Emma Hayes has no plans to change the “American DNA” of the U.S. women’s national team, and on Saturday she will take to the sidelines for the first time as head coach of a team hungry for revenge.
The pre-Olympic friendly against South Korea will be U.S. fans’ first glimpse of the Hayes era as the team tries to shake off last year’s worst performance in World Cup history.
“We all know the core elements of American DNA, and that won’t change under my leadership,” Britton Hayes said.
“The most important thing is their ability to grasp information really quickly and learn. They’re like sponges, they’re incredible sponges.”
“Whatever we throw at them this week, they’re taking it and absorbing it. This team is desperate to improve.”
Hayes’ appointment was announced in November but the former Chelsea manager did not join the US in an official capacity until this month after winning his seventh WSL title with the west London club.
That schedule leaves little time to familiarize the team, let alone select the 18-man Olympic roster.
The four-time gold medallists are less than two months away from kicking off the Paris Olympics against Zambia, but Hayes said they are taking it one step at a time.
“As I’ve said before, this is an opportunity to learn about the players, learn their tactical understanding and see where their top-level skills lie,” she told reporters.
“We all know they’re competitive, but they’ve been incredibly studious all week.”
In her first press conference as head coach, Hayes showed a glimpse of her famously energetic personality and made it clear that she is looking forward to tackling the challenges ahead.
“This is my passion, it’s something I’ve loved since the moment I came out of my mother’s womb,” she says, “and I feel so privileged to be able to do a job that I absolutely love.”
The U.S. will face South Korea on Saturday in Commerce City, Colorado, before taking on an Asian team again on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
