Wednesday night of the SheBelieves Cup of 2025 did not belong to Emma Hayes’ USWNT. Tear-filled eyes, shoulders down, and defeat filled the air in the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego when the Japanese soccer team crushed the USWNT with a 2-1 final score. It was unexpected for the United States team as they had proved their strength and worth every single time they were on the field. But as Japan defeated Emma Hayes’s team for the first time in the SheBelieves Cup, when did USWNT last lose a SheBelieves Cup tournament?

Well, since the SheBelieves Cup tournament started in 2016, nine years ago, Emma Hayes’ team has won it a staggering seven times. In fact, the Japanese team has ended the five-year winning streak of the US women’s team. Well, the first time the United States won the SheBelieves Cup was the first year of the tournament after its inception. Then in the second year of the tournament, that is in 2017, the French team engraved their names on the cup. 

Right after their first defeat in the SheBelieves Cup in 2018, Emma Hayes’s team couldn’t tolerate the defeat and bounced back to win against England. But hold on, USWNT alternatively lost the next year again. But… not just to accept the fate but to come back and win the SheBelieves Cup for solid straight five years from 2020 to 2024. 

In USWNT’s seven wonders in nine years, they could defeat Team Japan only once, that was in 2023. But this time, Emma Hayes’ team could not continue the winning streak. Just one goal could have changed the meaning of tears for the USWNT squad. As we now know, Japan overpowered and lifted the beautiful trophy of the SheBelieves tournament. The night was long for Hayes and the team.

Japan gets the best out of Emma Hayes’ USWNT

“Our goals are beyond just the SheBelieves,” Emma Hayes was nervous while talking this to reporters after the game. She continued her take with heartbreak, “You want to learn this lesson now. It allows me to say these are the things we have to do at the highest level. That’s what development is. We’re not playing for the World Cup today. We’ll be back, don’t worry about it. We’ll be back.” Team Japan deserved the sweep, per experts, as only those teams win crucial games that make fewer mistakes. The US team couldn’t make dynamic plays as the Japanese team did.

Japan’s victory was also a resounding emphasis on the belief that they were gonna go toe-to-toe against the United States at whatever cost. They have fought many world championships but Emma Hayes’ team is used to winning most of the time. This time, Japan had a goal differential, meaning they had an advantage if they needed just a draw match to win the trophy while the US team needed a clear win for the same. 

But much more is yet to come from Emma Hayes and the USWNT; they showed resilience, proving themselves a team that merely lost a tournament, not everything. The United States team still has vets like Emily Sonnett and Crystal Dunn. And as Hayes has said, she means it, they will be back next year.