Can pioneer Emma Hayes revitalize the USWNT? "A breath of fresh air"

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The next challenge for the trailblazing Chelsea coach in English football will be to turn around the US women’s national team’s performance.

The United States national team is in desperate need of revitalization following its early elimination from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and Emma Hayes, the coach of Chelsea, has been given the responsibility.

The 47-year-old has blazed new ground in England, and some believe the “outsider” will bring much-needed fresh air to the US women’s game.

With four World Cup victories under its belt, the US women’s football team has led the field for decades.

There were great expectations for the Americans to achieve a “three-peat” of championships in this year’s World Cup after their victories in 2015 and 2019. However, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden on penalties.

Vlatko Andonovski, the coach, was questioned about his performance after the shocking departure. He subsequently resigned, and Twila Kilgore took over as temporary coach.

The US Soccer Federation said earlier this month that Hayes, who will depart Chelsea at the conclusion of this season, would assume leadership of the US squad two months before to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Hayes will be managing a national squad for the first time with the US role. Nonetheless, she has a very excellent resume and is one of the most prominent coaches in the women’s game.

Since taking over in 2012, Hayes has led Chelsea to six Women’s Super League titles, including the past four in a row, five Women’s FA Cups, and two Women’s League Cups, helping to establish Chelsea as the dominating power in English women’s football.

In 2021, she guided them to the Women’s Champions League final and won the FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year award.

Hayes played American football with the Chicago Red Stars, Iona Gaels, and Long Island Lady Riders prior to joining Chelsea.

The USWNT, who have fallen from first to third in the FIFA global rankings since the global Cup, will face a formidable test from Brandi Chastain, a two-time world champion with the team.

She stated, “I’ve heard she’s a stickler for the details about the players’ growth and development, and a certain style of play.”

“I believe the guys will have a huge challenge ahead of them. It’s possible that they haven’t been pushed outside their comfort zones in a while.

Although Hayes is renowned for her direct and aggressive style, observers note that she also possesses exceptional people management abilities. Hayes often adjusts her tactics and formations according on the players available to her.

“Hayes’s football style is very much like hers, direct,” stated sportswriter Mariam Kourabi of Canada. “There’s a strong focus on moving the ball quickly, maximizing possession, and playing clinically everywhere.

“What made the USWNT so scary for so long was fast and effective football, which is exactly what they have lost, but Hayes enforces.”

Kourabi, who also founded the SHE scores bangers podcast, commended Hayes for her courage in taking risks, something that she claimed former USWNT coach Andonovski was unable to accomplish, especially when it came to substitutes.

“When trailing behind, Hayes is especially known to turn things around, even if it means benching a player after just 30 minutes.”

According to American columnist Jeff Kassouf, Hayes is in an unusual situation since he is acquainted with the US system and player pool, but he is also something of a “outsider” at a time when the team is in need of fresh perspectives.

Hayes has demonstrated that she is among the world’s greatest managers. She has demonstrated her tactical versatility at Chelsea, therefore she is not scared of short-term failure if it means obtaining the proper long-term solutions, according to Kassouf.

More than ever, the USWNT needs it. Recently, the Americans have come across as stiff and somewhat fearful of improvisation—a skill that is essential in close games.

Group undergoing change

Following the announcements of retirement by Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz, and Ali Krieger, the US team is presently going through a transitional period. Although Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and other youthful brilliance are among the abundance of American talent, they have not yet reached their prime.

Hayes now has the responsibility of making sure the United States can participate in the July and August 2020 Olympics in Paris.

Kourabi stated, “Hayes has turned many young people into stars under her tutelage, such as Niamh Charles, Ji So-yun, Hannah Blundell, and Lauren James now.”

Additionally, she has been instrumental in helping athletes who were already well-established—like Magdelena Eriksson, Guro Reiten, and Sam Kerr—realize their full potential.

“The current USWNT in transition needs someone with her level of experience coaching both rookies and veterans,” the statement reads.

Although former USWNT player Chastain thinks Hayes will be “a breath of fresh air” for the squad, she also stated that the English coach will have a difficult time putting her ideas into practice with just two months left before the Olympics.

“Players who are currently on the roster or who she feels should be on the roster will benefit from having an idea of what she wants all the positions to look like if the communication leading up to that date is open, transparent, and helpful,” Chastain said.

Although Hayes might not have enough time to get the squad ready for the Games, an Olympic gold shouldn’t be ruled out, according to Kassouf, the founder of The Equalizer, a website covering women’s football in North America.

“Both the coach and the players possess talent. Stranger things have happened, according to Kassouf. “However, it’s evident that this hire is focused on winning the 2027 World Cup, and that’s a fair concession to make.”

Pioneer

Hayes’ appointment is historic for the women’s game even though it will affect the US squad.

Hayes will now be the highest-paid women’s football coach in the world, according to US Soccer, albeit the governing organization withheld information regarding her pay.

Hayes will receive 1.6 million pounds ($2 million), the same amount as US men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter, according to a story published by The Athletic last week.

In the protracted fight for wage equity for female football players, the decision would represent a significant win.

In a historic settlement that put an end to a six-year legal struggle over equal pay, the US national women’s team secured a $24 million award and a promise from US Soccer to equalize pay for the men’s and women’s national teams in all competitions in February 2022.

According to Chastain, the decision to guarantee pay equity for male and female coaches has been “a long time coming.”

“There have previously been roadblocks… However, we no longer need to defend the idea that a woman should be compensated equally to her male counterpart for equivalent labor.

According to Kourabi, Hayes has been a leader in elevating the bar for women’s football for a long time. She has pushed for bigger prize money for contests, bigger stadiums for the attendance of games, and record-breaking transfers with Chelsea’s Lauren James and Pernille Harder.

After a protracted legal battle, the US Soccer Federation was the first to get pay equity, equal compensation, and raises for its foreign teams. This is the union of two torchbearers,” she continued.

Some higher-ranked teams still have a ways to go, but the US is leading the way in coach pay equity.

The men’s coach is allegedly paid 5.6 million pounds ($7 million), while the German women’s coach apparently earns 300,000 pounds ($377,000) each year. The men’s coach at England makes five million pounds ($6.3 million), while the head coach of the women’s team makes 400,000 pounds ($503,000).

According to Chastain, other federations will be pressured to follow US Soccer’s lead and pay Hayes the same as her male equivalent.

“I firmly think that all nations or governing bodies will need to acknowledge this and recognize that it is a significant issue. We cannot act as though women’s football is not vital, viable, or up to the same standards as our men’s team.