Emma Hayes ‘broadens’ talent pool as USWNT looks to 2027 World Cup

AUSTIN, Texas — There’s a clear theme as the U.S. women’s national team meets for the first time since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Yes, the team wants to celebrate what they have achieved this summer on home soil with thousands of fans, but they are also looking forward to what comes next.

This October training camp – which includes two games against Iceland and one against Argentina – marks the start of a new cycle that will build towards the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Manager Emma Hayes, who has only been working full-time since late May, is focused on continuing to implement her principles and concepts in the present and future. Although perhaps most of all, his ultimate goal is to “grow” the player pool.

One of the first things he noticed even before joining US Soccer was the gap between experienced and inexperienced players. He vowed to give the young players more international experience because “going from the U-20s to the seniors is a big leap,” he said. Hayes did some of that before the Olympics, but now in his first training camp after a whirlwind summer, he’s practicing even more what he preaches. Hayes named 26 players, six of whom have never played. Fourteen players, more than half of the team, have less than 20 games. Only five players on this list are in their thirties.

“Diversity, that is competition, will start to add a difference to our game that I think is important if you want to be at the top,” said Hayes.

The expectation this window — and probably at the end of the year when the US heads overseas to play England (Nov. 30) and the Netherlands (Dec. 3) — is that Hayes will try new things and play new players.

“There will be debuts on this block,” Hayes said Wednesday. “This is a good window to show the players who will start building the team, especially after Christmas, which we will start building ourselves.

“I think this window, and the January window, are the two biggest windows in the immediate process to be able to assess what other players outside of the current group of prospective players are going to be involved in what we’re looking to do. .”

The US has three games in the next seven days, the first of which starts Thursday at Q2 Stadium (7:30 pm ET) vs. Iceland. Hayes said he has already informed the team that “in an ideal world, nobody will play more than two full games” unless there is an injury or other unforeseen situation.

Within that, Hayes understands that these games won’t always look pretty. That comes with an area at the beginning of the round where he might throw in different formations or combinations of players, among other things. It is important for the US to play now if there is a major tournament to qualify for later.

“When we combine a [lineup] have been playing together for a while, I think it’s easier for us to change tactically,” said Hayes. “If I suddenly make a lot of changes to the lineup, that will make the games kneel in a lot of ways because being able to use everything I ask them to do in their first camps will be really challenging.

“So I don’t expect that everything will be fine in this camp.”

However, he expects the players who were in the Olympics to look united. However, those veterans must adapt and learn the tendencies of the younger players on their team.

“You have to learn them quickly,” captain Lindsay Horan said. “That’s right [having] discussions and communication on the field and outside, which makes the players feel comfortable, but also know that they are new, they have to find a level and a level. It’s different from the club scene in this group, and it’s difficult. We all exist and have to adjust and that is your reality.

“But they’re all here for a reason and I’m sure they’ll do well.”

Hayes’ six players who did not play were midfielder Hal Hershfelt, defenders Emily Sams, Eva Gaetino and Alyssa Malonson, and forwards Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears. Hershfelt and Sams both alternated in the Olympics, but did not play in the game. Sams got the nod though, as she was named in the lineup in place of the then-injured Tierna Davidson.

In addition, forward Alyssa Thompson and midfielder Ashley Sanchez, both of whom were at the 2023 World Cup, return to the squad for the first time since late last year. These are both their first camps under Hayes.

Looking ahead, Hayes said he and his staff have conducted a “comprehensive and comprehensive” report on the Olympics and identified “where the gaps are” that will help improve strategy ahead of the next World Cup. Those results will be presented at the “Futures Camp” in January in Los Angeles where the senior team will play alongside emerging national teams from the national team, NWSL, college and the newly formed USL Super League, Hayes said. .

For now, the camp aims to build on the team’s strengths and scout talent with the next World Cup on everyone’s mind.

“I think there’s going to be a big turnout for this team,” Horan said. “I think you saw bits of that at the Olympics in the little time Emma had with us. Now, she’s got three years before this next world cup, so I think that’s very exciting and I think there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in the spring of 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow him on @LakenLitman.

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