USA vs. Australia score: USWNT remain perfect at SheBelieves Cup with narrow victory over Matildas

FT: USA 2, AUS 1

Things may have been more evenly contested than originally suspected, but the USWNT have another win to their SheBelieves Cup record and it's hard not to argue that it's a job well done. There are challenges that come when one goes with a brand-new starting lineup, but several players took advantage of their opportunities.

Hutton was a standout, offering the USWNT another option in midfield -- an area on the pitch where the team has felt imbalanced for a few years -- while Shaw, Sears and Biyendolo were other impressive starters. Cooper and Sentnor, meanwhile, did well as substitutes. Japan awaits.

Sentnor nearly scores

88' The USWNT stay patient as they hang out in and around Australia's box and in the end, it's Sentnor with the ball and she's close to scoring her second USWNT goal. Micah, though, makes an all important save to keep this a one goal game.

GOAL! USA 2, AUS 1

80' Australia pull one back, with Raso sending a wonderful cross from the right flank into the box. Heyman meets the moment and scores from close range, keeping things even. It's a nice reward for the Matildas, who found a way to keep things competitive on both ends of the halftime break, even if the USWNT had dominated the match over the last 15 or so minutes.

One last USWNT change

77' Hayes uses her final substitution of the day, bringing on Fox for G. Thompson. Like a few of the others over the last couple of days, Thompson had a strong outing in her first USWNT start.

Another USWNT change

70' Hayes brings on Coffey for Hutton to close out the game, bringing an end to Hutton's first USWNT game. It was a job well done for the NWSL Rookie of the Year contender, who helped set up her Kansas City Current teammate Cooper's goal just a few minutes earlier.

GOAL! USA 2, AUS 0

68' The USWNT launch an attack that's at first unsuccessful, but Shaw's able to recycle the ball and get things going right away. The ball quickly lands to Hutton, who plays it into the box. Sentnor then has the ball at her feet and she works her way around a defender before a little pass to Cooper, who finishes from close range to score her first international goal just five minutes after coming on. Sentnor also nabs an assist just three days after scoring her first USWNT goal.

USWNT substitutions

63' Hayes makes her first change of the day, taking off Dunn, Sears, Biyendolo and A. Thompson for McKeown, Ryan, Cooper and Sentnor. All of them played in the USWNT's 2-0 won over Colombia and Thursday and impressed, especially goalscorer Sentnor.

Biyendolo goes for goal

57' The USWNT survive Australia's storm and, at the other end, create a chance out of almost nowhere. Shaw does well to capitalize on some disorganization from the Matildas' back line and as the ball nears goalkeeper Micah, Biyendolo instead nicks the ball off her and gets the shot off. The ball lands wide of the frame but it's a really smart move from Biyendolo, and almost paid off.

Australia excel on corners

53' This half has gotten off to a milder start than the first one, which is a testament to Australia's alterations halfway through the first 45 minutes. They've arguably been the more threatening side after the break, especially with some impressive deliveries from corners on both sides. McGlynn, who's playing in goal today, has been up for the task and has limited the Matildas to zero shots on goal but make no mistake -- this game is much more competitive than it once was.

Second half underway

No changes for the second half.

HT: USA 1, AUS 0

There goes the whistle, bringing a fascinating half to a close. The USWNT will be happy about a lot of things over the first 45 minutes, chief among them Biyendolo's opening goal and the overall attacking performance that includes the goalscorer, Shaw and Sears. They could have scored at least one or two more goals, though, and now that Australia is more compact after an unorganized start, the challenge for the U.S. will be to combat that after the break.

Momentum for Australia

42' Things may have started on a rough note for Australia but to their credit, they've settled into this game and have now had an important spell of possession over the last few minutes. Raso has helped caused problems for the back line, forcing a couple of clearances that went out for corners, while Foord just took a decent shot from distance that landed wide of the net. Still no shots on goal for the Matildas, but it's much better from them compared to the start of the game.

McGlynn with a moment

34' There's a ball flying in the USWNT's penalty area and a miscommunication between Sams and McGlynn, but the latter comes out of her goal and jumps up to get a crucial punch on the ball to ensure Raso can't cause trouble. It was a rare moment of danger for the U.S.' back line but McGlynn handles it well, offering a reminder that the battle to succeed the now-retired Naeher as the USWNT's No. 1 will be a fierce one.

Shaw from distance

25' Albert combines with Shaw and she rips one from distance, with the shot flying wide of the goal. She wasn't terribly far off from goal, though, and it's another example of the USWNT essentially having a field day in front of Australia's goal.

Biyendolo's back at it

17' Shaw finds a pocket of space in the Australian back line and plays a brilliant ball to Biyendolo, who's off to the races and ready to add another shot to her growing tally. She eventually takes a shot from close range, forcing an important save out of Micah. The USWNT's attackers are smoothly working their way around Australia's back line, which is a testament to the hosts as much as it is a sign that the Matlidsa are in a pretty perilous spot, especially after Thursday's 4-0 loss to Japan.

All USWNT, all the time

9' The USWNT have dominated the early minutes of this game, sending wave after wave of attacks towards the Australia goal and really coming close to a second. Sears has impressed so far, getting the better of Australia on the left flank and setting up her fellow attackers with a few great passes. The Matildas had a chance of their own, but Sams worked quickly to send the ball out of play and the USWNT were not troubled on the subsequent corner.

GOAL! USA 1, AUS 0

1' That was fast! Sears connects with Shaw inside the box and then she plays a short pass to Biyendolo, who taps it in to the back of the net. That's a nice start for a lineup full of players who have never played together, and it's especially good news for Biyendolo, who scores her first goal since changing her name from Williams following her winter wedding.

USA 0, AUS 0

The USWNT's second game of the SheBelieves Cup is officially underway in Glendale, Ariz.

SheBelieves Cup update

In today's early game, Japan beat Colombia 4-1 to collect their second win of the tournament. The USWNT will match Japan on points with a win today, though have quite a bit to make up in terms of goal differential as things stand. Here's a look at the current table.

1. Japan, 6 points (+7 GD)
2. USWNT, 3 points (+2 GD)
3. Australia, 0 points (-4 GD)
4. Colombia, 0 points (-5 GD)

The USWNT's new generation

USWNT staff is ensuring that the SheBelieves Cup has the feel of a major tournament, which will be a valuable experience for the roster's less-experienced players. As Hayes outlined in a pre-match press conference yesterday, though, she outlined that the new group of players has had experiences that the players before them didn't have -- but advocated for.

• Hayes: " I want to say this about the less experienced players: They're a generation of players, to have experienced already ... the work that a lot of the more experienced players have had to fight for on their behalf. They're the benefactors of being in more professional environments at a younger age, plus I think coming through a lot of them -- whether they opted out of college to go into the pro game or whether they area able to receive the support, whether it be the analysis, medical, in a more profound way."

Australia starting lineup

Fowler and Foord lead the line for Australia as they aim to bounce back from a 4-0 loss to Japan on Thursday. Here's a look at the Matildas' team.

Australia starting XI: Micah, Carpenter, Kennedy, Heatley, Catley, Grant, Cooney-Cross, Raso, Fowler, McNamara, Foord

Substitutes: Arnold, Heyman, Hunt, Prior, Murphy, Torpey, van Egmond, Yallop, Galic, Lincoln, Gorry, Freier

Brand new USWNT lineup

Hayes made 11 changes from Thursday's lineup, fully embracing the spirit of experimentation that is going to be the theme of this tournament -- and the first half of 2025, at the very least. Notes from this team: Hutton gets her first cap and start, while Gisele Thompson gets her first start. She's in the lineup alongside her older sister Alyssa, marking just the fourth time sisters start for the USWNT. Here's the lineup.

USWNT starting XI: McGlynn, G. Thompson, Sams, Davidson (Capt.), Dunn, Hutton, Albert, Shaw, A. Thompson, Biyendolo, Sears

Substitutes:  Campbell, McKeown, Nighswonger, Sentnor, Heaps, Yohannes, Sonnett, Coffey, Macario, Cooper, Ryan, Fox

Hello and welcome!

The USWNT's SheBelieves Cup journey continues today against Australia, which should offer another fascinating opportunity for head coach Emma Hayes to continue her period of experimentation. The tournament got off to an impressive start on Thursday with a 2-0 win over Colombia, not only because the USWNT bagged all three points but because several players really made the most of their opportunities.

It's unclear how much repetition Hayes will go with between today's lineup and Thursday's, but with 14 players on the roster having 20 or fewer caps under their belts, it feels very likely that more opportunities are on their way for a group of inexperienced players.