Japan dropped out of title contention in women's football's SheBelieves Cup with a 1-0 loss to the United States on Sunday.
Mallory Swanson scored in the 45th minute as the world No. 1 Americans picked up their second win in as many matches while handing 11th-ranked Japan their second loss in the four-team, round-robin tournament.
The event serves as a warm-up for this summer's Women's World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The team, nicknamed "Nadeshiko Japan," created plenty of opportunities to score at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, having 15 shots against the United States' five.
But they were held goalless for a fourth straight match, having lost to England and Spain in their November friendlies in Spain before Brazil blanked them 1-0 in the SheBelieves Cup opener.
"We've been able to do what we want to," Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said. "But we can't be happy (without a goal), and that's frustrating."
Canada beat Brazil 2-0 in the day's other match, leaving both teams at 1-1 for the tournament.
On Wednesday, the final match day, the United States will play Brazil in a bid to win their third consecutive SheBelieves Cup title, while Japan will face Canada.
