Laken Litman
School Soccer & Soccer Analyst
NEW YORK — Sooner or later, Emma Hayes can have time for a correct trip.
Final Saturday, she put the cherry on high of an epic 12-year profession at Chelsea by main the London membership she constructed from the bottom as much as its seventh general — and fifth consecutive — Girls’s Tremendous League title. Then, on Wednesday, she flew to New York Metropolis with a brand new title in hand: United States ladies’s nationwide group head coach.
Hayes is diving head first into a brand new job with the Paris Olympics a mere two months away. She was formally employed by U.S. Soccer again in November however wished to complete out Chelsea’s season earlier than absolutely committing. Now that chapter has closed, and Hayes, who’s all the time up for a problem, will face her subsequent one: to revive the four-time World Cup champion USWNT to its profitable methods.
“In fact, in an excellent world, all people would like to be sitting on a seaside someplace now for a few weeks,” Hayes joked Thursday afternoon throughout a roundtable dialogue with a small group of reporters on the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League places of work in Manhattan.
“However my perspective is de facto clear,” she continued. “You aren’t getting many alternatives to go to an Olympics in your life. And so I solely wanted a break day on Sunday — I had a birthday celebration for 40 individuals, most of them six-year-olds — to remind me that I can not wait to return to work.”
This was a Star Wars themed occasion, thoughts you, and Hayes stated Luke Skywalker was there. Now there are “extra Star Wars presents than I take care of in my home,” Hayes stated with a chuckle.
Following Hayes’ closing match with Chelsea — a 6-0 blowout win over Manchester United to clinch the WSL title — she advised reporters that she “categorically can not keep on. I haven’t got one other drop to offer, no matter it’s.” However what she meant by that was that she couldn’t proceed in the identical capability as she has for thus lengthy at Chelsea.
Managing the USWNT is totally different and has lengthy been Hayes’ dream job. She began her profession stateside and lived in New York for seven years. She labored her means up from teaching boys’ youth groups, to a ladies’s beginner group, to the ladies’s group at Iona School, to the Chicago Pink Stars, the place she drafted and briefly coached Megan Rapinoe.
Now it is all “coming full circle,” stated Hayes, who made certain to get a minimum of two walks in Central Park whereas visiting New York Metropolis this week.
“My journey has been backside up,” Hayes stated. “I’ve labored onerous to get so far, and you might dream for one thing — all of us have desires — nevertheless it’s not usually your desires turn out to be a actuality. And I all the time grew up with that notion, this complete ‘American Dream’ idea that you would be able to come to a rustic, work in a sure means, and to work my means up via the system to be now the top coach of the U.S. ladies’s nationwide group.
“I’ll give it completely every thing I’ve received to ensure I uphold the traditions of this group.”
Hayes is a “serial winner” — that is the time period U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker used when he employed her. She received 16 trophies in 12 years at Chelsea, together with seven WSL titles and 5 FA Cups. She was honored with an MBE and OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II — honors of the very best order in the UK — for her providers to soccer. She is aware of find out how to get the very best out of her gamers, units excessive expectations for herself and for her groups, and takes delight in leaving issues in a greater place than she discovered them.
“I take as a lot delight in that as I do profitable,” Hayes stated.
Now the query is, will that profitable translate to the worldwide degree? It turned broadly obvious that the USWNT was in determined want of change after its shockingly early exit within the spherical of 16 finally summer time’s FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Moreover, the squad hasn’t received a gold medal on the Olympics since 2012.
“If we are able to carry out at our greatest degree, then we’ve an opportunity of doing issues,” Hayes stated. “However we have got work to do.
“The realities are the world recreation is the place it’s and the remainder of the world don’t concern the USA in the best way that they as soon as did. And that is legitimate. So it is our job to know, fairly shortly, what we have to do to get shut once more to these ranges.”
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Earlier this week, Hayes named a 23-player roster for upcoming friendlies in opposition to Korea Republic on June 1 in Denver and June 4 in St. Paul, Minn., which shall be her first matches on the USWNT sideline. This would be the solely camp she’ll have earlier than choosing 18 gamers for the Olympic roster. Nonetheless, she made it clear that “the roster will not be decided. It’s totally a lot open,” Hayes stated.
Whereas all of this may appear to be a frightening and fast turnaround, Hayes is detail- and process-oriented. She has her workers assembled — which incorporates former interim head coach Twila Kilgore in addition to 5 members from her Chelsea workers — and can meet with them Saturday in Denver earlier than the gamers arrive Monday. Hayes has a construction and timeline in place, and she or he stated every thing is deliberate out for the months of June and July.
Plus, Kilgore has fast-tracked Hayes and briefed her on all types of issues over the previous six months. From World Cup learnings to choice course of to CBA to traditions to tradition to kits and extra, Hayes is now fairly well-versed in all issues USWNT.
“I need to know and ensure to take care of and uphold the correct issues,” Hayes stated. “[Twila and I have] been on many lengthy calls late at night time, definitely been to mattress fairly late the previous few months. However she’s been a humongous assist.”
Hayes has additionally scheduled one-on-ones with every participant throughout camp so she will begin attending to know them on a private degree. She is aware of a couple of — Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel play for Chelsea now, and Crystal Dunn had a stint with the membership in 2017 and 2018.
“I need to construct belief,” Hayes stated. “I need to come from a spot the place belief is the muse. I need to construct a household surroundings that everyone takes care of one another.
“And I acknowledge this system’s historical past and I’ve admired so many issues that the gamers have executed through the years to advocate, not only for themselves, however for the issues and causes that matter most. I do not need to change these issues, however I additionally need to be sure that all people understands that every thing we do, we’ve to ask ourselves, ‘Is that this serving to the group win?’ That is what my focus shall be.”
The Hayes period has now — formally — begun.
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Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA At this time and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” printed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
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