When Emma Hayes assumed the role of head coach for the U.S. women’s national soccer team in 2024, one of her primary objectives was to evaluate the depth of the squad’s talent. With established players like Rose Lavelle, Naomi Girma, Lindsey Heaps, and Trinity Rodman as key figures, Hayes aimed to identify emerging talents who could step in when needed. As the team prepares for World Cup qualifying in the fall, the upcoming training camp in Carson, California, is set to be pivotal.
“Some of the pool players are going to get an opportunity to shine,” Hayes stated. “Some are high-potential prospects. I think about Hal Hershfelt or Croix Bethune, players who have not had a lot of opportunity with us. I get a chance to really see where they’re at.”
Evaluating New Talent Amid Challenges
During her tenure, Hayes has introduced 27 players to the senior national team and utilized 50 different starters in just 30 matches as coach. This approach is unprecedented; no other U.S. manager has named more than 36 starters in a similar timeframe. The roster for the current camp includes three players still seeking their first international cap, a situation that could change with friendly matches against Paraguay on January 27, 2024, at Dignity Health Sports Park and against Chile later that month.
Saturday’s match will also pay tribute to Christen Press, a two-time world champion, who announced her retirement in the fall. Despite the potential for new talent to emerge, the decision to focus on younger players from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was necessitated by scheduling conflicts. The current camp falls outside FIFA’s international window, limiting Hayes’ ability to call up European-based players such as Girma, Heaps, Alyssa Thompson, Crystal Dunn, and Catarina Macario.
“If the European-based players and the Gotham-based players were here, this would be a completely different roster,” she noted. “But that’s not the case.”
Managing Injuries and Future Aspirations
Injuries have further complicated Hayes’ selection process. Notably, Macario was sidelined during the Paris Olympics, which was Hayes’ first tournament as coach. Forwards Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have been on maternity leave since the Olympics, while Rodman, another key forward, has only played once in the past 18 months due to injuries. Despite these setbacks, the U.S. has managed to secure 17 wins and only 3 losses in 20 matches since the Paris Games.
As Hayes continues to assess her options, the average age of the 26 invited players stands at 24.1 years, with an average of just 6.6 caps of senior-team experience. “What I’ve learned since the Olympics is I can never, ever pick the best roster because I’m always going to be without players,” she acknowledged.
With the World Cup just a year away, the evaluation period is crucial. Hayes and her coaching staff have outlined a strategy to refine the player pool to approximately 35 women ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in March. “Once we get to SheBelieves, if everyone is available to me, it will be the group that are strong candidates to be part of World Cup qualifying,” she explained, emphasizing the competitiveness of the upcoming roster.
Notably, Wilson and Swanson will not be included in this competitive lineup. The two players contributed to seven of the team’s twelve goals during the Olympics, but both have recently given birth. Hayes, who herself became a mother in 2018, understands the challenges of returning to play post-pregnancy. “I know how long it takes to recover after having a baby. That’s why I don’t like putting time frames on it,” she said.
As the team gears up for upcoming competitions, Hayes remains committed to exploring the full potential of the talent pool available to her, ensuring the U.S. women’s national soccer team is well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
