Emma Hayes has had to wait seven months for her first competitive match as US Women’s National Team head coach. Of course, the English manager couldn’t take over until she’d finished up at Chelsea last season, and she guided interim boss Twila Kilgore for a number of months, but tonight’s Olympics match against Zambia will be a landmark occasion for Hayes.
The 47-year-old has been hired to reshape the USWNT after an underwhelming 2023 Women’s World Cup. Under Vlatko Andonovski, the US only made the Round of 16. The penalty shootout against Sweden could have gone either way, but Andonovski’s team played within itself throughout the tournament. The USWNT deserved to go home early.
Having taken over as head coach in May, Hayes has gone through a quick turnaround ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. “It feels like I’m a heart surgeon in the middle of emergency surgery,” said the former Chelsea manager. Whether they are reasonable or not, the expectations are that the USA will be among the frontrunners to win the women’s tournament.
Hayes has already made some big decisions. Most notable, USWNT icon Alex Morgan was left off the roster for the Olympics with Hayes instead choosing to transition into a new generation. Indeed, Jayden Shaw, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson were all selected with Swanson the oldest at 26. These are the players who will carry the USA’s attack in the coming years.
Renowned for being a sharp tactician, Hayes hasn’t had much time to implement any big-picture ideas before the Paris Olympics. This was clear to anyone who watched the USWNT’s warm-up friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica in which the same creativity issues of the Andonovski era were on show once again.
Against Mexico, the USA struggled at times to progress the ball out from the back. This meant they were unable to get possession into their primary playmakers. Against Costa Rica, the USA had more time on the ball as the opposition sat deep, but they lacked ideas in how to break down a low defensive block.
On a more positive note, Smith is growing into her role as the USWNT’s first-choice centre forward. The Portland Thorns attacker is increasingly comfortable dropping deep to link up play and is still the same presence in and around the opposition penalty area that she has been since breaking through.
What’s more, there are encouraging signs of a flourishing relationship between Smith and Swanson. This is a duo that could do some serious damage at the Olympics and Hayes is seemingly doing her best to harness the pair. Smith and Swanson are the difference makers who could define the whole tournament for the USWNT.
Generally, the USA look sharper than they did at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. While the intricate sequences might not be in place yet, there is certainly a greater intent to move the ball more quickly and disorganise opposition teams through their use of possession. This should be evident in the USA’s performances in France.
“I think there’s been a better tactical understanding than I anticipated, but for me the most important thing is the ability to grasp the information really, really quickly,” Hayes said when asked about her USA players. “[They’re] sponges, unbelievable sponges. No matter what we’ve thrown at them … they’ve taken it on, they’re absorbing it. This team is desperate to improve and is focused on the performances and the processes to do that.”
This summer’s Olympic Games won’t define Hayes’ tenure as US women’s national team head coach, but this tournament will be the first opportunity for the 47-year-old to make her mark on the team. This will set an early benchmark for Hayes as USWNT boss with greater tests to come in the future.
While the Olympics is a prestigious tournament in its own right, at least in women’s soccer, but everything for the USWNT right now is geared towards the 2027 Women’s World Cup. That is where the culmination of the current process happening with Hayes in charge will be expected. The Paris Olympics will offer a hint of what that could look like.
