Emma Hayes inherits a reinvigorated USWNT. But she faces new headaches

On Tuesday evening in Columbus, Ohio, the US Women’s National Team came from behind before defeating Canada on penalties to win their seventh SheBelieves Cup trophy. It was the second time they had recovered from a deficit to win a match in four days. It also marked their second tournament test in a row against Canada that ended with a penalty shootout, and the second tournament in as many months when they came across a talented team, but came away with the trophy.

The Canada game was the USWNT’s 10th since Emma Hayes was named as their next manager, and their final match before she officially takes over next month. When the squad next assembles, Chelsea’s longtime boss will be at the helm.

Of course, given the historic nature of the team’s toppling at the World Cup last August, questions about “redemption” and “the rest of the world catching up” (or surpassing the Americans) may still pervade public narrative when Hayes takes charge. But in many ways, that penalty collapse to their old foes Sweden in the Round of 16 (marking the program’s earliest-ever exit from the World Cup) already feels a long time ago.

Related: Emma Hayes can lead USWNT to Olympic gold despite delayed start

With Twila Kilgore acting as interim manager and coordinating with Hayes from across the ocean (as well as a few meetings in person), the team have progressed their tactics, rapidly evolved their personnel, and reclaimed their identity. Yes, the team will be hungry for an Olympic medal this summer, are aiming to reclaim the World Cup in three years, and are ready to prove they have the talent to compete with the elite. And they’ll face incredible challenges as they attempt that. But the hyper competitive landscape of modern women’s football isn’t something they rue, it’s progress they welcome. It’s a triumph for the women’s game that so many American players hoped for, campaigned for, and will have to be ready to meet under renewed pressure in the coming years.

How they tackle that challenge is the biggest question facing Hayes. Speaking at the Football Writers Association Awards this January, Hayes emphasized a belief in the USWNT’s emerging generation of talent, but feels it will take time to reach their goals.

“I’m going into an Olympics with a tremendous group. They’ve got unbelievable potential and talent,” she said. “It will take time. I do believe that this young group that America have will need time to gel together, but I think the potential is exciting and I think for those reasons I’m very much looking forward to it.”

Since Hayes’s appointment last November, the US has introduced a number of emerging players who are already making an impact. That includes 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, who became the first USWNT player in history to score five goals in her first five career starts. Then there’s Jenna Nighswonger, the 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year, who is now a likely candidate for the Olympic roster. Sam Coffey, who was left off the 2023 World Cup roster, has made a compelling case for a role in the Olympic midfield.

Hayes can rely on veteran stalwarts like Lindsey Horan and Alyssa Naeher – and, for now, Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan. But is it reasonable to expect near-term success, with so many fresh faces, a team in transition, and a manager shifting to the international game?

The Olympics provide an immediate test. They’ll compete in a tough group alongside Germany, Australia and Zambia. The players will need to build upon the grit and talent they displayed in the W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup this year, while focusing on their vulnerabilities (Japan and Canada exploited the US by hitting them in behind on the counter). And Hayes will need to adjust to a different pace of management on the fly, with just two months to prepare for Paris.

“I know what [the Olympics] means to the American public,” Hayes said. “I gotta learn really fast about tournaments. So I’m really using my time wisely in the background to learn from others who have experienced the transition from club to international, to make sure I take on the right lessons, the right learnings, immediately.”

Time with players will be limited, especially in the run-up to the Olympics; Hayes may need to keep things simple at first. Her first headache will be selection. Cutting the pool down to just 18 players will prove challenging.

But choosing the best combination of forwards to bring to France, and figuring out how to get them on to the field together, is perhaps the most difficult challenge. Mallory Swanson is back and looking as if she never left. Catarina Macario is also returning. Morgan emerged in the W Gold Cup as an injury replacement for Mia Fishel, and has made a case for herself as a veteran. Shaw, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams will also be vying for positions. Not all of them can go to the Olympics.

Some of those players can drop into the midfield, like Shaw and Macario, but there, too, reside difficult questions. Will Rose Lavelle be healthy? She’s long been a presumed starter, and is among the team’s most creative talents, when fit. If Horan and Coffey continue to start together, who works best alongside them?

At nearly every position, difficult decisions will need to be made, and elite talents cut from the final roster. That’s a pressure the players are well aware of, as they compete for roster spots. Smith scored both of the US’s goals on Tuesday, each from a different position as she moved from out wide to the middle of the pitch. “It’s something I’ve always done,” Smith said post-game. “I like to be a versatile player. I think it’s very important on small rosters for sure … I play the nine in Portland. I played winger for a very long time on this team. So I’m familiar with both and wherever the coach needs me, I’m just going to execute as best as I can.”

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Morgan also spoke about the depth and fluidity of the USWNT’s formidable forward pool. “I mean, you just look at our bench, just the depth that we have with this team. And the fact that you know, all of the forwards are so interchangeable,” Morgan said. “Like Jay coming and being a winger, and then coming in as a 10. And Mal as well. It was really great to see players coming in and being able to kind of change formation or position so fluidly.”

Morgan and Smith are, of course, among those in competition for roles on Hayes’s roster.

As Hayes sees out her final days with Chelsea, the highly competitive USWNT player pool head back to their clubs across the US and Europe. Hayes will take hold of a program in a much better state than it was last summer. Kilgore, who will join Hayes as an assistant, closed out her interim tenure with a message.

“Listen, winning is hard. Winning is hard. It’s not easy. It never will be easy. And I’m just so proud of this group’s ability to find a way, find a way within our DNA, find a way when we’re trying to play our style of play, and evolve our style of play,” she said. “And I just love the sense of pride that we have in the team. I’m proud of who we are right now. I’m very proud of who we’re becoming. We have a growth mindset. We’re getting better. And like I said at W Gold Cup, this team is just getting started.”

Hayes will inherit a reinvigorated program. But with just two months to prepare for the Olympics, challenges still lie ahead.