Deaf WNT Opens Deaflympics With 5-0 Win vs. Japan
Mia White Brace and Goals from Sydney Andrews, Emily Spreeman and Tia LaBrecque Give USA Dominant Opening Win; Deaf WNT Faces Australia in Second Group Stage Match on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; JDFA YouTube)
Playing in front of a boisterous home crowd, the U.S. got out on the front foot early. After knocking the ball around, in the third minute, Erin Cembrale played a lovely ball into space for Holly Hunter on the left. Hunter got into the box before centering for White, who slid through to redirect a shot only to have Japan ‘keeper Kasumi Kunishima make a good reaction save down to her left.
That play was a precursor to the first U.S. goal five minutes later. After debutant goalkeeper Sierra Kaspar made a nice grab in the six, she outlet the ball for Hunter into space on the left. Unchallenged toward midfield, Hunter hit a ball over the top and into space that Kunishima tried to let roll into the box, but she misplayed it as White swarmed into the area and picked her pocket. Gaining possession, the striker took a touch to the right and slotted into the empty net to give the USA a 1-0 lead.
Down a goal, Japan began to push more into the attack, but the U.S. broke out in transition, with White causing havoc in the final third before earning a corner kick in the 21st minute. On the ensuing take, Paris Price’s cross from the left was well placed into the path of Andrews, who beat her mark to nod home her second career goal at the back post and make it 2-0.
The USA continued to dominate play in the second half and pushed for a third goal at the hour mark, as a lovely build up out of the back and up the left flank led to Cembrale rocketing a shot from the top of the 18 off the crossbar before it went out for a corner kick. On the corner, Kunishima came out to claim the ball, but it spilled into the box and was pushed back to Cembrale, who blasted a first-time effort from the top of the area. The goalkeeper made the initial stop, but the ball fell at the feet of White (pictured below) who slammed home the rebound for her second of the match, taking the score to 3-0.
A suffocating press in the midfield led to the fourth goal, as Cembrale intercepted a pass and turned it straight into attack, playing Spreeman into space up the left. The Deaf WNT's all-time leading scorer strolled into the box and cut onto her right, blasting an effort that Kunishima parried high, but went over her head and trickled into the net.
A fifth goal came from the youngest player on the field. A Japan free kick out of the back was headed forward by Andrews, into space for Spreeman. The veteran forward calmly played a ball for LaBrecque on the left, who went one-on-one with a defender into the box before the 16-year-old cut back to her right foot and unleashed a blast that careened off the underside of the crossbar and over the line to close the scoring at 5-0 in the 83rd minute.
With the result, the USA moves to 41W-0L-1D in 42 international matches played since 2005.
Having led the team in exactly half of its matches all-time, Amy Griffin improved her record to 20W-0L-1D since taking over as Deaf WNT head coach in 2015.
The USA is 7W-0L-0D overall against Japan.
Striker Mia White tallied her second and third international goals and first since scoring the game-winner in the opening match of the 2022 Deaflympics, a 1-0 victory also against that year’s hosts, Brazil.
Defender Sydney Andrews scored her second international goal. Her first also came against Japan in the opening match of the 2023 World Deaf Football Championships in Malaysia.
Veteran forward Emily Spreeman scored her Deaf WNT record 39th career goal in her 27th international appearance. Spreeman also collected her 14th career assist.
Tia LaBrecque tallied her second career goal in just her third international cap. LaBrecque scored her first in last year’s friendly series against Japan.
Paris Price collected her sixth career assist on Andrews’ goal.
Erin Cembrale recorded her first career assist on Spreeman’s goal.
Goalkeeper Sierra Kaspar made two saves and kept the clean sheet in her international debut.
-U.S. WOMEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team vs. Ukraine
Date: November 15, 2025
Competition: Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET (Nov. 14) / 12 p.m. local (on Nov. 15)
Head coach: Amy Griffin
Head coach: Yoshiki Yamamoto
Stats Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 15 / 5
Shots on Goal: 11 / 2
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