Emma Hayes has taken the USA to the verge of glory already. How?
After less than three months and only nine games, Emma Hayes stands on the verge of an Olympic gold medal in her new role as USA head coach, so how has she gone about it?
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As Emma Hayes made her way out of a packed Old Trafford press room, donned in her five-times in a row Women’s Super League t-shirt and flat cap, a both jubilant and exhausted now former Chelsea head coach made a flippant joy-induced remark as she headed off that very week to take over the USA national team.
“Maybe see you at the Olympic gold medal match,” she stated to the media in the room, before adding, “I’ve got to beat the fucking Spanish at some point,” a pertinent nod to the fact despite all her successes, she never got past Barcelona when it came to winning the Champions League.
As it turns out, Hayes wasn’t far off foreshadowing what has unfolded over the subsequent three months since, and we will indeed see her in the gold medal match in Paris on Saturday, but it won’t be world champions Spain standing in her way.
If you can call any semi-final result a shock, Tuesday night was it, as Brazil – who finished third in their group and lost 2-0 to Spain – put four past Montse Tomé’s beleaguered, tired looking side, and despite a couple of late goals from striker Salma Paralluelo booked their place alongside the USA.
“I want a drink” was Hayes’ quick-witted response when asked if she wanted Spain, and unbeknown to her Brazil were already 1-0 up inside 10 minutes when the question was asked.
For many, the intrigue of the USA against Spain and their two contrasting styles would have been top of the agenda, but there’s a romance about what we will get to in its place.
It’s the third time this match-up is occurring in an Olympic final, after wins for the USA in both 2004 and 2008.
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It’s also the return of Marta, suspended for both quarter-final and semi-final, a shot at a first major international honour in what may be the last time we see the greatest player of all time on the world stage.
For both sides, it’s been a remarkable journey off the back of disappointing World Cups, with both changing head coaches, but USA only getting their hands on Hayes at the end of the 2023/24 season, while Brazil have had 12 months under Arthur Elias.
No nation changed their squads more than these two sides either, making their achievements all the more remarkable, and while it may be less surprising to see the USA back in a major final than Brazil, it’s no mean feat for Hayes to have guided a nation which demands success back to the top so soon.
“No,” was the one-word answer given by Hayes when asked if she was surprised she’d enjoyed success so quickly, after admitting before the semi-final against Germany she was having to “accelerate everything” to ensure her side had a chance of competing.
“I’m having a great time,” said a Hayes who flickered between exultant and exhausted after the Germany game. “These guys will tell you; I don’t carry pressure around the place. I enjoy the girls’ company, we’ve been building a psychologically safe space for us all, there are friendships that are really strong and a collective will.”
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