Winning a major tournament, in the best of circumstances, is very hard. Doing so with a short runway? Almost impossible. That's what U.S. women's national team manager Emma Hayes accomplished this summer at 2024 Paris Olympics. That's why people are so excited about the future of this USWNT. It's because Hayes, in almost no time at all, accomplished the impossible.
This past summer was just the beginning. Hayes has signed on for a long-term project, which means that what happened in France was a first step. A golden step, to be clear, but it really was still a bonus and an indication that this team is already further ahead than many believed.
After making the perfect introduction at the Olympics in France, the real work has just begun for Hayes. The Olympics were about scrambling to put together a team that could compete; now, it's about building a program that wins over and over again. Not just instant success, but consistent, sustained success.
That process really begins now. The USWNT's October camp is the first since the Olympics and, more important, the first of a new cycle. After turning the Americans into champions in just a matter of weeks, Hayes now has three years to build on the Olympic win. She now has that window to really put her vision into place.
"Nothing changes in terms of it's another opportunity for us to create new history and new heights and an identity that is built on in an already outstanding program," Hayes said. "For me, it's just about evolving. The Olympics form a great basis and they're a great foundation for us, but it's not a future predictor for success."