Mallory Swanson’s latest big goal carries the USWNT to a 1-0 win over Japan in the SheBelieves Cup

NASHVILLE — No player on the U.S. women’s soccer team has been on a hotter streak recently than Mallory Swanson, and she turned the heat up even more on Sunday.

Swanson’s seventh goal in her last five national team games — half the Americans’ scoring total in that stretch — fueled a 1-0 win against Japan in the SheBelieves Cupbefore a lively crowd of 25,471 fans at GEODIS Park.

It was the first edition of this fine rivalry series in three years, which means a lot of the U.S. participants on the new-look squad hadn’t faced Japan before. It’s always a test, and not just because of the talent on both sides. While the U.S. loves to high-press defensively and push the tempo, Japan plays an intricate, intelligent possession game — and has its own high-level defensive press.

The Nadeshiko aren’t quite the world superpower they were in 2011 and ‘15, when they faced the Americans in back-to-back World Cup finals. But they’re still very good, currently ranked No. 11 in the world, with players on big teams in the NWSL, England, and Germany.

So the U.S. needed to balance its trademark intensity with some patience and guile. And as the cherry on top, Japan’s players were understandably unsatisfied with their outing in a 1-0 loss to Brazil last Thursday in the tournament’s opening game.

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It was little surprise, then, that Japan came out flying. The visitors registered the first four shots of the game against a U.S. lineup with many changes from Thursday’s win over Canada: Lynn Williams at right wing, Kristie Mewis in deep central midfield, Naomi Girma returning from injury at centerback, Sofia Huerta at right back, and Emily Fox moving to her traditional left back spot.

Toward the end of the first half, the U.S. started to find some gaps in Japan’s defense — but only some. So right before halftime, Huerta decided to go over it instead of through it. But it wasn’t just a hoof-it-and-hope blast. It was a pinpoint loft out of traffic to Alex Morgan at the edge of the center circle.

Morgan trapped the ball, spun around, then sprung Swanson down the middle. She flew off to the races, leaving Shori Miyake in her dust and slotting home from 17 yards.

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But while the play clearly hit Japan psychologically, it didn’t feel like would be enough. And it still didn’t at the hour mark, when Japan had seven shots to the Americans’ three. None of the seven were officially on target, but many were close enough to be trouble.

The U.S. had made just one substitution up to then, Emily Sonnett for Huerta at halftime. Soon thereafter though, switches came in bunches: Trinity Rodman for Williams and Andi Sullivan for Ashley Sanchez in the 64th, Megan Rapinoe for Swanson and Ashley Hatch for Morgan in the 70th.

Japan’s best efforts were still to come. Fuka Nagano rang a blast off the crossbar in the 78th, and in the 81st Casey Murphy made a point-blank save on Yui Hasegawa after a backheeled flick from Maika Hamano.

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That was enough for U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski to reinforce the midfield with Taylor Kornieck, who replaced Lindsey Horan while Japan awaited an 86th-minute corner kick. Kornieck went straight to work: The corner kick came her way, and she sent her 6-foot-1 frame skyward to repel it.

Murphy was called on once more in the 93rd, making a double-save to snuff out Angel City FC’s Jun Endo from close range.

On the whole, it was not a vintage U.S. performance. But the Americans’ new generation learned a lesson that could only come from experience: as the games get bigger, the margins get finer — and the quality chances to score get fewer.

And if some of the young-but-not-new players benefited from a refresher, all the better.

“I think it’s a lesson for all of us — I’ve been in that position, and I had one shot on goal today,” said Swanson, a two-time Olympian and 2019 World Cup winner. “You’re only going to have so many chances in big games, and you just need to put them away.”

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Still reeling from the psychological burden of its labor strife, Canada gave itself a big boost with an impressive victory. Angel City FC’s Vanessa Gilles powered home a header off a corner kick in the 31st minute, and former Gotham FC striker Evelyne Viens cashed in a loose ball in the box after a free kick in the 71st.

“It’s been a roller-coaster of emotions since the beginning of pre-camp, camp, what’s been going on with everything,” Viens told The Inquirer afterward. “And the first game was not our standard that we played. So I think today we showed up, we had [a] good occasion, we played our style, we played our principles.”

Former Gotham goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, now just as excellent with the San Diego Wave, made six saves at the other end.

“I think it was a little bit more fun today and a little bit less weight on our shoulders,” she said. “We just wanted to come back to who we are, and why we play, and have some fun.”

The SheBelieves Cup wraps up Wednesday in Frisco, Texas with (Japan-Canada 4 p.m., Universo, HBO Max, Peacock) and U.S.-Brazil (7 p.m., TNT, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock). After that, the Americans will have just three games left before the World Cup: two friendlies in April and a sendoff friendly in July.

Specific dates, opponents and locations are still to be announced.