Photo Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Emma Hayes’ first year as head coach of the United States women’s national team has been a pivotal transition period — nothing short of transformational.
With a focus on reshaping the squad, Hayes has overseen numerous player debuts while also implementing a fresh style of play. This approach lays the foundation for a new era as she evaluates a broad pool of talent to build a roster capable of contending at the next major tournament, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The team has proven to have good depth across the board but it’s most often been the self-proclaimed ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line that has been Hayes’ first choice after years of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan leading the line. However, this latest set of international friendlies against England and Netherlands instead saw that first-choice trio of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman all rested to nurse niggling injuries post-National Women’s Soccer League season. This allowed Hayes to review…
