4 FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, 5 Olympic gold medals, and countless miscellaneous achievements—the USWNT is undoubtedly a powerhouse in the world. But as easily as they claim the crown of the best team, maintaining that status—whether through on-pitch performances or adding more silverware—is no small feat. No wonder that Emma Hayes views this less as pressure and more as an opportunity, vowing to ‘give everything’ to capitalize on the country’s greatest asset: ‘mentality.’

To be fair, this very trait has helped the American ladies go the extra mile and make their mark in the beautiful game. Like the time they lost all hope in their 2023 World Cup campaign, enduring an early exit. But in came Hayes to reignite that spirit in the time, while consistently keeping her emotions in check and focusing on getting to know the nation and the players better.

“It’s a culture that works well with that,” began the former Chelsea boss especially when it comes to the confidence and belief she has in the US Soccer that sums up who she is as a coaching person. “A confident group that believe in their ability to do anything. I’ve always loved the US mentality for that it’s not always as easy to do it even with time but I will give everything I can to do that,” added Hayes during her exclusive chat with Sky Sports.

Throughout her time at Chelsea, Hayes has made it clear that her coaching system is significantly dependent on belief and confidence. Such qualities if exist within the players she has then there’s surely no stopping them whatsoever from achieving all they can. Though having arrived in the States on short notice before the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 48-year-old tactician somehow managed to gather the whole group and make them believe they could do anything.

The result? Unbelievably winning their fifth historic gold. No wonder that ahead of more crucial games and competitions, Hayes is hell-bent on eliminating all the weak minds in the USWNT!

Emma Hayes wants to eliminate ‘weak minds’ from the USWNT!

To help players manage moments of pressure, Emma Hayes encourages them to reflect on their behavior in such situations. She has observed that many players identify habits such as pointing fingers or showing frustration by throwing their hands up. To address this, the 48-year-old works with the team to help them recognize these stress responses and understand how they appear to their teammates.

As an example, the ex-WSL boss shared how she often highlights these tendencies during training. She explained that she might call out a player during an intense moment, such as when someone loses their temper with a referee, and remind them of the bigger picture. Hayes emphasizes that even in a friendly match, the world is watching, and opponents in high-stakes games, like a World Cup final, could exploit such reactions.

“It’s about instilling mentality. I will train it and train it and train it, to teach them to understand what weak brains look like in football,” Emma explained in their previous interview. Then again, instilling such a mentality within the group requires a lot of work. Till then, let’s see how Hayes plans things accordingly!