Spain beat Japan 3-1 to win the SheBelieves Cup opener

NEW YORK - Lucia Garcia scored twice to help Spain beat Japan 3-1 in the opening match of the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida on Thursday.

The two teams were 1-1 in the first half at Exploria Stadium and then Garcia scored in the 48th minute to give Spain the 2-1 lead.

The Spaniard scored again in the 78th minute for her third international goal. The 21-year-old forward, who made her national team debut in 2018, also scored in the World Cup last summer in France.

Alexia Putellas gave Spain the early lead with a goal in the eighth minute. Mana Iwabuchi slotted one goal through a sliding volley in the 44th minute to tie it up for Japan.

Spain, ranked No. 13 in the world, will play the top-ranked United States on Sunday when the tournament shifts to Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Japan, ranked No. 10, will meet world No. 6 England in the other match.

The four-team round-robin tournament is in its fifth year.