When it comes to the privilege of being spoiled with success, few can claim it as much as the fans of the USWNT. With four World Cup victories and five Olympic gold medals under their belt, anything short of triumph is often deemed a failure or letdown. One person who strongly opposes this mindset is USWNT coach Emma Hayes, who insists that the expectations among USWNT fans need to adapt to changing times.

The ex-Chelsea boss is about to face one of the toughest challenges yet in her tenure with the USWNT—taking on reigning Euro Champions England. Adding to the intensity, the match is set to take place before an audience of around 80,000 at Wembley Stadium. In light of this upcoming encounter, the USWNT boss has displayed class by complimenting her opponents while simultaneously addressing what she perceives as ‘unrealistic’ expectations from USWNT supporters.

During a podcast appearance on the GirlsontheBall YouTube channel, Emma Hayes discussed the immense pressure tied to her role as head coach for the national team. She firmly stated, “Generally, in America, they think that you should win everything all of the time, and I think it’s unrealistic.”

“The World has finally caught up to USWNT” became a popular saying after USWNTs disappointing World Cup 2023 campaign. And it is a sentiment Hayes wholeheartedly embraces as she highlights increasing competition within women’s soccer. “The rest of the world—England, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Colombia—there are a lot of top nations,” said Emma Hayes. “It’s unrealistic to think the USA are going to run away with things.”

Even after maintaining a 13-match unbeaten streak; she continues to respect her rivals and aims to dispel any notions suggesting that mere participation guarantees USWNT’s presence in finals. This is a perspective that Mia Hamm recently echoed in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports. Interestingly, this isn’t the USWNT boss’ first public stance on such issues. Notably similar sentiments were expressed when she joined UDSWNT earlier this year.

Emma Hayes believes Europe has closed the gap to USWNT

Joining the team on the heels of an unsuccessful World Cup campaign, Emma Hayes’ primary focus was on narrowing the distance between the USWNT and its European rivals. That’s right, the 48-year-old firmly believed, “In Europe, investment into the game—not just internationally but domestically—has meant that there is no gap whatsoever.”

Well, these statements came before the Paris Olympics and with what we saw at the tournament it is safe to say that she took significant steps toward her goal. However, knowing Emma Hayes’, simply winning an Olympic medal isn’t sufficient for her.

For both herself and the entire USWNT squad, their ultimate aim still lies ahead: conquering the World Cup in 2027. But let’s set our sights on that later and focus on the upcoming match against England to determine if USWNT has genuinely bridged the gap that Emma Hayes once identified as existing.