by Christine Sinclair, who has 190 international tallies. Four of Canada's starters on Thursday had double-digit goal totals in their careers.
The USWNT limited Canada to three shots on target, and a lower total could be expected against Japan if the unit continues to round into form.
A fourth straight shutout would not only build more confidence ahead of the World Cup, but also help the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup standings in goal differential.
The Americans lead Brazil by one in goal differential after one set of games. If Brazil beats Canada on Sunday, the USWNT and Brazil will go head-to-head for the tournament crown on Wednesday.
If Canada wins, the USWNT could lose out on the SheBelieves Cup title on goal differential if the Canadians run up the score on Brazil and Japan. Even one concession against Japan could hurt the USWNT in that scenario.
Prediction
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United States 3, Japan 0
The Americans are in a terrific bit of form right now, and that should continue into Sunday.
Swanson is the in-form striker, but Morgan could always produce a pair of goals in an instant as well.
The USWNT attack is too deep for Japan to handle, and look for at least one of Swanson and Morgan to find the back of the net.
The shutout streak should continue as well against a Japan side that failed to score against Brazil in its SheBelieves Cup opener.
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