Phenomenal transformation is the first phrase that comes to our mind when describing the US Women’s National Team under the Emma Hayes regime. Boy, has she turned the tables for the American ladies! Once drowning in despair, they have risen from the ashes to continue their pursuit of glory. In fact, when looking ahead, even an icon like Megan Rapinoe acknowledges that Hayes is truly “getting her fingerprints” on every aspect of the national team.

For someone who has lived a stellar international career—notching 63 goals and 73 assists in over 203 appearances—it’s only natural to see Pinoe surprised by the mutation that the WNT has gone through. But one thing that impresses the former striker the most is how much variety the team possesses now. “I’m seeing a lot of depth, honestly,” began Rapinoe while speaking on the Attacking Third Morning Footy show.

“We saw what they did last summer, winning the gold medal. Emma was in charge for like five minutes and wrangled the team.” Things have definitely changed, at least from the time when Rapinoe made her USWNT debut in 2006. Limited players, limited resources, with only little expectations but a lot to offer. However, fast-forwarding to today, seeing the likes of Lily Yohannes, Ally Sentnor, and many more making their debut makes the former Seattle Reign star not only happy but even surprised.

Well, mostly, it’s because of the fact that the USA has more people to count on. Like in the case of Triple Espresso, where beyond the likes of the Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson, Hayes has more trustworthy people at her disposal who are delivering at a similar pace to the star trio. “No matter what, we’re getting goals,” noted Pinoe.

“We’re in a transitional period. Still, we’re a couple of years away from the World Cup but I feel in all of my years going back, it’s the depth that really wins it for you,” emphasized Megan. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Hayes may have followed a strict approach during the Summer Games, like following a no-substitution policy or barely making changes in the starting XI.

However, as Rapinoe describes, for any longer tournament like the World Cup, one needs to have “firepower coming off the bench.” Seeing her nation excelling in this quality is something that she believes is quite huge.

“For me, it’s kind of the well-roundedness of the squad. It feels like Emma is really getting her fingerprints on it as well, setting those standards and having the players understand what she wants,” added the 39-year-old, insisting how ‘great’ it feels to see these young names seamlessly taking the older generation player’s spot.

Sadly, the current situation witnesses an incomplete Tripple Espresso back at the helm, with only Rodman being the fit one. Other notable absentees also include Rose Lavelle and Naomi Girma. No wonder the other day Emma Hayes echoed the exact sentiment that makes Rapinoe happy.

Emma Hayes wants to improve more on the USWNT’s depth situation!

The English tactician recently highlighted one of the biggest challenges she encounters when assembling her roster, stressing the importance of reinforcing certain positions, particularly in defense. “It’s fair to say in both fullback positions, we will be looking at depth in those areas,” Hayes stated in an interview with The Attacking Third during her visit to BMO Stadium to watch the clash between Angel City and Seattle Reign. 

As if Naomi Girma’s injury absence wasn’t already a significant setback for the USWNT, the team suffered another blow with the loss of center-back Tierna Davidson. This perfectly aligns with the concerns Hayes has previously addressed. She even admitted that with the absence of Naomi Girma, her coaching staff was able to look more toward other players who star in the center-back position. “We’ve got a real sense of the depth there,” concluded Hayes.

Clearly, the 48-year-old isn’t done with finding new names in order to add as much depth as possible to her roster. We can only imagine how stunning the team will look just before the 2027 World Cup.