The U.S. Women’s National Team recently beat Argentina 3-0. This win, however, was not just about the score. It showcased the future Emma Hayes aims for. Yet, Hayes urged caution. She highlighted areas needing improvement, especially in offense and strategy. She wants to build a team that can compete globally.

Emma Hayes stepped in after a tough 2023 World Cup, where the team exited early. Known for her success and innovative tactics, she was chosen to lead the team back to its former glory. This summer, the team snagged an Olympic gold medal under her guidance. But Hayes sees this as just the start. With the 2027 World Cup in her sights, she’s raising the bar for her players and herself.

Despite the scoreline, Emma Hayes highlighted a key concern regarding the team’s ability to generate quality chances. “I still don’t believe we’re generating as much xG [expected goals] as I think we can,” she said in a postgame media appearance. This shows she aims for more than wins; she wants a dominant style, even against stronger teams. Her remarks suggest a focus on improving goal chances, which are key to the team’s growth.

“We’re still limited a little bit with that,” Hayes added, but she believes things will get better. Though the USWNT has scored multiple goals lately, she thinks they can create more chances. For Emma Hayes, it’s about closing gaps since she took over. She’s hopeful that a better understanding of her system will lead to improvements. “The team knows the gaps that I want to close, and I think we’re doing that by scoring multiple [goals] in more games, which is an expectation from me,” she added. 

Emma Hayes’ tactical versatility for the future

Another change from the past is that Emma Hayes has proven to be tactically flexible. Against Iceland, she used a 3-5-2 formation that appeared to allow the team to respond better to a more attacking play style, and they came back with a dynamic performance in the second half. Hayes believes that developing a flexible team is more important for future high-stakes games than it is for winning games right now.

The USWNT‘s changes to its October roster were to exploit Argentina’s weak defense. This move aimed for greater fluidity and flexibility. She plans to continue rotating players in the January training camp and a parallel identification camp to give promising young players a chance at making an impact. This approach creates a team ready to adapt strategies against top opponents.

While the friendlies allowed Emma Hayes the opportunity to bleed new players and concepts into the squad, she is aware that tougher tests await. In a month, the USWNT faces two high-profile matches against England and the Netherlands. Hayes has indicated she’ll bring a more experienced squad for those matches, but experimentation will continue as the team looks to find a new identity. 

By early spring, Emma Hayes will look to close off a core group of players that she believes can become the core of a potential championship team for the 2027 World Cup.