“We give them opportunities to progress without the lenses on them and the expectations being through the roof,” remarked Emma Hayes, as she outlined the key indicators for youth USWNT players aspiring to break into the senior team. The English tactician made it clear that she aims to create opportunities for the next generation by not placing overwhelming pressure on them. Yet, ironically, 2024 Olympic gold medalist Jaedyn Shaw still finds herself ‘dealing’ with the constant weight of expectations.

But why? If the manager herself isn’t putting any kind of burden on the players, then why is the new North Carolina Courage forward bothering herself with such a mental toll? Well, this is something that she ends up feeling naturally, primarily because of a certain bar she has set for herself to excel as much as she can. The close admission came during her brief chat on The Women’s Game podcast with ex-USWNT star and host Sam Mewis.

“The pressure of expectation of being better than last year or being like, ‘Okay, you’re in this environment now that suits you and is gonna push you.’ So now, there’s an expectation of, ‘Oh Jay is going to get better.'” remarked Shaw when asked if she was forced to adjust to any kind of pressure over the past couple of years.  

“Being in this environment, ‘Oh now she is where she’s supposed to be or where she’s going to continue to evolve. We’re going to see something different or we’re going to see something better.’ That’s something that I’ve maybe put on myself or have made up in my head and I guess dealing with the last couple of weeks,” added the 20-year-old.

Technically, Shaw isn’t entirely wrong about facing such a predicament. After all, one of the biggest forms of validation any player seeks is meeting the expectations set by their team—and, perhaps more importantly, by the fans. So, it’s only natural for the former San Diego Wave star to feel such pressure.

In fact, not just the national team performances, expectations have also skyrocketed on the domestic front. Not to mention, even Hayes stated that while she will be offering some leeway to the young blood, she does view their club performances as an indicator of those names who are “ready to progress” up the senior squad.

This is something that must concern Jaedyn. Having left San Diego Wave this year after enjoying three successful stints, she hasn’t been able to make quite an impact at NC Courage. In three matches, the forward is yet to find her name on the scoresheet. The Frisco, Texas native should start working on these shortcomings ASAP. Otherwise, she may find herself a part of Hayes’ unfortunate decision!

Emma Hayes is ‘clear’ on who is ready for the 2027 World Cup!

While a 2-0 win was secured in the opening fixture vs Brazil, the return game told a different story for the USWNT. The American side suffered a 1-2 defeat at PayPal Park. Interestingly, this led to questions about whether Emma Hayes had erred by relying too heavily on young players and placing undue pressure on them.

However, this approach is very much in line with what the former Chelsea manager intends. While she acknowledged that her youthful second starting XI against Brazil—averaging just 25 years of age—had never faced such a challenging opponent, she intentionally wants to throw her players “into the frying pan” and make them “feel the heat” in order to gain a deeper understanding and stronger foundation for the future.

She also added, “I really feel like that is becoming so clear to me which players I think are really ready for us right now and which ones are not. Some might, as I’ve said before, go back to the 23s, and need to to develop their game and prove themselves at that level first before they make progress here.” 

What should concern Shaw is the fact that she didn’t earn a single start in either of the two games. Instead, the Courage attacker was brought on in the 86th minute during the 2-0 win and played the full second half in the 1-2 defeat. Her limited minutes could potentially suggest that she’s the one who isn’t quite ready yet. Regardless, only time will tell if that turns out to be the case.