The United States women's national team suffered its first loss in the Emma Hayes era when a more experienced and tactical Japan side defeated the Americans 2-1 to win the SheBelieves Cup title on Wednesday night at Snapdragon Stadium.

The stakes are in somewhat of a contrast with the reality, though -- win, lose or draw, this is far from the end of the road for a youth-focused version of the U.S., with today's game serving as more of a stepping stone than anything else.

Japan won its first SheBelieves Cup title Wednesday thanks to its 2-1 defeat of the U.S. women’s national team in the tournament’s final game. It’s only the second loss to Japan in USWNT’s history and might help reignite a rivalry that peaked across a run of major tournament finals in 2011, 2012 and 2015.