The USWNT gets its ticket to the final of the SheBelieves Cup and is already waiting for Canada or Brazil.

Photo: Jhon Mafla

In front of more than 50,000 fans, the United States defeated Japan 2-1 this Saturday in Atlanta (Georgia) and advanced to the final of the SheBelieves Cup women’s soccer mini-tournament.

The duel inaugurated this annual competition, which continued with the other semifinal between Brazil and Canada also at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The tournament between these four teams, all of them qualified for the Paris Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11), will culminate with the title match on Tuesday in Columbus (Ohio).

The host team got an early scare on Saturday when, just 30 seconds into the game, Japan took the lead on a counterattack culminated by Kiko Seike.

The goal silenced the 50,644 spectators present in Atlanta, the largest attendance for a friendly for the women’s team in the United States and the largest for any of their matches since the 1999 World Cup final.

Forward Jaedyn Shaw, 19, equalized for the hosts in the 21st minute with a strong shot from outside the area.

The forward of the San Diego Wave, the great sensation of the new American batch, is the only player to have scored in his first five starts with ‘Team USA’.

The experienced Lindsey Horan sealed the comeback in the 77th minute by converting a penalty committed on Sophia Smith.

The match also saw the returns to the national team of attackers Catarina Macario, born in Brazil, and Mallory Swanson after serious injuries that kept them from the 2023 World Cup.

The young Korbin Albert also entered the second half, the protagonist of a great controversy last month for sharing homophobic and transphobic content on social networks.

The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder later apologized for these actions, which received harsh criticism from former national team captain Megan Rapinoe.

The United States has hosted the SheBelieves Cup since 2016 and has won six of its eight editions.

photos: Jhon Mafla