AUSTIN, Texas — Emma Hayes is broadening the talent pool as the United States women’s national team gathers for the first time since their gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics. The squad is eager to celebrate their success with fans, but they are also focused on future challenges that lie ahead.
This October training camp — which includes two matches against Iceland and one against Argentina — signifies the beginning of a new chapter leading up to the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Manager Emma Hayes, who took on the role full-time in late May, is dedicated to instilling her coaching philosophy while integrating new strategies. Above all, her primary objective is to expand the player roster.
“The diversity, i.e., competition, will start to add variety to our game that I think is essential if you want to be at the very, very top,” Hayes stated.
In this training window — and likely through the end of the year as the U.S. prepares for matches against England (Nov. 30) and The Netherlands (Dec. 3) — Hayes plans to experiment with different lineups and give opportunities to new players.
“There will be debuts over this block,” Hayes remarked on Wednesday. “This is the perfect window to give looks to players that will start to form a group, particularly after Christmas, that we will start to build around.”
“I think this window, plus the January window, are the two big windows in the immediate plan to be able to assess what other players from outside the current player pool are going to be candidates to be involved with what we’re looking to do.”
Hayes acknowledges that these matches may not always be smooth. Early cycles often involve testing various formations and player combinations. It is important for the U.S. to experiment now rather than during crucial tournaments later.
“When we put together a [lineup] that has been playing together for a period of time, I think it’s easy for us to evolve tactically,” she explained. “Then when all of a sudden I make multiple changes to the lineup, that will make the games choppy in many ways because being able to apply everything I’m asking them to do in their first camps will be really, really challenging.”
“So I’m not expecting everything to be perfect in this camp.”
“Gotta learn them quick,” said captain Lindsay Horan. “It’s about having conversations and communication on and off the field, making players feel comfortable, but also knowing that they are new, they have to figure out the level and the standard. It’s different coming from a club environment to this team, and it’s hard. We’ve all been there and we have to adjust, and that’s the reality of it.”
“But they’re all here for a reason, and I’m sure they’re gonna do great.”
Hayes has included six uncapped players in this camp: midfielder Hal Hershfelt, defenders Emily Sams, Eva Gaetino, and Alyssa Malonson, along with forwards Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears. While Hershfelt and Sams were alternates at the Olympics, neither saw game time, though Sams did earn a medal as a game-day roster replacement for an injured Tierna Davidson.
Additionally, forward Alyssa Thompson and midfielder Ashley Sanchez, both of whom participated in the 2023 World Cup, are returning to the team for the first time since late last year. This marks their initial camp under Hayes.
Looking ahead, Hayes and her staff conducted a thorough review of the Olympics to identify “where the missing gaps are,” which will inform their strategy for the upcoming World Cup. These insights will be shared at a “Futures Camp” in January in Los Angeles, where the senior team will train alongside promising talents from youth national teams, the NWSL, college, and potentially the emerging USL Super League.
In the meantime, this camp is designed to enhance the team’s strengths while evaluating new talent, keeping the next World Cup in focus.
“I think there’s going to be a huge evolution of this team,” Horan stated. “You saw bits and pieces of that in the Olympics with the little bit of time that Emma had with us. Now, she’s got three years leading up to this next World Cup, so I think that is very exciting, and I think there’s so much work that can be done.”
