From the moment Emma Hayes took charge as head coach of the U.S. Women`s National Team, a phase of experimentation was widely anticipated. Appointed to revitalize the squad following their earliest exit ever at the 2023 Women`s World Cup, Hayes has strategically utilized the period leading up to the next World Cup, after the team`s Olympic gold medal success, to broaden the player pool. However, the necessity to do so without the dynamic attacking trio often dubbed the `triple espresso` – Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson – has become an unexpected characteristic of her early tenure.
Hayes hasn`t had the opportunity to work with this key group since the Olympic gold medal match in Paris last August. Rodman is currently managing a persistent back injury, while both Swanson and Wilson are on maternity leave. Their absence was always going to be significant; this trio has long been considered the future torchbearers of the USWNT`s attacking philosophy, living up to expectations by contributing 10 of the team`s 13 goals during the Olympics.
In the months that have passed since these three last featured together, Hayes has effectively used the situation to provide opportunities to a diverse array of players within the U.S. attacking setup, fully embracing the experimental ethos she promised shortly after securing gold in Paris. Since the Olympics, Hayes has called upon 11 forwards who were not part of the squad last summer, with a remarkable 10 of them being 25 years old or younger. The USWNT has scored 22 goals in 11 matches during this stretch, conceding only eight, demonstrating early signs that the team`s attacking depth is potentially greater than ever before.
The offensive capabilities of the USWNT were clearly on display in Saturday`s 3-0 win over China. Hayes` team generated an impressive 3.01 expected goals from 18 shots, effectively finding ways to break down the opponent`s high defensive line. By starting Alyssa Thompson, Catarina Macario, and Michelle Cooper, Hayes reaped the rewards, as each player was crucial in creating and converting all three goals. Macario, in particular, delivered a standout performance with both a goal and an assist, while Cooper also registered an assist. Their play at times felt remarkably fluid, a quality Hayes credited to her entire squad`s diligent effort during this experimental phase.
“When you`re trying to put together so many new players as a coach, you want to make sure that every time you`re with them, you`re making less and less tactical corrections and this week, we`ve made less than we`ve ever had to make,” Hayes commented after the game. “Because Avery Patterson knows where to be [on] both sides of the ball, so does Lily [Yohannes], so does Michelle Cooper and so that, in return, means the whole group can go up a higher level because they`re getting better at their understanding of that. That`s the first thing.”
Macario and Thompson are relatively more seasoned members among the newer attacking players. Macario made her national team debut in 2021 and has only been absent due to injury, while Thompson was included in the 2023 World Cup roster. Their strong performances for their club teams further bolster their profiles. This pair arguably headlines Hayes` initiative to expand the player pool. This is particularly true for Macario, who, despite having played as an attacking midfielder for the national team previously, has recently excelled in the No. 9 role.
“Cat, she`s being tough on herself,” Hayes stated. “She got a goal, her all-around play, she wanted it at a higher level and that`s okay. She can aspire to that but she`s a wonderful football player and we`re blessed to have her so we`re happy with her.”
Michelle Cooper, now in her third professional season, has settled into the team effectively, recording one goal and one assist in her five international appearances so far. She performed well playing in a wide position against China on Saturday, and while there is scope for improvement, she is clearly starting to establish a significant spot for herself within the USWNT`s attacking depth chart.
“She`s a firecracker,” Hayes enthused about Cooper. “She really is. I didn`t think her touch was the best today and I told her that. … I think Michelle is someone, whether she starts or from the bench, she`s such a threat in behind. She`s got a goal threat not just in terms of the creation but finishing and she`s growing into the shirt. She brings a lot of personality and charisma to the team. She`s so coachable and you can be straight up with her, as well and she`ll take that and be able to pick it up and what I love immensely about her is she`ll give everything for the shirt going backwards as well. When it`s time to defend, do the dirty work, she`s not afraid of that and [will] get stuck in.”
Ally Sentnor and Emma Sears complete the group of less experienced forwards currently in the squad; both have also made positive impressions early in their time with the senior national team. Sentnor emerged as a standout player during the February SheBelieves Cup and now has two goals in eight appearances, while Sears has scored once in five caps. Both players could potentially receive another chance to impress on Tuesday when the USWNT concludes the international break with a friendly match against Jamaica.
Hayes admitted on Saturday that her work with this developing group is far from finished, which is understandable given that these are young players gaining their first taste of international experience. However, it is hard to argue against the significant progress the U.S. is making during this transitional phase. This process is reigniting the fiercely competitive environment within the national team, which could lead to incredibly challenging roster decisions for Hayes two years from now.
“We wanted to be a bit more dynamic in our rotations so the timing of our rotations to pull their wide players out,” Hayes explained. “I thought in the first half, we did that really, really well. What we didn`t do as well as we wanted to was [that] we tried to find the spaces in between when actually, the space was in behind so sometimes we overplayed. They want to give us some areas, we take them areas but I`m asking them to deliver a performance with a level of patience so I`m not going to criticize them for that. I feel like, tactically, we`ve gone up another level. I really feel that way. I feel that there`s so many more players that are so much more in control, that were able to do more and I was pleased with the performance.”
Benedict Kingsley