A run of five straight titles in the SheBelieves Cup ended Wednesday night for the U.S. Women’s National Team, which fell to Japan, 2-1, in the tournament finale at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
With three victories in as many SheBelieves matches, Japan lifted the trophy for the first time in its fifth appearance at the prestigious invitational, while handing the Americans their first defeat in 18 games under coach Emma Hayes. The USA, which had claimed seven of the nine previous SheBelieves championships, finished the four-team, round-robin tournament in second place with two wins and a loss.
The competition also included Colombia and Australia.
A major bright spot in the tournament for the U.S. was the play of 21-year-old Ally Sentnor (Hanson, Mass.) a former South Shore Select star.
