Jaedyn Shaw continues heater, USWNT lock up a spot in the SheBelieves Cup final

It wasn't the dream start the USWNT intended. Within the first 20 minutes, Japan was up one and star defender Naomi Girma was forced to leave the match due to a thigh injury. The Red, White, and Blue's confidence never waved, though, using a high press to frustrate the Asian outfit in its desire to build out of the back.

Jaedyn Shaw rewarded the USWNT's hard work in the first half while Lindsey Horan converted a second-half penalty to lift the four-time World Cup champions to a 2-1 triumph over the No. 7 ranked nation in the world of women's football.

The 50,644 fans who came out to Mercedes-Benz Stadium shattered the record for a USWNT friendly on home soil. It was the largest crowd for the Stars and Stripes at home in any competition since that infamous 1999 Women's World Cup final. The previous record for a home USWNT friendly was 49,504 for a 4-0 win against Portugal back in 2019.

With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, this was an incredibly encouraging display of football by a nation with loads to prove. Girma and Sam Coffey's injuries raised some concerns, but the returns of both Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario made it difficult not to be elated about what is to come this summer.

Just 30 seconds in, Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies player Kiko Seike punished the home side's high press, scoring her first international goal since October. West Ham United's Riko Ueki acted as a quality hold-up forward with Yui Hasegawa doing a little bit of everything in the midfield in a defeat.

After that early storm, the USWNT went into complete control. The hard work of Coffey to win the ball in the final third set the stage for Shaw to score her fifth goal in five starts in Red, White, and Blue. Lindsey Horan bagged her third penalty for the USWNT in the last five fixtures after Sophia Smith forced her club teammate Hina Sugita into a careless foul inside the box.

The fact that Shaw is just 19 years old and has this high of a footballing IQ is just unfair. Kilgore placed her in the creative No. 10 role on Saturday behind her club teammate Alex Morgan, making an already dynamic attack with two rapid wingers remarkably fluid.

Interim coach Twila Kilgore spoke about Shaw in a postgame news conference, stating, "I just want to point out, not only did she score a brilliant goal, and not only was she part of a lot of very effective build-ups, but she did a great job defensively, And this is an area where she has accepted a challenge and is continuing to grow and makes a massive difference for our team."

Her versatility to move across the entire attacking line, and in the pocket behind the nine is something Emma Hayes is going to have a ball with when she takes the reins in June.

In the city she calls one of her homes, the Chicago Red Stars attacker did not miss a single beat despite being out of international action for 364 days. Her introduction is what allowed Shaw to move into a more central position. To the surprise of some, Swanson started the contest, playing 78 minutes, causing constant havoc as predominately the left-sided winger. Macario came in for the final 12 minutes plus stoppage time, contributing as the number nine in the USWNT's adapted 4-4-1-1 formation late on.

Coffey was also exceptional, and at this point, if she isn't on the plane to Europe in July, I will be leading a protest. Why on earth did Vlatko Andonovski essentially refuse to play Coffey? It's still a question many have yet to find concrete answers to. Her intelligence to break up plays, and break multiple lines with her distribution is something else especially given that she wasn't introduced until the tail end of 2022. A head injury did force her off the pitch in the second half though. Full detailed evaluations of her and Girma's injuries have yet to be released.

Korbin Albert, a subject of immense controversy over the last week made it in as a substitute. From the reports of people in the stands, and the press box, boos were in fact directed the midfielder's way. The Paris Saint-Germain standout recently engaged with content on TikTok that counters the support of LGBTQ+ rights.

The shadow brought on by injuries to two crucial defensive-minded assets was very much present, but the excitement of Shaw and the return of two star attackers made the night quite the productive one after it started in a nightmarish manner.

On Tuesday night under the lights of Lower.com Field, the home of the defending MLS Cup champions, the Columbus Crew, the USWNT aim to lift a seventh SheBelieves Cup title. Kilgore's crew is set to take on Canada in a CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinal rematch. The encounter will be broadcast on TBS, Peacock, Universo, and Max.