Lily Yohannes, 17. Claire Hutton, 19. Alyssa Thompson, 20. Ally Sentnor, 21. Hearing how young these names make one thing clear: the future of the U.S. Women’s National Team is in safe hands. It’s no surprise that the current April window roster averages just 25 years of age. While most would agree that these rising stars are key to the nation’s long-term success, Emma Hayes seems to believe in a slightly different philosophy.

Well, it’s not like she doesn’t fancy the young blood on her team. To quote her own words, the English tactician is herself quite a “Believer” in having youth on any team. While it is something that counts in her long-term project, Hayes doesn’t rule out the impact of senior players on the national team, especially in the development of future talents.

“I think one of the great things about our team is not just the quality that we’ve got in-depth but the quality of our senior leadership,” Emma began while speaking ahead of the second Brazil clash on Tuesday. The 48-year-old insisted that the presence of veterans like Emily Sonnet, Crystal Dunn, and Lindsey Heaps is “a real testament to the quality of the senior players” which allows players like Lily Yohannes to step on the pitch with full confidence.

A previous 2-0 win at SoFi Stadium was the perfect example as Yohannes was able to make a significant impact as a substitute for just half an hour. Then again, one thing that Hayes keeps reminding everyone of is the fact that she is someone who is just 17. The former Chelsea boss has asked the media and fans alike to patiently deal with the teenager’s growth, let alone physical strength.

This is exactly why Hayes relies on her senior players to guide and support the newcomers, especially those who are less experienced in the squad. “Sometimes we get so over-excited about the less experienced players but the more experienced ones that do it again and again and again and again,” continued Hayes.

“[They] are going to be the key factor in ensuring standards and the support within our environment is such so that players like Lily, Claire, or anybody for that matter feels they can be supported but done in the right way. So that the expectation isn’t too ridiculous from everyone,” concluded the USA head coach.

Clearly, Hayes is counting on all the experienced players and even veterans who are past their prime in the development of the young players. But even if they successfully manage to fulfill their role, the million-dollar question remains: what specific qualities or benchmarks does Hayes look for in U23 players to determine if they’re truly ready to step up to the senior team?

Emma Hayes outlines the must-have for young USWNT stars

As for how Emma Hayes plans to identify which U23 players are ready to leap to the senior team ahead of the 2027 World Cup, she believes the process will become clearer over the next few camps. Her goal is to reach the end of June with a solid understanding of the core group that will shape the team’s World Cup journey. But with that, she’s also willing to forgo stressing over the importance of building on-field chemistry for now, as the focus remains on evaluating players individually.

After all, only the best 23-26 players will get a chance to make the World Cup team. That said, she also acknowledged that even U23 players who aren’t quite ready now could still earn a spot in the World Cup squad down the line. “We give them opportunities to progress without the lenses on them and the expectations being through the roof,” she said in an interview earlier.

“From there, those performances coupled with their club performances will give us an indicator of which ones from that pool are ready to progress up to us,” concluded the London-born coach.

If this doesn’t sound exciting, what else does?