11 goals scored and none conceded — that’s how impressive the US Women’s National Team has been during their June/July window. After securing back-to-back 4-0 victories over the Republic of Ireland in a doubleheader, followed by a 3-0 win against Canada, the American ladies truly showed why they’ve been the number one team for years. Now, as all the players return to their domestic duties, Emma Hayes has sent them off with a special message.
Well, frankly, it’s more of a ‘keeping-in-mind’ note. To give you a bit of context, in the aftermath of the match, Sam Coffey spoke about the team’s “next woman up” mentality, subtly highlighting the incredible depth within the squad. That naturally led the interviewer to ask Hayes how she plans to ensure that the lessons learned from this camp will carry forward, especially with another camp now in the books and as they head into a new season and World Cup cycle, with their eyes firmly set on 2027.
“Well, it is a big gap,” Hayes began in the post-match press conference, “so that makes it tricky. But I said to the players in the end in the tunnel that if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it’s not what you do here that matters. It’s what you do when you go back to your club,” added the 48-year-old, stressing the importance of rehearsing every day and hoping everyone in the team is aware of their gaps.
Credits: X/USWNT
Emma’s expectations from the group are the same as what she demands from them in training sessions, emphasizing how she aims to improve the entire ecosystem. For starters, that can be done by giving opportunities to fresh faces in the national team. In fact, doing so will automatically raise the level of the league as well. A perfect example that Hayes cited was of KC Current left-back Izzy Rodriguez, who got her first cap in this window.
Even Seattle Reign’s duo, Jordyn Bugg and Sam Meza, were mentioned by Emma, who pointed out that calling up such players reflects their ambition and hunger. However, Hayes boldly admitted that she doesn’t yet know when these players might be called into camp again. “They know I watch every game, so it matters what you’re doing at your club,” added the former Chelsea boss.
You hear that, folks? Looks like the American ladies, especially those who were called for the first time in a heavy domestic-bound camp, would be required to do more work at their club, rather than figuring out ways to impress Hayes in training or during international friendlies. In fact, the former WSL manager had more of a subtle reminder for the team.
Emma Hayes acknowledges success, but with humility!
The former Chicago Stars manager is aware of the remarkable pool of players and the huge talent the country possesses. Yet, she has warned the team not to get casual with how things are going. “I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but we haven’t won anything. We’ve just won a game. And there’s a long way to go to do those things,” she said.
Credits: X/USWNT
But little does she acknowledge how well her team did in both the games against the Republic of Ireland, and even leaving Canada frustrated. From dictating tempo, controlling the game from start to finish, and concluding strongly, Hayes believes that all of this was only made possible with the messages and learnings they got after enduring defeats against Brazil and Japan.
“I felt we dictated, and we played the way we wanted to. It’s not about the opponent, it’s about what we do. And I felt that was extremely dominant tonight,” concluded Emma Hayes, praising her team for doing well against Canada in front of a sold-out crowd. For now, as everyone returns to their respective clubs, we wait for the next window.
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