(CNN) 鈥� When Jaedyn Shaw played youth soccer at FC Dallas, she would put her hair into a high ponytail, straightened, with a black prewrap. 鈥淎 Mal Pugh ponytail,鈥� Shaw called it, in honor of , n茅e Pugh, the forward who wore her hair the same way.
On Saturday, 19-year-old Shaw lined up on the same field as her role-model-turned-teammate as the US beat Japan 2-1 in the SheBelieves Cup in Atlanta in front of a record crowd of 50, 644 to advance to the final.
With an assist from Sam Coffey, Shaw scored the United States鈥� first goal, a 36th-minute equalizer, ripping a low shot from outside the 18-yard box into the bottom right corner of the net.
She became the first player in the national team鈥檚 history to score in each of her first five starts 鈥� she was the first to do so in four starts, too 鈥� and now has seven goals in her first 11 internationals.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a footballer,鈥� said US captain Lindsey Horan, who played alongside Shaw in midfield and scored the United States鈥� game-winning second goal: a penalty kick in the 77th minute.
鈥淪he has a physical presence, but she鈥檚 so smart on the ball and technical and savvy and creative.鈥�
Meanwhile, Swanson donned the national team jersey for the first time in nearly a year, after suffering a patellar tendon injury that kept her out of last year鈥檚 Women鈥檚 World Cup.
鈥淚 looked up to her. She鈥檚 an amazing player,鈥� Shaw said about Swanson. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy that she鈥檚 back and I can play with her.鈥�
This match was Shaw鈥檚 first playing on the national team with Swanson. Shaw turned pro in July 2022, opting out of a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina women鈥檚 soccer to sign with National Women鈥檚 Soccer League expansion team San Diego Wave FC. Since then, she鈥檚 scored nine goals and recorded three assists.
鈥淚 feel like the Wave has contributed so much to me being here and being able to play at this level and contribute to this team. So I credit a lot of my coaching staff, teammates, all to that,鈥� Shaw said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream being here.鈥�
Abby Dahlkemper, Shaw鈥檚 teammate in both San Diego and on the national team, recounted conversations where she told the young player that she might have to be patient until her national team callup.
鈥淸I told her] you鈥檙e going to be there for a long time. You鈥檙e going to be with the national team for a long time. You鈥檙e going to be a huge player. And you know, it鈥檚 just undeniable the talent she was. She鈥檚 playing way above her years,鈥� Dahlkemper said.
Shaw earned her first national team callup in October 2023, scoring in her second appearance and first start in a 3-0 win over Colombia. She treated her hometown crowd in Frisco, Texas, to a game-winning goal against China in December.
鈥淚 feel like none of my goals are just me. I feel like it鈥檚 always my teammates contributing and creating those opportunities,鈥� Shaw said.
Her scoring streak continued in the United States鈥� gold medal run through the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, scoring four goals and earning tournament MVP.
鈥淵ou see her working hard, just as hard as she does attack, defensively now, and you can see these evolutions of her game,鈥� Dahlkemper said. 鈥淪he can鈥檛 stop scoring for this team, and she鈥檚 going to be a huge player for the team in the future, and she鈥檚 a huge player for us now.鈥�
Shaw鈥檚 attacking contribution for the US comes as the team prepares for the 2024 Olympics.
Shaw had yet to make her US debut when the 2023 Women鈥檚 World Cup roster was selected, but is quickly making her case for inclusion in the next major tournament roster, though it鈥檚 a competitive selection pool.
鈥淭hat is what makes the US so competitive and so special because we have so many young and crucial players for this team and a lot to chose from,鈥� Horan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be difficult and competitive, and that鈥檚 how it goes.鈥�
The-CNN-Wire
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