AS A wave of energetic young players make inroads with the US national team, Alex Morgan admitted to feeling a bit of pressure from coach Jill Ellis to continue to perform at a high level.

Hard to get much higher than yesterday night.

Morgan capped a seemingly effortless hat-trick by converting off a dazzling piece of footwork by Tobin Heath and, along with Megan Rapinoe, led the US to a 4-2 victory over Japan in their opening match of the four-team Tournament of Nations.

“I feel like Jill has set a precedent of change within this team over the last couple of years,” Morgan said, “and I feel like she’s put a lot of pressure on the older players to continue to perform. We have a lot of younger players with a lot of energy and desire to make this national team, obviously make the World Cup team, so for me it’s to continue to score — continue to get on the scoreboard.”

She did that three times before Carli Lloyd replaced her in the 73rd minute.

Morgan scored her first goal in the 18th when she flicked a nifty pass from Rapinoe past Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita. And her second came a scant eight minutes later, when Emily Sonnett gathered a cross from Crystal Dunn and popped it ahead to Morgan, who headed in the goal.

The hat-trick was complete after Heath, who had just entered as a substitute, made two Japanese defenders look foolish along the end line. She then swung a centring pass that was deflected to Morgan, who deposited it for her first three-goal game since Olympic qualifying in February 2016.

“There’s a hunger and a work ethic and she makes things happen,” Ellis said. “She’s such a dynamic player to run in behind and cause problems that way. I also think back to pressure, she’s got better at that. She’s just taken a big step forward and embraced the role of being a goal scorer on this team.

“We have a pretty potent offence,” Ellis said, “but I think Alex is just locked on.”

Rapinoe added her own goal — and a bizarre, foot-stomping celebration afterwards — in the 66th minute as the US team ramped up their attack just as it begins ramping up for World Cup qualifying.

They can secure their spot next year in France during the CONCACAF tournament in October.

“This tournament is a really good warm-up for qualifiers,” Rapinoe said. “We have quite a few players who have never been through one, so to get the feeling of play, travel, play and have something on the line. It’s a bit of a fabricated tournament, but we want to win.

“So starting to string together performances, learning how to back up games, that’s important.”