18 years, 244 days—at this age, Alyssa Thompson became the second-youngest player to feature in the USWNT‘s final match before the 2023 World Cup. Though Angel City forward was given just over 17 minutes of game time by Vlatko Andonovski, the writing was on the wall—she was expected to be part of the next big tournament, the 2024 Paris Olympics. The reality? A snub from new boss Emma Hayes. While it must have been shattering for the youngster at the time, Thompson now acknowledges that she wasn’t one of the “best forwards” Hayes could have utilized.
Sure, today, she might have been able to win the trust of the English tactician, constantly making the rosters of all the camps that have taken place post-Olympics. That’s not all; aside from breaking her year-long exile from the senior team, Thompson even scored her first goal in the opening September friendly vs. Iceland. The redemption arc can’t get better than this.
But as it would seem Hayes might have made a mistake snubbing the Angel City forward, that’s actually the opposite of what the 20-year-old believes. “I was disappointed but I knew at that time I wasn’t one of the best forwards that they could have brought” began Thompson on the CBS Sports Golazo’s Attacking Third pre-game show for the CONCACAF Nations League final between Mexico and Panama at the SoFI Stadium.
“So understanding that—kind of knowing that, going back to my club and being like these are the things I need to work on in order to be on that level and on that stage—that’s what I did. I went back to the club and I was like I just need to be better—score, assist—and now I’m back in with the team,” added the Los Angeles, California native.
Thierry Henry, ladies and gentlemen was the one who had quizzed Alyssa about how the forward overcame the news of her Olympics snub. The panel also had revered host Kate Abdo and Liga MX Femenil-based Juárez defender Janelly Farías. So you imagine this response had to leave the whole crew in awe, with even Herny responding, “I like that.”
Clearly, Thompson, instead of sulking over getting a cold shoulder, rather decided to put all her work into making a bounce back. And now look today where she is; getting calls up after calls up. While it was good to hear Alyssa’s side of the story, one should also know why Hayes didn’t fancy her for the France trip.
Here’s why Alyssa Thompson didn’t make the USWNT’s Paris Olympics roster
Given how Emma Hayes didn’t call up the ACFC forward, one would argue that she must have skipped her by mistake. But that wasn’t the case. After her debut goal for the USWNT, the former Chelsea boss admitted that she has been keeping tabs on Alyssa Thompson since the Olympics.
In fact, Hayes used words like “threatening and dangerous” while describing the talented forward’s performance for the American ladies. Not to mention her goal vs Iceland, which definitely wasn’t “easy”; it was a chop in from the left before smashing it into the top corner.
So if Hayes recognized Thompson’s talent, what led her to ultimately leave for France without her? The answer is, “She’s someone who, her international career started at a very early stage. That’s why, I believe it does take time. Maybe she wasn’t ready before but I can see from tonight’s performance she offers a lot for us going forward.”
Simultaneously, Hayes first impression of Alyssa was also quite positive, as the 48-year-old once admitted, “I’ve really appreciated her living up to her own expectations for herself & demonstrating the behaviors & the performances that she wanted to see from herself.”
So from the looks of it, Thompson is in Emma Hayes’ good books. As for the Olympics snub, that’s something of the past, isn’t it Alyssa?
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