Emma Hayes’ much-anticipated return to England fell short of expectations as her USWNT drew against the Three Lionesses. With two of the best tactical managers at the helm, both sides failed to break the deadlock. Hayes acknowledged her team’s lack of clinical finishing but was also appreciative of the impact some substitutes made. While some may argue it was a boring draw, on paper it was a clash of two well-organized teams. 

The venue was all too familiar for Hayes, who often triumphed in this stadium during her 12-year stint at Chelsea. With 78,000+ eyes watching them in the stadium, her homecoming ended in a rather anti-climactic way. Speaking in the post-match conference, the former Chelsea boss mentioned that her side lacked the ‘killer piece’ that would have changed the result. 

“I thought we caused problems once Yazmeen (Ryan) came into the game, started to open up and Rose (Lavelle) going out wide and off the touchline, Jaedyn (Shaw), hold up play was good,” said Hayes talking about the best players on the pitch. Special mention goes to Naomi Girma who was solid at the back, but unfortunately, the front players couldn’t match the same output. 

“For me, it wasn’t control, it was the killer piece, whether it’s Emily Fox, driving into the box, later on, I look, there’s no one in the box,” said Hayes, highlighting how no runs were being made in the final third when Yazmeen had plenty of opportunities to cross the ball in. “Our mentality as you say, have to be better than that, and that is what I will be demanding from the team”

For Hayes’ side, the likes of Emma Sears, Lynn Williams, and Lindsey Horan failed to make much of an impact, with Sears being substituted in the first half. Having rested key players due to injury concerns, raised the question of whether the USWNT is becoming too dependent on their iconic front three. 

No Triple Espresso, No Win for Emma Hayes?

For the side that won Olympic gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the Triple Espresso of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith scored 10 of the team’s 12 goals. It is clear that they are the key players but without them are the USWNT like Manchester City without Rodri? Pep Guardiola’s current run of form has led many to question whether his side is still the favorite to win the Premier League title. 

With the USWNT all set to play their final friendly against the Netherlands before the International break, there may be a chance that the Dutch could tarnish Hayes’ perfect managerial record since taking over the USWNT. Perhaps, she may bring back the Triple Espresso for the final game, and everyone knows how much impact any one of them can have on the opposition.