Emma Hayes seems to have kept a right foot in her USWNT managerial journey. The Paris Olympics couldn’t have been a better way to make an international debut as the American ladies’ performance so far has built a strong case for both the team as well as the English tactician. For Carli Lloyd, however, Hayes’ side still lacks one crucial aspect: the players that can make a difference “in an instant,” like Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe.

In an appearance on the July 24 episode of the Up & Adams Show, Carli Lloyd mentioned how the Olympic roster is a team very different from the one we’re used to seeing. Considering the USWNT side will practically have an entirely new identity, ensuring that no team would know what to expect, Kay Adams asked, “How much of an advantage is that?” before the first match against Zambia.

“The biggest thing that is different within this team is throughout the years of the national team, there’s always been one or two players that have been the stars around this team, that would be able to will the team to victory by individual brilliance… There’s nobody that is out there [in USWNT] where you’re saying ‘Okay, this player is really intimidating, we’ve got to shut them down,’” said Lloyd. For the USWNT icon, it wasn’t just Morgan or Rapinoe but also the likes of Abby Wambach and Shannon Boxx, who always delivered when expected of them. That’s what’s missing from this team, something that isn’t prominent in the 18-player roster that Hayes selected for the Summer Games. 

This lack of experience was evident even before their first match at the Olympics. Coming into the encounter against Zambia, the USWNT played two warmup matches, wherein they had 43 shots, out of which only 18 were on target. And of those 18, only 1 was a goal. The same pattern seemed to continue against Zambia, where, instead of being 3-0 up at halftime, they should’ve been 5-0 up. But seeing as they started converting some of their goal-scoring opportunities, with Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson coming in clutch, those were positive signs for Emma Hayes.

While Carli Lloyd said, “There’s always been that one or two players that could really change the dynamic of a game in an instant. We don’t really see that in this squad,” Trinity Rodman made all the difference in Team USA’s all-important quarterfinal clash against Japan. After a goalless 90 minutes, the match headed into extra time. With everyone on the pitch tired and fatigued, Rodman found a moment of inspiration, a moment of brilliance, and scored a left-footed stunner to all but seal their spot in the semifinals. By doing so, the USWNT made true to the “identity” that Carli Lloyd said they’d need to have.

“The identity of this team is that they collectively have to play well together,” the legend told Kay Adams. However, the two-time World Champion praised the “dynamic” trio of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson, who have all significantly contributed to the USWNT’s campaign at the Olympics, helping Emma Hayes achieve four wins in her first four meaningful matches in charge. 

Though Lloyd acknowledged that the forward line retains brilliant goal-scoring abilities and is lethal upfront, they “do have to learn a little bit.” Be that as it may, it seems like the USWNT icon took a subtle dig at Hayes for not calling up Morgan, who hasn’t hung up her boots, unlike Rapinoe, Wambach, Boxx, and many other influential names that justify Lloyd’s point. “The cap accumulation down our roster is too low. We need to start giving exposure and experiences to players that might have been in and around,” was the English manager’s reasoning for leaving Morgan out of the squad.

While building experience matters, it may not always be advantageous, considering there will always be a lack of chemistry between players to begin with. Add to that the fact that the USWNT is still getting used to Emma Hayes’ style of play and managing. In such cases, having players like Alex Morgan in the squad, who’s been there with the team for almost two decades, can work wonders. However, this notion isn’t something everyone agrees with.

Should Emma Hayes’ current USWNT roster have played in the 2023 World Cup?

While Carli Lloyd advocated for the talent of this new roster in the absence of Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe, Alexi Lalas thought it should’ve happened long before the Parsi Olympics. The USMNT icon criticized Morgan and Rapinoe for being the stumbling blocks in the 2023 World Cup. Praising the current lineup, Lalas highlighted players like Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Lynn Williams, who possessed all the talent that the US needed at that time.

“This is, in many ways, the team that people wanted Vlatko [Andonovski, former manager] to have in the summer of the 2023 World Cup… There were plenty of people that said at that time, ‘No. Whether it’s Alex Morgan or whether it’s Megan Rapinoe, it’s not the right mix on and off the field, and this should have been done a year ago,’” Lalas remarked, suggesting that the two veterans’ time had passed by then. Although he acknowledged that one could see it as a “natural progression,” Lalas was resolute that Morgan and Rapinoe were not the “right mix” for the team.

Perhaps the conclusion of the USWNT’s Olympic journey will reveal which of Emma Hayes’ selected players can prove themselves as the ones Carli Lloyd demands to be in the group.