da gbg bet： In her first official interview as boss of the USWNT, Emma Hayes revealed her plans over the next two months to prepare for the Paris Olympics.
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Hayes has first U.S. interviewSpeaks on upcoming June camp & Paris Olympics preparationReveals how she found out she got jobWHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking on the , Hayes revealed how she found out she was being handed the USWNT job, her plans for the June camp and what she is focusing on ahead of the Paris Games.
The USWNT boss landed in the USA Thursday morning for her first official interview as coach, and with the world watching, expressed how excited she was to be at the helm of a 'hugely successful program.'
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Hayes revealed that when she found out, it was via text message and at the time, she had a old friend visiting both her and her son. The moment the notification came through, though, they were both exuberant.
"I was sat in my kitchen, my son was running around I was sat with an old coaching friend – an American who had come to visit me – she was someone I'd coached with 20 odd years ago. And I sat there and a text message came through, and I looked up and I said to my friend, you won't believe what I've just read… I am the new US women's national team coach… and she jumped out of her chair – it was it was the most amazing news."
Ahead of the Paris Games now, though, Hayes is ready to implement her system, work with the players and get to know her pool for selection.
WHAT HAYES SAID
When asked how she plans to takeover the USWNT after an incredibly poor showing at the 2023 FIFA World Cup, Hayes revealed that she's worked with Twila Kilgore on preparation, but is also adamant that things need to begin this June.
"You take it step by step like you can't cut a corner on it. There's no denying that historically the program has been hugely successful, but the rest of the world and their resources have made that an equal playing field. So (we've) got a lot of work to do, it starts with going into camp for next week. And, you know, we've got two get togethers prior to the Olympics. But Twila Kilgore, the interim head coach prior to me coming a board has been implementing a lot of things. So we're as ready as we can be at this moment."
Ahead of her first tournament in charge, Hayes revealed that she is ready to begin the journey towards the podium in Paris, and is ready to really get to know her squad.
"Embrace it, enjoy it! I want to focus on the process, I want to focus on the performance. I want to get to know the players. I want to make sure that in the limited time we have together we make the most of it and for me, pressure is a huge privilege. We get the opportunity to go to the Olympics, and my focus is to make sure that everybody is as prepared as possibly can be."
Her roster, though, presents a conundrum. Excelling youth and veteran leadership competing for starting minutes is set to hand her a selection problem. Hayes sees that as a positive, though, and she's ready to find the 'perfect mix' to get the most out of the group this summer.
"I think that'll always be the case. That's always what happens – teams evolve. And I think for me is the combination, the blend… we need the right mix. You can't go to an Olympics with a huge, complete, inexperienced squad. We need our experienced players but getting that composition right, that's my job between now and June 16…
"My focus is on the performances of the team and I want to get that right first."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR HAYES?
Hayes will have her first two matches of her career with the USWNT on June 1 and 4 in a double-header against the Korea Republic. Following that will be a pair of matches against Mexico and Costa Rica in July as their final preparation for the Paris Games.