What’s the recipe that Emma Hayes used to help USWNT win the Olympic gold medal? Astonishment doubles over the fact that the American women managed to make such a comeback in just 81 days under the leadership of the English boss. While she’s certainly not the one to be questioned about the secret ingredient, Casey Murphy may know a thing or two. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the USWNT goalie shared a ‘wonderful trait’ about Hayes that makes her stand out from others.

16 trophies in 12 years with Chelsea—surely, this is one of the reasons that make the former WSL boss a revered name in the managerial world. However, beyond the on-pitch numbers and glory, it’s the 47-year-old nature as well that Murphy believes helped the USWNT get along easily with the new manager in such a short span.  

“I mean, I just think it was really fun and cool to see her come in and completely win us all over. I think we all bought in so quickly to her and put our trust and belief in her. That’s because of her reputation and the coach she is, and the work she’s done to be a great leader,” said Murphy in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports.

Hayes’ announcement as USWNT boss may have been made last year around November. However, it was no later than the end of May when we saw the English manager arrive in the United States. Though it was just a matter of months before they had a chance to prepare for the Summer Games, Hayes did her best to address the team with utmost confidence.

“She did a great job with communicating to us her plan for the team and constantly reminding us to stay on track. It wasn’t really a surprise, but it’s a wonderful trait about her,” concluded the 28-year-old goalkeeper. It seems like building better communication and relationships with players is the key to Hayes’ success with the Star and Stripes ft. ladies. No wonder the team looked natural in France and had zero anxiousness.

Casey Murphy praises Emma Hayes for creating ‘best culture’ for USWNT

The North Carolina Courage star further addressed in the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports about how Emma Hayes brought back the self-confidence within the team, given the past memories of the 2023 World Cup failure still persisted in a few. Not to mention the anxiousness also remained regarding how things would turn out to be under Hayes.

“You could definitely tell Coach Emma, from the start, was all about coming in and creating the best team culture possible. I think that really helped us. She wanted us to put the team first and to leave our egos at the door,” said Casey Murphy, praising the former Blues manager for making it happen inside just one camp before the Olympics.

The star goalie also underlined the ‘goofy and funny’ side of Hayes, especially in such an intense environment. Casey also patted the backs of her teammates for working through their respective kinks and maintaining a flexible and adaptable attitude. Rest, the reputation of Emma Hayes also did the trick on players, didn’t it?