Coach Emma Hayes‘s Olympic gold medal win with the USWNT was a fairytale that came true in the American soccer scene. Being at the helm of a gold medal-winning team comes with a lot of work off the pitch rather than from the sidelines. Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas thinks coach Hayes’ astute locker room management has made a difference for Team USA. Lalas hailed the British coach for subtly prompting players to take pride in being American and also gaining back fans’ trust in the USWNT.

During his recent appearance on an episode of the ‘Kenedy Saves the World,’ podcast, Alexi Lalas discussed the topic- ‘Will Americans give soccer a chance?’ Unsurprisingly, the discussion switched to women’s soccer and the USWNT’s recent success. And that’s when Lalas thanked Emma Hayes for showing the US’ importance in global soccer. “She celebrated our country in particular with her story and the amount of time that she has spent in the US,” said Lalas.

He added, “I think it was a breath of fresh air relative to this team and to your point, relative to the country, to have somebody standing up and say, yeah, this is fun. This is fun to be American. This is fun to celebrate this incredible, great country.”

The former USMNT defender iterated that the ex-Chelsea boss was always happy about her coaching stint in the US, starting from the club level. Lalas also pitied that the US Soccer circles needed a non-American like Hayes to show that the USA is still the Mecca of women’s soccer. To prove that Hayes’ locker-room management is making a difference, Lalas recalled how the pre-Hayes era USWNT alienated fans with certain antics.

USWNT went from being ‘unlikeable’ to a fan favorite under Emma Hayes, says Lalas

Alexi Lalas believes that the USWNT before this summer Olympics did not take much pride in America, unlike Emma Hayes, who celebrated the nation. To prove his point, the former US defender recalled that certain ex-USWNT stars refused to chant the national anthem on certain occasions. “This team was unlikable by a certain portion of America for the things that they do, certainly off the field and what they portray,” said Lalas. “Sometimes, especially in something like sports, you can alienate people. Well, and also don’t take people’s joy away from them because there are people who take great joy in hearing the national anthem,” he continued.

After stressing that the former USWNT did not have wins to back up their views, Alexi Lalas pointed out that Emma Hayes’ player management with a personal touch helped the US team soar. “I’m sure she’s not scared of her players, but she’s also bringing out something extraordinary in them and re-injecting the kind of joy we were promised here,” Lalas added.

Coach Hayes and Co. now have friendlies against Iceland, Argentina, and England in October and November. She’s quite sure that the Olympic gold was only the first step in the USWNT’s journey to reclaim the global soccer crown. Only similar success in the upcoming US-hosted FIFA World Cup would ensure USA’s reign again. Let’s see how the British boss prepares for that.