The US Women’s football squad is happy, immensely happy. Of course, because they just won their 5th Olympic gold medal, 4more than any team. But that triumph is the manifestation of the fun that Emma Hayes has brought to the team environment. Her players can attest that it is what let Hayes do the miracle after just 10 official matches with the team. Hayes also keeps the win at the top of her career despite being the most-decorated Chelsea head coach with 14 trophies in 12 years. And the coach believes that this will come back to her as the fondest memory when she bids goodbye to the sport.

“I don’t think I am managing the emotions,” Hayes said as she spoke to ESPN FC, when asked how she’s handling the winning sentiments. It’s only logical the woman in charge of the champions would also take time to digest what she accomplished, considering the majority of the soccer world is yet to process the same.

“I feel extremely honored. One, just to get this job, to be given this job was like a dream for me. Then take the team to a gold medal; I retire happy knowing that I’ve been able to do something with such a tremendous group of people,” added Hayes. So what does the miracle-woman herself thinks was the winning formula?

“We were so together the whole time, and it was a special feeling and a special environment, one that usually a winning one, and all the ingredients are right, chemistry is right, timing’s right, resulted in Gold,” Hayes explained. USWNT forward Sophia can not agree more to it.

“We’re a different team since she’s come in. We have the players, we have the talent. We just needed someone to come in and believe in us and put us in the best position to succeed,” Smith said to FIFA after the win. She Hayes has brought “fun, energy and belief” to the USWNT that it has never seen before, Smith had further added. The Olympic final’s match-winner forward Mallory Swanson, on the other hand, calls it “joy.” Oh boy, how she did that!

The soccer ladies now have the outlet to vent their pressure, something they lacked previously. There are karaoke machines, nail technicians, coffees in practice. How all these have affected them positively, was visible in a press conference before the gold medal match. Instead of just indulging in heavy statements, the conference turned into a debate on who was the best performer of the team on the mic. This is remarkably different from the US squad in Tokyo who looked lifeless. And this environment has been actively crafted by Hayes herself.

“We socialize differently. We don’t necessarily want to sit around on the PlayStations. We like to have coffees. We like to get our nails done. Ideally, a hairstylist in there. We like to have karaoke. We like to play Lego. We like puzzles. We like Polaroid cameras. We want to capture the memories,” Hayes had said. She firmly believes that only talent is enough without having the team bonded with all these. But wait, do not think that Hayes is all about fun and laughter. She has an equally tough and competitive other half.

“I don’t want them to be better. Truthfully, I want them to suffer. I thought we suffered a hell of a lot today… and good! I want them to suffer. I want them to have that moment. Because I do not believe you can win without it. And I want to see who they are when it’s hard,” Hayes had said after a grueling 120-minute match against Germany in the semifinal. The same toughness flashed in Hayes’ decision to leave a legend like Alex Morgan from the squad.

Hayes was being lashed out from all the corners. But Hayes is fiercely in favor of developing the future pack instead of just playing safe. And she had an immense belief in her squad. As Swanson puts it, “When a coach believes in you, it goes a long way.” It did, indeed. So Hayes and her team have their next target ready.

Emma Hayes’ USWNT won’t be settling with just Paris Olympics triumph

Following their summer games triumph, it’s only natural for the Stars and Stripes to set their sights on the 2027 World Cup, set to take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 15. Even Hayes can’t fully convey the excitement surrounding the team’s potential. “We are so looking forward to the things we can do together. Of course, tonight we have a gold medal, but it doesn’t mean it ends there,” said the 47-year-old in an interview. The last world cup was a disaster for the US.

They crashed out of the round of 16 losing to Sweden, the worst-ever performance by the team. That caused them to slip off to the fifth position in the FIFA ranking, the lowest it has seen. But Hayes was undeterred with the debacle when she fist took over in May.

“Are the USA at their best possible position today? No. But it’s about where we finish when we need to, that matters to me. I want to focus on that instead of, ‘Where are we in our world rankings? Where are we in comparison to Spain?’ Now, where are we compared to our best version of ourselves? What gap can I absolutely close between now and the Olympics?” she had told in a press conference.

The gaps indeed look sealed. The players seem to have rekindled their hunger for more trophies, eager to maintain their dominance in the soccer world. She acknowledged that the team is now optimistic about getting a lot more than there is because they have the greatest feeling that any team could have, fierce competitors. “We’re just at the beginning. About 75 days in, baby,” added the former Chelsea boss. The ladies in the team are equally poised.

“The thing is, Emma’s been in with us for two months. I was up on the podium and talking with Soph (Smith), and we were like, ‘Imagine what we can do now in the next two-and-a-half years before a World Cup,” said captain Lindsey Horan. Smith agreed as she talked to FIFA. “This was just a starting point. It’s just our tenth game with Emma. I’m excited for us to have more games together and get more chemistry. And the next World Cup, I think we’re going to be a different team,” she said.

So it seems the mental preparations have already begun for the next edition of the World Cup. The 4x champions would be keen to regain their status of ruling the prestigious tournament, just like they did at the Summer Games. Rest assured, the new era of USWNT under Emma Hayes continues to give us surprises.