Time and time again, the women’s soccer teams from the US and Japan find themselves pitted against each other. Sometimes, it’s for everything. Both nations have won World Cups at the other’s heartbreaking expense, in 2011 and 2015. 

Sometimes, however, they face off for the love of the game. In April, despite the ugly weather, 36,218 fans came out to watch both nations play a friendly exhibition at Lumen Field. It might have lacked the usual stakes of World Cup soccer, but those rooting for Team USA were just happy to see Olympic-level athletes close to home. 

“We’re all big soccer fans,” said Vicky J, who was enjoying drinks with her family. “I was originally brought up as a Sounders fan, but that was just the men. Then the ‘99ers changed everything!” 

“I’m a big fan of the coach,” said Vicky’s daughter Allison, when asked about her favorite on the team. “She really believes in development and helping the players grow into their best selves.” 

Allison’s referring to Emma Hayes, the team’s English-born head coach, who wrapped a long career in Chelsea to help Team USA win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s unapologetically stern and tactical, yet she follows a doctrine of fairness in opportunity for all her players. In Seattle, she practices what she preaches.  

Despite the team winning their last friendly against Japan, just days prior in San Jose, Hayes decided to roll out a completely new starting lineup. She had Claire Hutton, a 20-year-old midfielder from Bay FC, serve as captain, instead of experienced veteran Lindsey Heaps. 

Rather than view this as an unnecessary gamble, Hayes emphasized the importance of giving chances for her younger players to develop during friendly matches, explaining her thinking with a bizarre culinary metaphor. 

“It’s like when someone gives you a Michelin star recipe, and they say, ‘Well, I mean, you can cook it, right?’ And you go, ‘Well, I’ll have a go, but I’m not sure I’m gonna make it look like that Michelin star chef.’ I think we’ve got players that have some of the recipe and they’re trying to apply it in their entirety, but it’s a work in progress.”

Heaps (formerly Horan) did eventually swap in for Hutton midway through the match, joined by Olympic breakouts Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson. A scoring threat from the Portland Thorns, Wilson recently made her big return to soccer after having a baby in September. 

Despite giving their best, Team USA struggled to match Japan’s early lead, who took advantage of the wet terrain and signs of shakiness from opposing goaltender Phallon Tullis-Joyce to strike decisively. 

The USA’s best chance at tying the match came late, when Hutton lobbed the ball overhead to Heaps, setting her up perfectly for a point-blank kick, only for her to be unceremoniously blocked. Between missed potential and an earlier injury to her knee, it was a rough night for the Summit FC superstar. 

While Team USA ultimately lost to Japan 0-1, Seattleites created their own happy ending. Women of all stripes and backgrounds continued to celebrate at nearby pubs, long after the match was over. 

“They’re high-quality players. They win. As opposed to the others…” said Avery, giving a slight diss to the men’s team among her friends. Together, they’re die-hard fans of Team USA, having traveled to New Zealand to see them play at the last Women’s World Cup. 

“We’ve all been players of the game in our lives. We’re all women,” said Avery, when asked what keeps her fandom alive and well. “At the end of the day, it’s our sport.” 

Later reports determined that this was the biggest women’s sporting event, in sheer audience size, in Seattle history. It topped recent major events in women’s sports, such as the Torrent’s sold-out opening night and Sue Bird’s final match, which brought out 17,000 and 18,000 fans, respectively.