Our writers debate Emma Hayes' first USWNT roster, with big names brought back into the fold
Emma Hayes' tenure as coach of the USWNT is officially underway. The former Chelsea boss worked wonders in London, but now faces a different kind of challenge on the international stage. After a disappointing World Cup showing in 2023, the USWNT will look to push back to the top of global soccer in Paris this summer at the Olympic Games.
And it all starts next month.
Hayes has picked her first roster, and there are plenty of talking points. Alex Morgan is in the fold, but Lynn Williams didn't make the cut, while Ashley Sanchez sits out, too. However, does any of that matter? This is the strongest roster the U.S. have ever bolstered, but still… there's questions over whether or not the ex-Blue will be a success stateside, on Morgan's role in this team and the June camp roster.
Piece it all together, and it adds up to an intriguing start for the new manager, who will have to battle the sky-high expectations of the most difficult job in women's soccer.
To break it all down, GOAL has enlisted global women's soccer writer Amee Ruszkai, as well as the usual cast of GOAL US writers, in the latest edition of… .
GettyPoint blank: Will Emma Hayes be a successful USWNT boss?
Amee Ruszkai: Yes. She’s a proven winner, she knows what it takes to cope with pressure and she represents a healthy balance between someone who is a breath of fresh air but who still understands all things USWNT, having spent several years at the start of her coaching journey in the United States. Hayes has spoken about how, after an exhausting season with Chelsea, this new role and the Olympics can reenergize and reinvigorate her, too, which all sounds really positive.
Ryan Tolmich: Maybe not initially. Hayes has been given a tough, tough task here. Preparing a group for the Olympics on just a few weeks' notice is almost impossible, even for a coach at Hayes' level. The U.S. will need things to bounce their way if they want gold in Paris. If they don't win in all? That's fine, too. This summer is just the start for Hayes, who is tasked with rebuilding the program from the ground up. It'll take time for us to see the fruits of that – if there are any fruits to be had – but Hayes' resume tells you not to bet against her when she's given the tools to create something special.
Jacob Schneider: Considering she’s coming from Chelsea, London’s football club, the answer is yes … Alright, jokes aside, Hayes will be an immediate hit with the U.S.
Anyone who has followed the Blues appreciates her tactics, and has witnessed the brilliance she plans out for her players on the pitch. She’s a sensational manager on the touchline and that it will transition over with the USWNT.
The record clearly speaks for itself: five FA Cups, seven WSL titles, two League Cups, one community shield and multiple brilliant European competition runs. She knows how to coach at the highest level and she’s a proven winner, which is exactly what the USWNT needs right now.
AdvertisementGettyWho has the most to prove this June camp?
AR: US Soccer and Lily Yohannes. She’s undecided on her future and while the federation and team won’t want to pressure her into an answer, as it’s her own to make in her own time, it will certainly want her to choose the USWNT (over the Netherlands).
Proving to Yohannes that the U.S. is the place to be is key and Hayes finally coming in will surely help, especially with her track record of developing young players. The U.S. has a lot of young talent coming through but — having seen what she’s done on the big stage in Europe at 16 years old — Yohannes is special so it’d be a huge boost to have her represent the USWNT.
RT: Casey Murphy feels like the answer here. With Alyssa Naeher out, at least for now, Murphy looks to be the USWNT's No. 1 goalkeeper in this camp. For a while, it looked like Naeher was going to hold on to be the Olympic starter, giving her one last tournament in a USNWT shirt. Her injury, though, makes that less clear. Can Murphy do enough to seize the No. 1 shirt? The USWNT will hope so, even if it just leads to a more interesting competition should Naeher return.
JS: It’s Alex Morgan, right? That assumes she’s healthy, of course, as Morgan has missed considerable time with an ankle injury. The USWNT has an insane amount of attacking players to work with, and Sophia Smith is in absolutely ridiculous form at the moment. It's also notable that Cat Macario and Hayes have a relationship from their time at Chelsea – odds are that chemistry doesn’t just up and vanish.
Morgan is the most experienced attacker of the lot for the USWNT, but there are more in-form and healthy players ahead of her. She needs this camp to prove to Hayes that she is still the starting striker for this team, and that she is the best choice to lead the line in Paris.
USA Today ImagesWho is the biggest snub from the USWNT roster?
AR: Lynn Williams. She offers so much to any team, in and out of possession, and she’s in great form right now. The other side of the coin, of course, is that the forward areas are just so competitive, so while it’s the biggest snub, it's also not a total shock that she’s missed out. That's just how it goes with the USWNT's attacking pool at the moment.
RT: Generally, this roster feels about right. There are a few surprises, such as newcomers Sam Staab and Hal Hershfelt but, overall, the heavy hitters are all here.
Outside of the injury absences, there's one missing player that sticks out: Olivia Moultrie. She's on the training squad, so she's involved, but won't be playing in these games. That's disappointing given how well she played in her USWNT chances.
A spot was there for her, too, given the inclusions of Hershfelt and 16-year-old starlet Yohannes. All three are longshots for the Olympics at this point, to be fair, but it would have been nice to see Moultire get much-needed minutes this camp.
JS: Going to make a case for Williams and you’re going to agree with me, alright? She recently became the NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer, and has been in relatively good form this season. She has three goals in six appearances after starting the season on the sideline. She started the semifinal and final for the USWNT in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup in March, and turned in two very good performances.
She brings something that Morgan can’t: pace. Williams is deviously fast, and can also slot out wide, if needed. Beyond Smith, the striker options aren’t players who you can bring on to spring a blistering counter off the bench late if you need a goal. Williams can do that, and more. It feels a bit cruel to not see her with this group after her performances for club and country of late.
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GettyWith a plethora of attacking options, who are the starting front-three?
AR: Smith in the 9 with Jaedyn Shaw and Trinity Rodman either side of her. Mallory Swanson has shown great things recently and can really press to start, and what Morgan brings to the table as a pure 9 is always top quality – something that will suit certain games and moments in the Olympics. However, Rodman, Smith and Shaw feels so strong. As for Macario, she might be at her best in the 10, so it will be interesting to see how Hayes uses her.
RT: This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? There are plenty of ways you can go, and the good news is that any and all of them might be right.
Assuming the U.S. plays a 4-2-3-1 with Shaw as the attacking midfielder, go with a front three of Rodman, Smith and Swanson. That trio is dynamite, with each player having the ability to open up a game at a moment's notice.
Will Hayes go with those three? Too soon to tell. There are plenty of combinations that could work. But the Rodman-Smith-Swanson trio feels like the most dynamic one on offer for the U.S.
JS: This attack is being built around Smith. She is the future of the USWNT, period. That said, the US should be playing her centrally and not placing her on the wing, like both Twila Kilgore and Vlatko Andonovski did in previous months.
Choosing who to play out wide and at the 10 is where things get difficult, but that’s all part of what makes this group so exciting. There are so many good options. On the left Swanson, and on the right will be Rodman with Rose Lavelle at the 10. It feels awful to not have Shaw in the XI, but the thought process is how to get the most out of Smith – and this group is the best supporting cast for that task.