Emma Hayes appointed coach of USWNT
Emma Hayes, the current manager of Chelsea who won the Vitality Women’s FA Cup on May 14, 2023, will step down from her post and soon become the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team (Photo Courtesy of Clive Rose/Getty Images).
After a disappointing World Cup under former coach Vlatko Andonovski, and a record-low result after being knocked out by Sweden in the Round of 16, the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT)’s departure from Andonovski was announced on Thursday, Aug. 17. In a statement released by the U.S. Soccer Federation, Andonovski stated that “It’s been the honor of my life to coach the talented, hard-working players of the USWNT for the past four years… I’m very optimistic for the future of this program, especially considering all the young players that got opportunities over the past few years who will no doubt be leaders and impact players moving forward.”
It was announced on Tuesday, Nov. 14, by the USWNT that Emma Hayes would be filling the open head coach position. Hayes is the current head coach for the women’s football club Chelsea, who are currently first in the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL).
The USWNT is presently operating under interim coach Twila Kilgore, who has been an assistant for the team since 2022. Kilgore will be operating as the team’s head coach until Hayes is able to take over after her WSL season with Chelsea ends. Kilgore will also continue to be the USWNT’s assistant coach under Hayes.
Hayes is widely seen as one of the best soccer coaches in the women’s game. She has been the head coach for Chelsea for the past 11 seasons and has won six Women’s Super League titles, one WSL Spring Series title, five Women’s Football Association Cups, and two FA Women’s League Cups. In addition, Chelsea made the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final in 2021. Hayes was named the Best FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year for 2021 and is a finalist for the award this year, as well. Though she has yet to claim the Women’s Champions League Title, Chelsea is currently doing well in their group stage and is a promising contender for the title.
Although Hayes will not be joining the USWNT full-time until the completion of the WSL season, the impact of her coaching could already be seen in the friendlies the women’s team played this week during the international break. The USWNT has played two friendlies against the People’s Republic of China, the first on Saturday, Dec. 2, and the next on Tuesday, Dec. 5, with the first match ending in a 3-0 victory, and the second a 2-1 victory. Though these games were coached under Kilgore, the U.S. Soccer Federation noted that Hayes not only helped create the team’s roster for the friendlies, but would also be visiting the players in Florida before the Saturday match.
Hayes’s roster for the December friendlies shocked many, with notable veterans like Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alyssa Naeher, and Kelly O’Hara not receiving a call-up in favor of younger players like Mia Fishel, Jenna Nighswonger, and Olivia Moultrie. Kilgore made a statement for Just Women's Sports saying that “None of the players that were left off the roster are out of the mix… We want to win and we want to make sure that we bring the best players with us to the Olympics, and this is just one step in making sure that we are making the right decisions moving forward.”
With the 2024 Paris Olympics closely approaching, and the United States already claiming one of the 12 positions available for women’s soccer teams, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s intention is for Hayes to coach the USWNT in the Olympic games. Hayes’s season with Chelsea will end two months before the matches for the Olympics begin, and she will coach two games for the USWNT before leaving for France.