As the new head coach of the United States women’s national team, Emma Hayes is preparing for her first major tournament with the team. The USWNT has a strong history in the Olympics, winning gold medals in four out of five Games from 1996 to 2012. However, they faced disappointment in the 2016 quarterfinals and won bronze in 2020.
Despite some changes, several veteran players remain on the team, including Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alyssa Naeher, and Lindsey Horan. Hayes, who was previously the manager of Chelsea, took over as head coach in November 2023 and led the team to their first match under her guidance on June 1. The team’s performance under her leadership will be closely watched.
The USWNT has already played a series of matches in 2024, including friendlies and the SheBelieves Cup. They have upcoming friendlies against South Korea, Mexico, and Costa Rica before heading to the Olympics where they will face Zambia, Germany, and Australia in the group stage. The team will be aiming to improve on their recent performances and bring home a gold medal.
Looking back at their results in 2023, it was a mix of wins, draws and penalty shootouts. They had some strong performances against South Africa and Colombia as well as Wales and Vietnam. They hope to build on these results and continue performing well under Hayes’ leadership as they strive to achieve their ultimate goal of winning Olympic gold once again.
