There’s no perfect way to describe what Emma Hayes has done for the USWNT. Leading the Star and Stripes ft. ladies to the Paris Olympics 2024 glory within a few weeks is a feat that we hardly think will ever have a contender. Of course, it’s only in Hayes’ mind how she did it, but the former Chelsea boss has finally unveiled the ‘winning ingredient‘ to the fans.

Winning an accolade within 10 games in charge—Hayes made it seem like a piece of cake, an achievement that makes her proud. “This is an Emma Hayes’ team definitely,” remarked the 47-year-old in a conversation with the ESPN FC team in France. She revealed that even the players during her time at Chelsea gave the same nickname to the Blues’ women’s team and the time with the US ladies was no different. 

“That’s how I like football to be played and you got to mix it up. You can’t do the same thing all of the time but you play with a huge amount of heart, determination, perseverance, grit, resilience, and all of those things you got half a chance. On top of that, you add all the qualities we had from a football perspective, it was a winning ingredient,” she added. 

Change is what helped Hayes bring a revolution within the ranks of the US Women’s National Team. Consider the roster selection for instance; snubbing a player like Alex Morgan must have been a tough call to make but that did pay its worth. The soccer world got to witness the birth of Triple Espresso, with Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith living the main character’s dream throughout the summer games campaign.

While seeing the trio was a blast for Hayes, she subtly emphasized the importance of collective effort. “Trust me when everyone puts the team first, you got a better chance of winning.” All of this proved favorable for the USWNT, especially for Hayes, making it her greatest achievement.

Emma Hayes rates Paris Olympics gold as a ‘top’ achievement of her career!

16 trophies including 7 WSL, 5 FA Cups, and 2 League Cups—despite all such achievements with Chelsea, Emma Hayes considers the Olympic gold win as her greatest achievement: “I won a lot of things in my career but this [gold medal] is definitely top,” she said in disbelief. Indeed, it should be; after all, it was her debut international tournament.

Beyond the tactical and psychological side of the game, it was also Hayes’ desperation to bring the gold medal to American soil back after 12 years. While asserting that USWNT is the ‘most famous team,‘ the manager added that they deserved to win the tournament. Additionally, the English boss was also eager to join the ‘illustrious 99ers, the 96′, and the most recent 2012 group.’ 

Be that as it may, Emma Hayes is surely proud of her tactical acumen to have picked up the American ladies from a bottomless pit to help them bask in glory. The most astonishing fact is that this is just the beginning of her era at the USWNT.