The USWNT officially kicks off the Emma Hayes era in style this weekend, going up against South Korea in the first of two pre-Olympic friendlies.
The matches will serve as the final two opportunities to impress before Hayes names her 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. After formally taking over late last week, the ex-Chelsea coach has gotten nothing but praise from the American side.
“Anyone in the soccer world knows Emma Hayes,” forward Sophia Smith told reporters at USWNT training camp. “She’s a legend and her resume speaks for itself. We all just trust her. Obviously trust is something you build. What she’s done for the game and for the sport, we all trust her and are excited about her. I’m sure we’ll learn a lot in the next week. We already have learned a lot in the first few days.”
Of course, the USWNT has carried a chip on their shoulder following a disappointing World Cup last year. And as they look to the Olympics, Smith says it’s a good thing that the team is operating that way.
“If a team going into the Olympics doesn’t have a chip on their shoulder, there’s a problem there,” Smith continued. “This team for so many years has set the standard, has been the best in the world, and that’s what we want to continue on. We want to honor what this team has done before us, but we also want to set new standards and just be a different version of this team and be the best in the world.”
Hayes appears to be the right person to propel that standard forward. And the goal, according to Smith, is to win a gold medal.
“The goal is to win a gold medal, but right now we have a new coach, we have a new system,” she added. “The main goal and priority is the process and just learning and adapting and growing and taking each day as a chance to get better and grow with this group.”
“I think for me, it’s just [having] the leader again, and the voice and when you get on field it’s awesome,” echoed USWNT captain Lindsey Horan. “You get some jokes here and there but [Hayes is also] just demanding a lot out of us and keeping the standard, but also the positive encouragement feedback as well and giving voices to us as well.”
Hayes will have a short runway to manage the high expectations of the job, with the US looking to put their previous performances behind them as quickly as possible. And the stacked Olympic lineup will be no easy challenge for the 2019 World Cup Champions as they vie for their first gold medal since 2012.
Speaking with media on Friday, Hayes said that it’s been “such a joy” to be back in the States, saying that her aim is to protect the team’s long legacy going forward.
“We all know the main ingredients of the American DNA,” she said. “That will not change under my stewardship.”
She also noted that the team has come along nicely under interim coach’s Twila Kilgore’s leadership, comparing the players to sponges for their ability to take in a lot of information quickly.
“I think the tactical understanding is there more than I anticipated,” she said, while also saying she anticipates some “tired brains.”
Luckily, a few fitness concerns appear to have subsided, as a number of recently injured call-ups returned to the pitch in last weekend’s NWSL games. Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw, and Naomi Girma all made appearances for San Diego last Thursday after dealing with lingering knocks, while defender Tierna Davidson and club and country teammate Rose Lavelle have consistently been working their way back onto the field with Gotham.
The biggest question mark going into Saturday’s match will be Smith, who missed Portland’s showdown with Orlando due to a leg injury last Friday.
