Above: USWNT ahead of their fixture against South Korea in June. Photo: USWNT on Instagram
by Aimee Reynolds (/7/24)
Ranked fifth in the world after a disappointing Women’s World Cup exit, new head coach Emma Hayes will be going all out to lead her side back to the medals.
After qualifying for the Olympic Games in France, the United States Of America are known to be the most successful team in women’s football with four previous Olympic wins. Will 2024 be the year of their fifth win?
Squad
Goalkeepers: Casey Murphy, Alyssa Naeher.
Defenders: Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswonger, Emily Sonnet.
Midfielders: Korbin Albert, Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario (withdrew injured).
Forwards: Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson.
Alternate Players (can only be selected if any players above are injured): Croix Bethune (MF), Jane Campbell (GK), Hal Hershfelt (MF), Lynn Williams (FW)
Catarina Macario, was replaced by Lynn Williams due to her not being able to physically prepare because of a continuous irritation in her right knee.
Head Coach
Above: Emma Hayes after an interview regarding her becoming head coach Photo: USWNT on X
Hayes only joined the States in May 2024 after Vlatko Andonovski stepped down after the country’s worst World Cup performance in history. Hayes has won her first two games in charge with a total of seven goals scored versus South Korea. However, could they have done more against a team ranked 20th in the world? The USA manager spoke after these games explaining her squad is young and people need to be “patient.”
Coaching at international level is something new to the Brit who no longer has the day-to-day player relationships that she built so well to drive Chelsea to success. Despite this, Hayes and her team are ambitious enough to change their previous tactics to accommodate the new role.
Whilst Hayes is best known for her trophy-laden time with Chelsea, winning the Women’s Super League (WSL) five times in a row and seven in total. The span of her career hasn’t just been in England. In 2002 she came out to the USA and managed Long Island Lady Rivers in New York, becoming the youngest manager in the league and leading them to their first title in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference.
Olympic History
The USA are the most successful team in the world. Between 1996-2012 and in 2021 the country has won medals at the Olympics. However in Rio, during the 2016 Olympics, they finished fifth having one of their worst Olympic games in history.
If we go back to 1996, head coach Tony DiCicco, led arguably some of the best players of all time including Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy. At the 2020 Olympics, played in 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the USWNT arguably underachieved by winning bronze. After a rocky start losing their first game to Sweden , they ended up in the semi-finals but a 1-0 loss to Canada sent them into the bronze medal match against Australia in a superb game that the US edged 4-3.
How they qualified
They secured their spot at the Paris Olympics by winning 1-0 against Canada in the CONCACAF W Championship Final securing their ninth title thanks to a penalty scored by Star Striker Alex Morgan (who has now missed out on current squad selection) which ended up being her third goal of the tournament back in 2022. Morgan also won Best Player and Top Goal scorer (this was joint between Jessie Flemming, Julie Grosso and Khadija Shaw).
The final took place in Guadalupe, Mexico with an attendance of 17,247, and it was all down to this game for a direct qualification route to the Olympics which ended up going the USA’s way.
Strengths
The USWNT have a young squad with new talent they bring to tournament is hard to match, the fire they have in them to prove themselves on the big stage can rise above experience. The versality throughout will suit tournament football incredibly for example Crystal Dunn (forward) can also play left back which is a massive advantage to Hayes side.
Development Areas
After their exit from the Women’s World Cup in 2023, their last major tournament, the USA have a lot to improve on. The rest of the world has caught up with the States drastically within the last few years.
Key Players
Sophia Smith: At 23 years old Sophia Smith is one of the biggest names in women’s football. Her international debut for the senior squad was in November 2020, where she became the first player born in the 2000’s to play at senior level. This will be Smith’s first ever Olympics. She brings a mix of speed, passion, vision, goalscoring and versatility to Hayes’ young Olympic squad.
Smith’s stats are terrifying for any team. During the current NWSL season the Portland Thorns forward has scored 10 goals in 12 games. Internationally she has scored 19 times.
One to watch
Jaedyn Shaw: At 19 years old she is the youngest player in the squad but her talent goes much further. So far in the NWSL, in 14 games she has scored three and assisted once. Internationally, she is breaking records and making history becoming the first USWNT player to score in their first four starts. Shaw is known for her creativity with the ball under pressure keeping possession with her technical ability as well as her agility to get round defenders which will be beneficial for her first-ever Olympics.
Success would be
USWNT standards are high, however in the past few years they haven’t quite been able to reach that bar. Success would be to get back to their winning ways and make it all the way to the final.
Group Fixtures
25th July USA vs Zambia, 9pm, Stade de Nice.
28th July USA vs Germany, 9pm, Stade de Vélodrome, Marseille.
31st July Australia vs USA, 7pm Stade de Vélodrome, Marseille.
All kick-off times are French time.
Missed any of Impetus’ other Olympic Nation Guides? Catch up by clicking below!
CANADA: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/07/13/olympics-preview-canada-2/
FRANCE: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/07/14/olympics-preview-france/
COLOMBIA: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/07/15/olympics-preview-colombia/
NEW ZEALAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2024/07/16/olympics-preview-new-zealand-2/
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