Latest news with #EmmaHayes
CNN
a day ago
- General
- CNN
Emma Hayes reflects on journey to top of women's football
CNN World Sport's Amanda Davies speaks with U.S. Women's National Team coach Emma Hayes who shares how her late father was instrumental in her pursuing the top job in women's football.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The USWNT basks in the return of Naomi Girma – their ‘security blanket'
Compared to the past few windows, Saturday's 3-0 win was a game where the U.S. women's national team looked in complete control. The attack kept the pressure on China, continuing to threaten their defense as it frequently adjusted the height of its line of confrontation. Catarina Macario provided a goal and an assist; Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey scored from their midfield roles. Advertisement However, head coach Emma Hayes' post-match press conference started with a question about the long-awaited return of Naomi Girma and how the team benefited from her 90-minute shift. 'We've missed her, we really have,' Hayes said. 'Just in terms of the way we control the game; her, in a deeper space, just making decisions when to play forward, when not to.' As the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history, this year has only intensified the scrutiny that comes with being one of the world's best players in her position. Her time at Chelsea was not as smooth as the club and player had hoped. She exited her debut in early March with a calf injury, feeling the strain having gone nearly four months without playing a club match. Her first minutes back with Chelsea came in mid-April and this international window marked her first with the U.S. in 2025. 'I gave her a hug after the game,' said midfielder Coffey, who scored her second U.S. goal against China. 'Having her on the field is like having a security blanket, and just like being wrapped in it.' Advertisement After some tense and at times disjointed performances against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup and Brazil in a pair of friendlies, the USWNT dominated the entire match on Saturday. The defense played its part, with Coffey shuttling around to shield the back-line and the partnership between Girma and Emily Sonnett giving goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce ample coverage whenever China reached the final third. Those threats were few and far between. The USWNT dominated the chance-creation game, generating 3.01 expected goals (xG) while holding China to 0.18 xG. 'It does feel natural now,' Girma said of returning to the national team. 'I mean, I was able to watch what we did before, and I think a lot of what Emma wants to do is layer on what we had done in the past year. I think the changes are good and easy for me to kind of adapt to, with that base knowledge of how we want to play. 'It was just nice to be back on the field.' Advertisement As was often the case during the triumphant run to Olympic gold last summer, Girma was at the heart of the team's build-up. She logged a staggering 138 touches, per TruMedia, 41 more than the team's second-most involved player (Avery Patterson, with the right-back notching 97 touches). Girma completed 95.3 percent of her 129 pass attempts, helping determine how the USWNT worked to break through China's defensive structure. She also put in a defensive shift that embodied working smarter, not harder. She was not throwing herself into many challenges, though much of that work was done well before the ball even reached the U.S. defense. Still, she was quick on mop up duty, leading the USWNT with seven ball clearances (nobody else had more than three) while winning all three ground duels and her only aerial duel. Having her in the back-line only helped the midfield feel more confident as they engaged defensively, with peace of mind that she was in position if they failed to win the ball. Advertisement 'I can't put into words what she means to this team,' Coffey said. 'I think everybody sees it on the field, but off the field as well. She's just a joy in this environment and such a light for us. We have missed her so much. I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is.' In a year characterized by frequent rotation across Hayes' squads and lineups, Girma's return represents a different type of variable for the team. Throughout 2025, Hayes has called on a number of center-backs, each auditioning to be Girma's primary partner. Sonnett represents a vital holdover from the team's last World Cup win in 2019, having established herself as a hard-nosed veteran along the back-line. Emily Sams came off the bench against China, while Tara McKeown has earned five caps this year. The latter two in particular are emblematic of Hayes' examination of her broader player pool, with both stepping into more important roles given positional absences. Not only has Girma been missing, but so has her partner last summer, Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL in April. While Sams, McKeown, Sonnett and others have stepped into their roles, none can quite match the same comfortable benchmark established by Girma. Advertisement 'I mean, she's a world-class player,' Hayes said. 'I thought she brought something to our performance that we're looking for, so I'm delighted to have her back.' Once she returned to playing regular minutes for Chelsea in mid-April, she was eased back into the fold. While Chelsea kept clean sheets in each of her final four performances of the WSL season, only two of those matches saw Girma play all 90 minutes. 'It was a lot of transition for me,' Girma said on Friday regarding her first months with Chelsea. 'I think it was a huge learning experience for me. You always have those moments in your career where you're up and down, up and down, up and down, so it was definitely like that. 'But I think it was a good five months of getting settled, getting to know my team-mates, getting used to playing there, playing with a new team, and living in a new country. So it's been really positive so far, and I've really enjoyed it.' Advertisement Girma logged her 46th cap, an impressive total for a 24-year-old defender who seems destined to be the bedrock of this team for years to come. With its world class center-back in the lineup, the United States put together its most composed performance of the year. Then again, that revelation hardly comes as a surprise given Girma's floor-raising performances since her debut in 2022. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, Soccer, NWSL, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
The USWNT basks in the return of Naomi Girma – their ‘security blanket'
Compared to the past few windows, Saturday's 3-0 win was a game where the U.S. women's national team looked in complete control. The attack kept the pressure on China, continuing to threaten their defense as it frequently adjusted the height of its line of confrontation. Catarina Macario provided a goal and an assist; Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey scored from their midfield roles. Advertisement However, head coach Emma Hayes' post-match press conference started with a question about the long-awaited return of Naomi Girma and how the team benefited from her 90-minute shift. 'We've missed her, we really have,' Hayes said. 'Just in terms of the way we control the game; her, in a deeper space, just making decisions when to play forward, when not to.' As the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history, this year has only intensified the scrutiny that comes with being one of the world's best players in her position. Her time at Chelsea was not as smooth as the club and player had hoped. She exited her debut in early March with a calf injury, feeling the strain having gone nearly four months without playing a club match. Her first minutes back with Chelsea came in mid-April and this international window marked her first with the U.S. in 2025. 'I gave her a hug after the game,' said midfielder Coffey, who scored her second U.S. goal against China. 'Having her on the field is like having a security blanket, and just like being wrapped in it.' After some tense and at times disjointed performances against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup and Brazil in a pair of friendlies, the USWNT dominated the entire match on Saturday. The defense played its part, with Coffey shuttling around to shield the back-line and the partnership between Girma and Emily Sonnett giving goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce ample coverage whenever China reached the final third. Those threats were few and far between. The USWNT dominated the chance-creation game, generating 3.01 expected goals (xG) while holding China to 0.18 xG. 'It does feel natural now,' Girma said of returning to the national team. 'I mean, I was able to watch what we did before, and I think a lot of what Emma wants to do is layer on what we had done in the past year. I think the changes are good and easy for me to kind of adapt to, with that base knowledge of how we want to play. Advertisement 'It was just nice to be back on the field.' As was often the case during the triumphant run to Olympic gold last summer, Girma was at the heart of the team's build-up. She logged a staggering 138 touches, per TruMedia, 41 more than the team's second-most involved player (Avery Patterson, with the right-back notching 97 touches). Girma completed 95.3 percent of her 129 pass attempts, helping determine how the USWNT worked to break through China's defensive structure. She also put in a defensive shift that embodied working smarter, not harder. She was not throwing herself into many challenges, though much of that work was done well before the ball even reached the U.S. defense. Still, she was quick on mop up duty, leading the USWNT with seven ball clearances (nobody else had more than three) while winning all three ground duels and her only aerial duel. Having her in the back-line only helped the midfield feel more confident as they engaged defensively, with peace of mind that she was in position if they failed to win the ball. 'I can't put into words what she means to this team,' Coffey said. 'I think everybody sees it on the field, but off the field as well. She's just a joy in this environment and such a light for us. We have missed her so much. I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is.' In a year characterized by frequent rotation across Hayes' squads and lineups, Girma's return represents a different type of variable for the team. Throughout 2025, Hayes has called on a number of center-backs, each auditioning to be Girma's primary partner. Sonnett represents a vital holdover from the team's last World Cup win in 2019, having established herself as a hard-nosed veteran along the back-line. Emily Sams came off the bench against China, while Tara McKeown has earned five caps this year. Advertisement The latter two in particular are emblematic of Hayes' examination of her broader player pool, with both stepping into more important roles given positional absences. Not only has Girma been missing, but so has her partner last summer, Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL in April. While Sams, McKeown, Sonnett and others have stepped into their roles, none can quite match the same comfortable benchmark established by Girma. 'I mean, she's a world-class player,' Hayes said. 'I thought she brought something to our performance that we're looking for, so I'm delighted to have her back.' Once she returned to playing regular minutes for Chelsea in mid-April, she was eased back into the fold. While Chelsea kept clean sheets in each of her final four performances of the WSL season, only two of those matches saw Girma play all 90 minutes. 'It was a lot of transition for me,' Girma said on Friday regarding her first months with Chelsea. 'I think it was a huge learning experience for me. You always have those moments in your career where you're up and down, up and down, up and down, so it was definitely like that. 'But I think it was a good five months of getting settled, getting to know my team-mates, getting used to playing there, playing with a new team, and living in a new country. So it's been really positive so far, and I've really enjoyed it.' Girma logged her 46th cap, an impressive total for a 24-year-old defender who seems destined to be the bedrock of this team for years to come. With its world class center-back in the lineup, the United States put together its most composed performance of the year. Then again, that revelation hardly comes as a surprise given Girma's floor-raising performances since her debut in 2022.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
US women cruise past China in friendly win
Catarina Macario celebrates her opening goal for the USA in a 3-0 win over China on Saturday (Kerem YUCEL) The United States romped to a 3-0 win over China in a women's international football friendly on Saturday, as the former world champions' renaissance under coach Emma Hayes continued. Goals from Catarina Macario, Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps delivered a convincing win for the American women, who dominated a fragile Chinese side at Saint Paul, Minnesota. Advertisement It was the 17th win in 21 games for the USA's English head coach Hayes, who was tasked with restoring the Americans to the summit of the women's game following their early 2023 World Cup exit. Hayes, who led the USA to a gold medal at last year's Olympics, is preparing her squad for this year's qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. The former Chelsea manager would have liked what she saw in a fluid first half performance that saw China's risky tactical decision to play with a high line punished ruthlessly. Macario opened the scoring after 28 minutes, bundling home a close-range finish after good work from Alyssa Thompson. Advertisement The USA doubled their tally seven minutes later with a brilliantly worked goal, which began when the gifted 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes released Thompson down the right who crossed for Macario. Macario played a short pass into Coffey, who swept home with aplomb. Macario and Heaps both threatened to add to the USA tally with long-range shots that were just off target before half-time. Heaps though bagged the USA's third in the 54th minute, nodding in past China goalkeeper Pan Hongyan to effectively seal the win. The USA face Jamaica in a friendly in on Tuesday. rcw/bb
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
USWNT midfield stands out in 3-0 win over China, Sam Coffey tallies second U.S. goal
One of the youngest U.S. women's national teams of recent years opened its stretch of friendlies with a commanding 3-0 win over China on Saturday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Head coach Emma Hayes reaffirmed this week that the team is 'on track' to meet her deadline of having a core group set by June. With some consistency and production out of midfield, it was clear things were meshing for the U.S. Advertisement Catarina Macario opened the scoring, cleaning up a strong effort from teammate Alyssa Thompson. However, it was the midfield that took center stage with several crosses into the box and goals from midfielder Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heap. Before the match was over, Hayes added in 32-year-old Lo'eau LaBonta, who became the oldest player to debut for the team. Saturday's game showcased both veteran leadership and emerging talent as Hayes continues to prepare for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. As is often the case for U.S. midfielder Sam Coffey, most of her shift against China was spent doing the game's more thankless work in the trenches. On multiple occasions in the first half, Coffey took contact from opponents, an inevitability for a player who shuttles the ball around on her dribble to draw defenders in. On Saturday, she was rewarded for all of those hard yards, coming into the box as the United States looked for a breakthrough. She collected a pass from Macario and connected with a tidy left-footed finish for her second international goal. (Fittingly, her first goal was also against China on Dec. 5, 2023.) 'I miss plenty of them in practice, so it was about time I made one,' Coffey joked on the TNT Sports broadcast at halftime. 'I feel like I'm working a lot on trying to join the play more, get up in counter-measures. I tend to play it too safe, and think too 'worst-case scenario,' so I was just trying to join. Cat (Macario) did all the work, laid it off.' Coffey has become a mainstay since the start of 2024, making 27 appearances for the USWNT since the start of last year. Her positional awareness has also aided the evolution of the entire midfield, including Heaps and Lily Yohannes' alternating movement against China. While Hayes hasn't yet identified a clear second-choice defensive midfielder, as she continues to test alternatives like Claire Hutton, Hal Hershfelt, and Lo'eau LaBonta, the number 6 role is in good standing as long as Coffey is available. — Jeff Rueter For the first time since the SheBelieves Cup finale against Japan, Hayes started Coffey, Heaps and Yohannes together in midfield. As has often been the case under Hayes, Heaps primarily operated as a playmaker, while Yohannes often stayed alongside Coffey in defense. Unlike past games where Heaps has started, there was more frequent positional interchange between the captain and Yohannes. Depending on China's movement ahead of the USWNT's possessive sequences, the 17-year-old would drift forward to play beneath Cat Macario, with Heaps backtracking into the vacated space. Meanwhile, Coffey shuttled across the field in the central third, working to give teammates an outlet for passing while positioning herself to screen any potential counterattacks. Yohannes seemed to relish her opportunities in the more advanced role, tapping into her bag of tricks to flick the ball over opponents and work give-and-gos with right back Avery Patterson or winger Michelle Cooper. While Yohannes is more of a creator, Heaps operates as a secondary goalscoring threat, patrolling as high as possible to get on the end of crosses, hold up play, or get into scoring positions as the USWNT navigates the final third. Advertisement The start of the second half, however, provided an emphatic reminder of what Heaps brings to the role: a good aerial threat who defenses can easily lose track of as Macario (or other strikers) draw primary attention. Cooper ran onto a ball down the wing, took time to set up her cross without defensive pressure, and found an onrushing Heaps for a well-placed finish without needing to leave her feet. If anything, it's a massive advantage for Hayes to have capable players who can approach such a crucial role in very different ways but still provide an impact. LaBonta is a bit of an anomaly for the U.S. She is both a rookie and an experienced presence on the team with her decade of experience in the NWSL. But on Saturday, she earned a long-awaited first, becoming the oldest player to debut for the U.S. women at 32. LaBonta came into the match for 17-year-old Yohannes in the 70th minute. 'I'm going in expecting nothing, and willing to give everything,' LaBonta told The Athletic before the match. After the game, she told the TNT Sports broadcast that she was focused on how she could help the players who had been on the field from the start. She did not get a chance to show off her signature celebrations, but LaBonta could get another chance to make her mark when the team takes the field against Jamaica in St. Louis on Tuesday. The U.S. will face Jamaica on Tuesday, June 3, in St. Louis at Energizer Stadium. The match kicks off at 8 pm ET.
