US Soccer Vibe Check - A checklist for new USWNT manager Emma Hayes before the Olympics

Since the SheBelieves Cup concluded, the USWNT is set to open a new chapter under full-time manager Emma Hayes. The new manager will have a set of friendlies before taking the team to Paris for the Olympics. It will be critical for the new manager to address some glaring issues and have the right approach to the tournament this summer if the team is to win its first gold medal since 2012.

Don’t start by losing

A key problem that has emerged is a bad habit of falling behind early and having to catch up for the rest of the match. In games against Mexico, Canada (twice), and Japan the US Women fell behind and put themselves in a tough spot. Against Mexico it cost them the game and in the Gold Cup semifinal and SheBelieves Cup final the team had to comeback against Canada and then suffer through penalties before coming out the winner.

If Hayes does one thing that will have a big impact on the team, it will be sorting out a defensive strategy that minimizes mistakes and lets the attack put the team ahead to then exploit opponents as they are forced to come forward and try to equalize.

Focus on finding the right team for the Olympics

In a pretty short time, the team has undergone a significant transformation in terms of personnel. Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe have retired, Alex Morgan is on the tail end of her career and younger players are proving they are capable of stepping up. This is a good sign obviously but Hayes will need to get to know her new players fairly quickly to pick the most effective roster to overcome the challenges of the Olympic tournament.

That team will be limited to 18 players and between the group stage opener on July 25th and the gold medal game on August 10th there are only 16 days for 6 matches. Add to it the potential for extra time in the elimination matches and the recovery window between matches becomes seriously constricted.

On one hand this makes selection difficult as a typical 23 player roster is reduced. On the other, it means that picking a versatile team with players who can fill several roles on the team might be better suited than a one dimensional player who excels but can only fill one spot on the field.

The roster situation also means players who are coming back from injury might not be the best fit for the team. Megan Rapinoe infamously was recovering from an ACL surgery and was included on the 2016 Brazil Olympics roster. She saw limited minutes and there were questions about if her spot could have been filled by a player without fitness limitations.

Put results above aesthetics

If there is one similarity between the Men’s and Women’s teams, it is that there is an obsession that borders on unhealthy about the teams’ abilities to play technical soccer and not “just” be better athletes than their opponents. Putting the priority of “looking” better stops the team from doing what it does best by using its athleticism and skill to relentlessly go at their opponents. A strength of the WNT has always been being strong, fast, and striking fear in the other team on set pieces.

If playing a more visually pleasing style comes at the expense of the team’s strengths the way the team struggled in the World Cup will continue into the Olympics. This is a new start for the USWNT both in terms of its manager but also with new players rising to stardom. With that new start what’s needed is getting the best out of this version of the USWNT, not trying to start over to meet others’ expectations at the expense of winning trophies.