The United States women's national team suffered its first loss in the Emma Hayes era when a more experienced and tactical Japan side defeated the Americans 2-1 to win the SheBelieves Cup title on Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

The Americans fell behind 2-1 in the 50th minute and were unable to forge a comeback and suffered their first loss since last February.

Despite a 2-1 loss to Japan, Emma Hayes remains optimistic about the USWNT's future, highlighting squad progress and promising development toward the World Cup.