Kennedy Wesley announced herself on the international stage with a goal and an assist, leading the United States to a commanding 3-0 victory over Japan on Friday night in Colorado. The substitute came on at halftime and immediately made an impact, setting up the opening goal before scoring one herself in a second-half clinic.
Wesley entered the match in place of Tierna Davidson, who had taken a hard fall early in the contest but managed to play out the first half. Within minutes of her arrival, Wesley sent a header from the left post to Naomi Girma, who finished from point-blank range in the 47th minute to break the deadlock.
The floodgates opened from there. Rose Lavelle doubled the lead nine minutes later after Trinity Rodman threaded a through ball into space. Lavelle outran the Japanese defense down the middle and calmly placed her shot inside the left post from the edge of the box. Wesley capped the rout in the 64th minute, converting a corner delivered by Jaedyn Shaw with a well-placed volley.
The performance stood in sharp contrast to the Americans' dominant first-half display that produced a scoreless tie. The US peppered Japan with nine shots before halftime without finding the net, but coach Emma Hayes' team came out with clear intent after the break. "I felt we came out in the second half and there was no coming back, to be honest," Hayes said.
Wesley, struggling to contain her emotion, credited Shaw's delivery and good positioning. "I really don't have any words. I mean, it was the perfect ball from Jaedyn and I was just in the right place at the right time," she said. "I'm just over the moon."
The victory gave the United States the series after Japan pulled off a stunning 1-0 upset in Seattle on Tuesday, snapping a 10-game American winning streak and marking the first time the US had been shut out in 42 matches. The loss had come just days after the Americans won the opening contest 2-1 in San Jose.
The unusual three-game format allowed Hayes to experiment with her roster ahead of World Cup qualifying. She had completely reshuffled her starting lineup for the Seattle loss, the fourth time in her tenure she opted for an entirely different eleven in back-to-back matches. The tactical gamble backfired that night but proved worthwhile Friday as the Americans reasserted their dominance.
Japan, riding high from winning the Women's Asian Cup with a 29-1 scoring advantage in the tournament, came to Colorado with legitimate credentials. The team had even beaten the US in last year's SheBelieves Cup. But the familiar foe couldn't replicate that magic, with Miyabi Moriya entering the match after teammate Hikaru Kitagawa departed with an injury in the 25th minute.
Claudia Dickey's three saves for the Americans proved more than adequate. The game was played in frigid conditions at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, with snowfall having covered the pitch hours before kickoff.
Lavelle, the architect of much of the second-half success, has now been involved in 10 goals across her last 10 appearances, combining five scores with five assists.
Author James Rodriguez: "Wesley's composed finish and selfless play made a statement about her future in a star-studded attacking corps, and the US reminded Japan they're still the team to beat in women's soccer."
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