by Staff Writer
Monday, 13th April 2026
Riko Ueki maintained her impressive run in front of goal on Saturday evening, though her effort was not enough to prevent Japan slipping to a 2-1 friendly defeat against the USA.
The West Ham striker, who recently claimed the Golden Boot at the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup after scoring six times in Australia, was introduced at half-time with her side already trailing.
The USA extended their advantage shortly after the restart, but Ueki responded just past the hour mark, directing a clever header into the net to pull one back.
Despite her impact, Japan were unable to find a leveller and will look to respond when they meet the USA again in Washington on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Camila Saez completed the full match for Chile as they fell to a narrow 1-0 loss against Argentina in the CONMEBOL Women’s Nations League.
A first-half penalty proved decisive, leaving Chile sitting fourth in the standings ahead of their upcoming fixture with Colombia.
Shelina Zadorsky, meanwhile, remained on the bench as Canada recorded an emphatic victory over Zambia.
The North Americans marked the first meeting between the two sides with a convincing win, scoring four unanswered goals to begin their FIFA Series campaign in strong fashion, with a match against South Korea next on the schedule.
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