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Emma Hayes touring US: Players the USWNT coach could consider for the team's future

Emma Hayes is back in the United States after leading the U.S. Women's National Team to an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games. The trip is all about business in the run-up to three friendlies in October against Iceland and Argentina.

After a whirlwind introduction that included a sprint through the Olympics, Hayes finally has the luxury of time to tackle some of the bigger projects that excited her about the job. The USWNT boss also faces big questions three years before the next Women's World Cup in Brazil. Perhaps not as big as the decision to leave Alex Morgan out of the 18-man Olympic squad, justifiable as that decision was at the moment, but still crucial and focused on the future.

On Sunday, Hayes traveled back to the home of her former employer, the Chicago Red Stars, to watch the team take on the North Carolina Courage. During a halftime interview with CBS Sports, Hayes said she and the rest of the program would reflect on recent successes that extended beyond the Olympics. But there is little rest for a head coach who took one of the most high-profile jobs in football less than five months ago.


Hayes led the USA to an Olympic gold medal in her first three months as coach (Claudio Villa / Getty Images)

Hayes' build begins with that journey and continues through 2025 with what she called “the future,” which will allow the U.S. technical staff to “feature some of the best talent within both the NWSL and the under-20s.” “To see to identify the future players for the team. Notably, the U20 team recently completed its best run since 2012 at the U20 Women's World Cup, winning the bronze medal against the Netherlands last month.

But Hayes also needs to answer questions about her goalkeeper succession plan, find a Morgan heir to complement Sophia Smith and find the personnel to make her midfield work.

With Olympic gold already secured, the focus shifts to the team's future.

It's you again – judging familiar faces

Hayes doesn't have to go too far to start. The curse of the Olympic squad is the 18-player limit. Injuries and the club's form also affected Hayes' selection of players he would consider bringing to France. The blessing is that the October friendlies are a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the players who have been in the squad for a long time but missed out on the big call-ups. Midfielders of all kinds are a particularly common topic of conversation.

While the forward line was as good as it gets and the team's defense was stout, the USWNT midfield operated at a level below its standard this summer. Sam Coffey's yellow card suspension exposed a lack of coverage in the defensive midfield, while Lindsey Horan struggled to make her usual impact as her role changed with each game. A good midfield can carry a team through a tournament, as Spain showed last summer, and it is an area that needs to be sorted to fully implement Hayes' ideology in the team.

As far as creative options go, Hayes had the perfect opportunity in Chicago to see one of these main candidates: Ashley Sanchez. Hayes hasn't been seen with a notebook yet, but if she was taking notes in some form, it's hard to imagine it wouldn't be on her list of “reasons to bring Sanchez back in.”

The attacking midfielder has had a difficult 12 months, between being named to the World Cup squad, missing a single minute of play and being surprised by a draft day trade from Washington to North Carolina. However, the move has resulted in her being given more responsibility on the ball.

Sanchez is averaging about 10 more pass attempts per 90 minutes than she did in her last season with the Spirit, and her passing and running was more proactive in getting upfield than she did with Washington. She also asserted herself well – with her five decisive winning goals and assists, she is tied for second best in the league and is only behind Croix Bethune from the Spirit.

Like Sanchez, Olivia Moultrie emerged late in former head coach Vlatko Andonovski's tenure. The Portland Thorns midfielder helped the United States win this year's W Gold Cup under interim coach Twila Kilgore and will be expected to work alongside younger colleagues such as: Korbin Albert And Lily Yohannesthat play in Europe.


Andi Sullivan was a constant presence of spirit (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)

There is a well-known candidate for the national team's No. 6 position: Andy Sullivanwho is still very capable of going through the next cycle, if not longer. And Washington head coach Jonatan Giráldez thinks the 28-year-old needs a fresh look from Hayes and says she deserves the chance to play for the national team.

“An exceptional player,” Giráldez said earlier this month after a win over the Thorns. “It's unbelievable in terms of (Sullivan's) leadership, understanding the game plan, in possession, out of possession and when she's training she's always 100% in every training session.”

Will the former Barcelona coach influence Hayes? His statement is hard to ignore: “For me, Andi Sullivan is one of the best players in this country.”

Another option as a defensive base of the midfield is Taylor Flint. After an offseason move to Racing Louisville, the 25-year-old has been arguably the NWSL's best midfielder this season and has proven difficult to get around whether the ball is on the ground or in the air. Amidst their strong form, Louisville took action Jaelin Howellanother one of the league's best young defensive midfielders is headed to Seattle, where she'll look to make her case for inclusion under Hayes.

In England, Catarina Macario returned to Chelsea and added a goal in the 7-0 win over Crystal Palace – finally, after another delay in her recovery from an injury that forced her out of Olympic competition. Before the setback, however, it looked like she might have a real shot at a starting role with the USWNT. There is no need to rush her return or create additional stress with a long trip back to the US in October, but if she has racked up minutes in the Women's Super League, the friendly against England at Wembley could provide the perfect opportunity .

However, on the wing and not in midfield, Alyssa Thompson has also been in top form for Angel City lately, doing extra time in practice with someone who knows the USWNT well: Christen Press. Another surprising choice for the 2023 World Cup squad, Savannah DeMelo has evolved from a true No. 10 into more of a creative winger who steps in from the left and continues to help Louisville move forward on the field.

Thompson fits more into a wing role in Hayes' system, but DeMelo could be helpful given Hayes' appreciation for positional diversity.

Who needs a closer look?

We both shook our fists at the sky Sam StaabShe suffered a torn Achilles tendon that put her on the NWSL season-ending injury list in late July because she would be at the top of our list in a category like this. The injury has put a severe damper on her long-standing Iron Woman streak, but the left-footed centre-back is a real defensive anchor and can break the lines with ease with her distribution.

We could basically just rename this section after her: the club stars who could really use a gig in the USWNT environment.

Gotham FC made a splash last offseason, bringing in veterans like Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle and Tierna Davidson. They also made a smart move to bring in Ella Stevens After being underused in Chicago, she has developed into the kind of striker who can change the game with a pinpoint finish. Gotham has continued to find countless ways to make the most of it Yazmeen RyanHis versatility allows the 25-year-old to thrive in multiple roles. Ryan is an incredibly advanced player on the ball and could be an ideal option for Hayes in some spots.

Another deep question for Hayes to consider concerns the goalkeeper position. While Teagan Wy Had some great saves at the U20 World Cup (head coach Tracey Kevins said they knew she had a weakness in stopping penalties before the tournament started, but Wy made a great save in the shootout against Germany), she probably is not yet in the phase of being fully enlisted as a senior. So who could Hayes call from the NWSL if she wants to look at options outside of regulars like Jane Campbell and Aubrey Kingsbury?

Utah has two younger candidates Mandy Haught (25) and Seattle Claudia Dickey (24). Both will be tested this season on two of the league's worst-performing teams, but hey, so was current No. 1 Alyssa Naeher during her time as a Boston Breaker.

Who are they? teenagers “Futures” Hayes might be pursuing?

Hayes has already been thinking about the next cycle, bringing some younger players to France this summer. Hal Hershfelt While she never made the Olympic roster, she still experienced the rhythm of a condensed major tournament and those training sessions. Croix Bethune And Jaedyn Shaw (despite her unfortunate injury) she also gained crucial experience that would serve her well in both qualifying and major international tournaments.

But what's fascinating about the recent USYNT U20 team is the transition from college talent to a larger contingent of players who have already turned pro and are now playing in the NWSL, led by former college teammates Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals) and Savy King (Bay FC). Not every player in this category has logged significant NWSL minutes on their respective teams, but there is a subset here that includes Sentnor, King, Riley Jackson (NC Courage), Claire Hutton (KC Current) and Gisele Thompson (Angel City), which feel like an obvious choice for a talent ID camp in January.

Kevins said on the Full Time with Meg Linehan podcast that the diversity of the youth player pool is a real asset to the program as a whole and also pointed out one such player Onyeka Gamero who plays for FC Barcelona B but missed the tournament due to injury. In addition to the development through the youth national team, NCAA games and the NWSL, there is a new generation that wants to become professional abroad at a young age. The USL Super League should not be overlooked as it also opens its doors to emerging talent. Regardless of how these players enter the program, US Soccer wants to ensure they continue to develop and have a chance at the senior national team.

“So there's quite a lot to do,” Hayes said on CBS Sports this weekend. It's a fair assessment.

(Top photo: Eakin Howard / Getty Images and Imagn Images)

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