Following women’s Olympic gold medal triumph
Emma Hayes left her role as head coach of Chelsea Women to take over the United States women’s national team and restore the former world champions to their perch, Megan Feringa reports for Mirror.
The USWNT are champions again and according to Emma Hayes, it’s all down to love.
One year after the program’s humiliating round of 16 exits at the Women’s World Cup and fears that the days of dominance were beyond American exceptionalism, the USWNT was back in familiar territory on Saturday in the French capital. Victory secured. Trophy in hand. Jubilant cheers mixing with the American anthem poured in from all directions. This is the USWNT’s theatre; finally, they are center stage again.
The temptation is to draw a direct line from the hiring of the former Chelsea boss to the moment Mallory Swanson broke a fierce deadlock against Brazil at the Parc des Princes, clinching the USWNT’s record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal, and their first since 2012.
It’s difficult not to indulge in this straightforward arithmetic.
Hayes was hired with precisely this type of restoration remit in mind: restore the USWNT to the top, at whatever cost. And while the pressure to achieve this in her first attempt ratcheted up to a fever pitch as the cameras zoomed in and the anticipation swirled, few would have truly criticized the 46-year-old for failing here, so soon and so early into this relationship.
Instead, instant impact. A squad that once looked labored and stale now fizzes with youthful vim and vigor in a rejuvenated front line of Swanson, Trinity Rodman, and Sophia Smith – the front line known as Triple Espresso –, while the precocious defensive nous of 24-year-old Naomi Girma has become a point from which Hayes can mold her team.
But while credit was being thrust in Hayes’ direction for the swift turnaround in USWNT fortunes, Hayes instead credited something more intangible for the restoration project’s initial success.
“Just love,” a visibly emotional Hayes said through tears. “I come from a place of wanting players to enjoy themselves. I’ve been at a club for 12 years and had huge success but I was desperate to do it for this country. It’s not every day you win a gold medal.”
She added: “I love America. It made me. I always say that.”
Hayes’ coaching career is rooted within the United States’ borders, with a coaching stint at Iona College in New York for the English manager, and working with NWSL side Chicago Red Stars before taking over Chelsea.
Speaking about taking on the USWNT head coach role before the Olympics, Hayes spoke passionately about fulfilling her dream of managing one of the world’s most dominant forces in women’s football.
And after clinching the gold medal in Paris, Hayes could hardly contain her emotions.
“I’m very emotional. It’s been a dream of mine to be in this position,” Hayes said. “I have to thank my dad because he’s the one who pushed me to this point to come and coach an unbelievable group of players that have received me so well and taken on board everything I have asked. They are tremendous people players and role models. Yeah, I love them.”
Saturday’s triumph wasn’t always easy. Twice goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher pulled out sensational saves to deny Brazil. Manager Arthur Elias will surely feel this was an opportunity wasted rather than one lost, his side having spurned too many good opportunities against one of football’s greatest-ever results-driven managers.
