The circumstances were rather hostile when Emma Hayes took the USWNT coaching job, eyeing the Paris Olympics. Other than the embarrassment of the 2023 World Cup exit casting shadows, Hayes’ 18-player USWNT Olympic squad came under severe scrutiny. Alex Morgan’s exclusion and Korbin Albert’s call-up were controversies. However, the British coach couldn’t have weathered these storms better, as the Olympic gold now rests in her and USWNT’s cabinet. The former Chelsea boss now stresses that the USWNT stars’ ‘love’ powered her throughout the adventure in Paris. 

Emma Hayes and her USWNT girls candidly spoke about the US’s Olympic gold win in a US Soccer behind-the-scenes video while partying hard after the triumph. And Coach Hayes, as usual, was in great spirits about America and its women’s soccer stars. The ex-Chelsea boss even thinks she hasn’t enjoyed this much in a soccer camp lately.

Why? Because the USWNT stars took Hayes as she was. “I love America. I really do. I love these girls they gave me so much joy. They allowed me to be myself,” said Emma Hayes.

Appearing in the same video, the 47-year-old said she had more fun in the one month she spent with the USWNT than she had in the last few years. Pure supremacy marked Hayes’ last few years in Chelsea. She led the English club to five consecutive Women’s Super League title wins, before leaving Chelsea for the American team. But Hayes seems to have laughed harder while leading the US side. Besides, she also values the Olympic gold medallion over the crazy number of titles she won at Chelsea.

Thanks to this love and respect Hayes shows for American soccer, certain USMNT legends think she has proved to the world that the US is still the Mecca of women’s soccer.

Former USMNT star thanks Emma Hayes for celebrating the USA

Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas thinks the pre-Emma Hayes era USWNT alienated its fans with certain antics such as not singing the national anthem. To make matters worse, the US team did not have many wins to back its antics. However, Coach Hayes has always expressed gratitude for the chance to coach in the United States.

She has many times candidly proclaimed that the US has given her more opportunities than her homeland, England, to pursue her successful coaching career.

For the same reason, Lalas believes Hayes is putting America back on the global women’s soccer map. “She celebrated our country in particular with her story and the amount of time that she has spent in the US,” the USMNT veteran said. He also lauded Hayes for inspiring players and fans to take pride in being an American as well.

To sum up, the British coach has embarked on a fairytale start on the other side of the Atlantic. And she couldn’t have asked for better company than this young bunch of USWNT stars who like to have fun as much as she does. But, the Olympic gold win was only the first step of coach Hayes’ journey, as the 2027 FIFA World Cup is looming over.