The April FIFA international window will present the U.S. women’s national team with a unique challenge. This month, the four-time World Cup winners will face Japan three times in a rare three-match friendly slate.
On Tuesday, USWNT manager Emma Hayes named a 26-player roster for the upcoming window.
“Japan is undoubtedly one of the top teams in the world, and they are performing at a very high level coming off their [2026] Asian Cup title, which was impressive to watch,” Hayes said.
“Playing the same country three times in a row, and especially a team that is as dedicated
to their style as Japan, will be a massive test for our team and I’m looking forward to seeing how our team handles the numerous challenges these games will present.”
The USWNT will open the trio of matches against Japan at PayPal Park in San Jose on April 11, before then heading to Lumen Field in Seattle on April 14, and then closing the window at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on April 17.
USWNT Roster: April 2026 matches vs. Japan
Position (Club; Caps/Goals)
Goalkeepers (3)
- Jane Campbell (Houston Dash, 10)
- Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 8)
- Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United; 6)
Defenders (9)
- Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 67/3)
- Emily Fox (Arsenal; 74/1)
- Naomi Girma (Chelsea; 52/2)
- Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 10/1)
- Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 7/0)
- Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 10/0)
- Emily Sams (Angel City FC; 9/1)
- Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 115/2)
- Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 7/0)
- Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 4/0)
Midfielders (7)
- Sam Coffey (Manchester City; 44/5)
- Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes; 173/39)
- Claire Hutton (Bay FC; 15/1)
- Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 118/27)
- Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 15/5)
- Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 34/9)
- Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes; 16/1)
Forwards (7)
- Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 10/1)
- Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 4/1)
- Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 52/13)
- Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 17/6)
- Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 18/7)
- Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea; 29/4)
- Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns FC; 58/24)
Sophia Wilson and Tierna Davidson return
Hayes brought back superstar forward Sophia Wilson and defensive leader Tierna Davidson for the Japan friendlies. The duo are two of the most experienced players on the U.S. roster and won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Both were absent for the majority of ’25.
Wilson, a member of the “Triple Espresso” attacking trio alongside Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman, is making her first USWNT roster appearance in 15 months, following her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter in September 2025. Wilson’s last appearance for the USWNT was in October ’24.
The Portland Thorns forward has been trending in the right direction since returning to the pitch in March 2026. She has played in every game for the Thorns this season and earned her first start in a win over the KC Current last weekend.
Davidson has been away from the USWNT for 13 months, following an ACL injury sustained while playing for her club, NJ/NY Gotham FC. Coincidentally, her last international appearance was in a 2–1 defeat to Japan at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.
The 27-year-old center back hasn’t started a match for Gotham since returning from her ACL injury. In three appearances off the bench in 2026, she has played 29, 26 and 16 minutes.
“As our team continues to evolve, it will be great to welcome back Sophia and Tierna, who are not only great players but also contribute positively to our team environment,” said Hayes.
Sophia Wilson’s first NWSL season as a mom has officially begun 🫶 pic.twitter.com/zmkchJkwWG
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 14, 2026
Michelle Cooper and Jane Campbell also return
KC Current winger Michelle Cooper’s absence hasn’t been nearly as long as Wilson’s or Davidson’s, but she is another highly rated player who has missed the past few camps due to a foot injury sustained at the end of 2025.
Cooper hasn’t quite looked her best and has seen limited minutes with Kansas City to start 2026. Although she has played in every game for the Current this year, she has amassed just 186 minutes and one start. She has zero goal contributions as the Current have gone 1-3-0.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jane Campbell returns to the USWNT for the first time in nearly a year due to an injury to Mandy McGlynn. The Houston Dash shot-stopper is technically the most experienced goalkeeper, with 10 caps, but she has not played for the USWNT since the 2–1 defeat to Japan last February.
The 31-year-old Dash player has had an impressive start to the season, keeping two clean sheets and conceding only two goals in three games. Her nine-save performance in an opening-day 1–0 win over the San Diego Wave was a highlight that certainly helped put her name back in the USWNT mix.
No room for Croix Bethune
As predicted in this week’s Stock Up, Stock Down column, it has been a tough couple of weeks for midfielder Croix Bethune. She is another player who has had a sunted start to 2026 in Kansas City. Unlike Cooper, she is a recent transfer to the Current and has to learn a new city, a new style of play and a new locker room all at the same time.
At her best, Bethune is a creative genius. She loves to find pockets of space, keep the ball and play ambitious passes for teammates to run onto. The 25-year-old has yet to look her best since a debut goal in the Current’s only win of the season (a 2–1 victory over the Utah Royals).
For this roster, Hayes has opted to trim the midfield group from eight to seven players. Bethune wasn’t on the previous USWNT roster either, but Hayes said that was due to a fitness issues.
Jaedyn Shaw’s hamstring is healing
Gotham FC midfielder Jaedyn Shaw has missed three consecutive games in the NWSL due to a hamstring issue. However, it seems she is on the right track to return, as Hayes has included her in this USWNT squad.
Whether or not Shaw will be good to go for Gotham’s upcoming match this weekend, away to Kansas City, remains to be seen. But one can assume this is a good sign that the injury is not something bigger, and that her return to the pitch appears imminent.
Experimentation to expertise
This is the second consecutive roster where Hayes has not called up a single uncapped player. The SheBelieves Cup and the April friendlies rosters are the only two since Hayes took over in June 2024 in which that is the case.
The switch from experimentation to expertise is intentional. With the 2027 World Cup qualifiers set for November and the tournament just 14 months away, the year of trialing the next generation has been replaced by the need to call up the best players available.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT Roster Takeaways: Sophia Wilson, Tierna Davidson Return for Japan Test.
