The new coach had one overriding instruction for her new players: pay attention to the little things.
It is a message that is taken to heart.
Emma Hayes made a successful debut with the U.S. women’s national team, watching Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson both score twice in a 4-0 win over South Korea in a friendly on Saturday.
The American team steadily found their rhythm by doing all the little things. It paid off with Swanson and Davidson breaking through in the first half and again in the second.
“You can tell we’re building something,” Hayes said. “There is a lot of work to be done. There are undoubtedly a lot of holes in our game, but it was a good start.”
Sometimes Hayes would walk by the coach’s box as she watched. She clapped at goals and near misses. Sometimes she would retreat to the bench to talk to assistant coach Twila Kilgore.
Hayes, 47, was brought on board in November but joined the team in Colorado this week after finishing the Women’s Super League season with Chelsea. She is trying to quickly get to know the squad before choosing a team for the Paris Games this summer.
Hayes’ mission is simple: restore dominance to an American team that suffered a disappointing finish at last year’s Women’s World Cup. The early departure led to coach Vlatko Andonovski resigning from the US team.
Hayes didn’t feel any pressure on Saturday either. Or the slightest hint of nerves.
“I get to enjoy these great players,” Hayes explained. “I just feel re-energized and I want to coach this group and they want to be coached.”
A packed crowd showed up at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to cheer on a lineup with an average age of 25.5, the youngest starting eleven for the USWNT in more than two years. One fan brought a sign that read “In Emma We Trust.”
The win improved the U.S. women’s national team to 12-0-4 in games against South Korea. The teams meet again in a friendly on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Captain Lindsey Horan almost got the US on the scoreboard midway through the first half. But just before her shot, the flag went up for offside.
However, it was a sign that the team was on the same page.
Swanson scored in the 34th minute thanks to a give-and-go with fellow Coloradan Sophia Smith. In the 38th minute Davidson made it 2-0. The defender scored early in the second half and Swanson added another in the 74th minute.
It was a big day for Swanson as she continues to recover from a serious knee injury. She rented a suite for the game and about 30 people watched her play.
“I was just super grateful to be able to play for them again,” Swanson said. “That I was allowed to play on this team, because you never know when you were last able to play.”
It was a busy day for South Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung-mi, who was constantly faced with shots and traffic.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. Deaf women’s team defeated Australia 11-0 at the stadium behind a six-goal performance from Emily Spreeman. It was the U.S. national team’s first doubleheader with the senior national team.
Hayes and the team gradually get to know each other. She meets with all her players in 15-minute segments and hopes the chats will be over soon.
There isn’t much time before Hayes has to choose an 18-player squad for the Paris Games. She could select the team before a pair of friendlies leading up to the Olympics, one against Mexico at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on July 13, and another against Costa Rica at Audi Field in Washington DC on July 16.
“It feels like we’re in a really good place,” Smith said. “I’m happy with how things went and I’m happy with where the team is.”