In 2023, the USWNT tried to defend its World Cup title for a third straight time, only to crash out of the competition before the last eight. Emma Hayes seems to think that she and the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal win will erase the memories of the disastrous World Cup. Because the London-born manager knows how crazy Americans are about the Olympics. As Hayes puts it, the buzz surrounding the Summer Games is so intense that her plans to lead a quiet life in the US went awry, courtesy of the big Olympic win.

During a recent candid conversation, coach Emma Hayes iterated that her career peaked in the Olympic gold medal game against Brazil. “I am going to coach a team in the gold medal final. I have dreamed about this and I have visualized this,” said Hayes during her appearance on The Sports Agents podcast. The British coach then confidently stated that the World Cup could play second fiddle to the Olympic gold in the United States.

“The Americans love the Olympics. It’s huge in America. Winning an Olympic gold medal in the United States is much bigger than winning the World Cup. It’s like the pinnacle in the US,” Emma Hayes added. Besides, the spotlight after the Olympic win implies too much for the former Chelsea coach, it seems.

“I feel like, ‘I am gonna go to the US, so I can have a slightly quiet life. No one will recognize me.’ I’ve absolutely killed myself,” she added. Just like the Olympics is supreme for the Americans, the gold medal win, Hayes, thinks is her greatest achievement to date.

Emma Hayes rated her USWNT stay above her final years in Chelsea

For starters, Emma Hayes, who won seven WSL titles with Chelsea, thinks none of those trophies could overshadow the Olympic win with the USWNT. She also thinks that the US camp in Paris was more fun than her final few seasons with the English mega club. She thanked a young bunch of USWNT stars for ‘bringing back joy’ to her heart.

Anyhow, coach Hayes is quite conversant with the pressure one has to survive while coaching a side of the USWNT’s stature.

During the same podcast, she revealed that she knew from first that women’s soccer fans in the US have sky-high expectations. Her focus was on acknowledging them and then stop worrying about them. Well, it’s easier said than done. But was there any doubt that the former Chelsea boss would continue her winning habits in the American camp?