MARSEILLE, France — After watching her players complete what she called a “mature performance” in their 4-1 victory over Germany here Sunday night, new U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes was typically frank in describing how she felt.
Their biggest selling point? The team's attack, with Sophia Smith scoring twice, Mallory Swanson adding another for her third goal in two Olympic games and substitute Lynn Williams rounding off the scoring to completely end any hopes of a German comeback.
“I think we were absolutely devastating when we needed to be,” Hayes said after the U.S. victory booked his team's place in the quarterfinals.
The biggest snag? Poor decision-making that led to Germany having more chances than they deserved, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher bailing out her teammates after some critical turnovers.
“I thought we were our biggest problem,” Hayes said, adding that after six games in charge, “there are still things that irritate me about us, but that's something I have to fix.”
Hayes went on to say that her biggest concern, beyond the knee injury that forced Tierna Davidson to withdraw, who will be re-evaluated on Monday, is the emotional recovery required in a compressed tournament like this.
The U.S. women's national team will play its final group stage match against Australia on Wednesday, and Hayes plans to give the team a day and a half off before returning to the practice field.
“Can you imagine the adrenaline?” Hayes said. “You get so high that the comedown is like a hangover.”
Colorful phrases aside, it’s been a whirlwind start for Hayes, who took over the team in June but has now managed to get the Americans to the knockout rounds of their first major tournament. There’s still a learning curve, she said, both between herself and the players and the players themselves, but there’s no doubt Hayes is working to instill a new identity.
It’s a process that, he acknowledges, will take some time. What he saw from his team on Sunday, though, was encouraging. The first half hour was an up-and-down affair, as the U.S. nearly fell behind early on due to sloppy defending, but then took the lead, lost it, regained it and then stretched the lead to two goals at halftime after Smith scored his second goal.
“There were times when we had to weather the storm,” Williams said. “And I think that's the best thing about this team: Nobody seems scared in those moments. It's just, what do we have to do?
“It's just a belief that no matter what someone throws at us, we're going to get the job done.”
That feeling is exactly what Hayes is craving. And the determination the players showed is what she hopes for.
“There are things I'm learning about the team tonight from a character perspective that I want to see, from a resilience perspective that I want to see,” Hayes said. “When you play a top-tier opponent, you get to see all facets and I saw all facets of us tonight, which was nice.”
The Americans will play their final Group B match against Australia on Wednesday and can clinch first place with a draw or win.
