Carli Lloyd Protects Emma Hayes, Citing USWNT’s Failure at Tokyo To Justify Paris Olympics Tactics

Not every USWNT legend is critical of Emma Hayes‘ coaching tactics at the Paris Olympics. Understandably so. Many call out the US head coach for not making enough substitutions, forcing key players to cut fatigued figures in crucial matches. However, former US player Carli Lloyd begs to differ. She agrees with Hayes’ no rotation policy in Paris for starters. Besides, she took a sly dig at Team USA’s run in the Tokyo Olympics, implying they are better off in the ongoing Olympics, under coach Hayes’ watch.

Lloyd shared on X, Emma Hayes’ comments defending her style of fielding the same players in every Olympic game. Hayes said she is interested in building team chemistry by using the same players. “Agree with this! If players are fit enough they should all be able to play a lot of minutes,” said Lloyd in response to Hayes’ statement. A user, however, countered Lloyd’s statement and said Team USA lost to Canada in the semi-finals in Tokyo due to Alyssa Naeher’s injury. Lloyd fired back at the user with a cheeky dig. “We lost in Tokyo before we even got to Tokyo,” said Carli Lloyd.

Carli Lloyd’s candid remark on the Tokyo mishap explains how poorly Team USA fared in the last Olympic soccer tournament. They came to that tournament fresh off a World Cup win. But played as if they were never the world champions. USWNT had then opened with a lackluster 3-0 defeat to Sweden. Lloyd perhaps alluded to these lackluster displays by saying the USA lost before even getting into Tokyo.

Anyhow, whatever happened in Tokyo is now a story of the past for Team USA. Now it’s sure that the USWNT will come home with an Olympic silver, if not for the pie in the sky- the Olympic gold.

Emma Hayes takes Team USA to their first Olympic final in eight years

Carli Lloyd could now be on cloud nine solely because she bets on Emma Hayes’ coaching acumen. An unfazed and unchanged Hayes led Team USA to its second Olympic battle against Germany in the semi-final and yet again emerged victorious. And it is thanks to a stellar Sophia Smith who kept on knocking and knocking on Germany’s goal. Finally, she found the net in the early minutes of the extra time and sent Team USA to its first Olympic final since the London Olympics in 2012.

Coach Hayes had already said she didn’t think the team would have made the semi-finals if she made too many changes. Now that at least an Olympic silver is a sure prize for Team USA, the British coach has surely gained some bragging rights. USWNT’s Olympic final feature, notably, comes a year after the team crashed out of the World Cup in the Round of 16. To take a team from there to the Olympic finals, that too without losing one game is no walk in the park. After all, Hayes’ no-rotation policy is proving to be potent.