“It’s okay to be disappointed… but our future is exciting,” said Emma Hayes in the aftermath of the USWNT‘s shocking 1-2 defeat to Japan in the final game of the SheBelieves Cup. Simply put, the English tactician wants everyone to look at the bigger picture despite the fact they finished second place on their home soil. In fact, to this day, there’s hardly any change in her approach, as she is keen to follow a ‘patient and comprehensive’ approach for the sake of the American ladies’ future.

In the wake of their SheBelieves Cup upset, the US Soccer announced a doubleheader against China PR for spring. The first match will be held at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, while the return leg is set for Tuesday, June 3, at Energizer Park in St. Louis. However, before facing China, the 4X world champions will also take on Brazil twice during their April camp.

The first encounter is in on April 5 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Meanwhile, the second match is on April 8 at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. One may question why they are desperate to play so many friendlies. Then again, Hayes knows why the USA needed to make their schedule spring more hectic.

“I love these games because they combine some rich women’s soccer history with the present, with both countries going through transitions in preparation for ’27 World Cup qualifying,” she said while commenting on the China friendlies. “But our process continues and it’s a patient and comprehensive one.”

“It’s up to our coaching staff to give players opportunities – opportunities they have earned – and it’s up to the players to show us they can perform at the highest levels. We are looking forward to seeing the players show their talents against an excellent team in two fantastic soccer venues.”

Notably, in the 10th edition of the USA’s annual exhibition tournament, Hayes summoned a unique roster. The unfortunate absence of star players like Naomi Girma or Triple Espresso forced the 48-year-old to bet on some new faces. Names like Lily Yohannes, Aly Sentnor, and Gisele Thompson were called up to prove whether they have what it takes to be reliable long-term options.

While all the fringe faces did well on the individual front, they still failed to achieve collective success. But deep down, Hayes knows the recent SheBelieves Cup upset is a setup for their comeback. Not to mention that the English manager never really viewed the recent tournament as a must-win. For her, it was more about shaping the future.

“As I stated on the front end there won’t be perfection in performance but as long as we’re progressing then that’s what our aims are and our focus is to stay focused on that and not to just solely look at the results column that’s not our only indicator of future success,” Hayes stated earlier in a press conference.

As they say, Patience is the key, clearly the former Chelsea boss embodies this mindset. Then again, we hope she can at least address one major weakness of the USWNT before the upcoming spring friendlies.

Emma Hayes should focus on USWNT’s major weakness that cost them in SheBelieves Cup

Patience can indeed get USWNT to places they’ve never been. But as they prepare for their ultimate goal of winning the 2027 World Cup, Hayes should also focus on improving one major aspect of the team. It’s something that she herself identified in the aftermath of her first defeat as a USWNT boss. “I don’t think we break the press well enough. That’s something I want to get right over time,” emphasized Hayes.

However, the former WSL boss did praise her team’s ability to being able to track the pressure well. That’s because the majority of the players were already coming from a high-octane NWSL pre-season preparation. Meanwhile, others had to chip in for the major absentees. Regardless, they should focus on addressing the very weakness that led them to endure their surprising failure.

Rest, the team is smart enough to realize the challenges they may face against Brazil and then China.