Utah Royals in SheBelieves Cup: Sentnor scores 1st goal for US, Tanaka gets 41st for Japan

HOUSTON — It was a day of milestones on opposite ends of the soccer spectrum for two Utah Royals players on the opening day of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup Thursday in Houston, Texas.

Mina Tanaka opened the evening with the first two goals in her 35th start for Japan as part of a 4-0 win over Australia. They were her 40th and 41st goals for the national team, moving her into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time scoring list for Japan.

Ally Sentnor — named 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year last month — made her first-ever start for the U.S. women's national team in the second game of the doubleheader at Shell Energy Stadium and proved she belongs with a banger goal that will surprise nobody who watched her at America First Field last year in her rookie season.

The distance rocket opened the 21-year-old's international scoring account and gave her five outside-the-box goals in six goals for club and country since turning pro last year.

"There are no words for that," teammate Catarina Macario — who scored the other goal in a 2-0 win over Colombia — said of Sentnor's goal. "We're just having fun out there."

Sentnor echoed Macario's sentiment, saying, "It was just a blast being out there."

"I think we created so many chances and it was just incredible to play with that front line," Sentnor said. "I got an opportunity at goal and kinda just took it and I was so ecstatic when it went in. It's just a credit to this team that has really embraced me and allowed me to be my true self on the field."

"I knew the minute she turned where that ball was going to end up, because she does that shot consistently," head coach Emma Hayes said. "I appreciated her work rate tonight. I thought she was tenacious on both sides of the ball. For a young player, of course, she's still got a lot to learn, but I thought it was a very strong performance."

Former Utah Royal Becky Sauerbrunn was featured for the first time on the broadcast after her retirement last year and had plenty of praise for the new Utah Royals flag bearer as well.

"I know the goal is going to steal the headlines, but there were moments in this game where she was getting herself out of extreme pressure; she was driving with the ball," Sauerbrunn said. "It was really a professional performance for someone who had only played eight minutes at this level prior."

Sentnor will almost certainly reach 41 international goals someday, as her teammate Tanaka did Thursday. However, it would take 130 goals for her to crack the top four in her country, as Tanaka did. Former Utah Royal Christen Press, with 64 international goals, sits in ninth place on the U.S. all-time goals list.

The SheBelieves Cup continues on Sunday with Japan taking on Colombia at noon MST and the USWNT facing Australia at 3 p.m. MST. Royals newcomer Ana Maria Guzman is part of the Colombian team and subbed on late against the U.S. on Thursday.