When it comes to her tenure as the USWNT boss, Hayes is, in her words, “fresh out of the packet”, but she is already thinking about her legacy, explaining that unifying the US talent pool under a women’s football development strategy is “going to be the biggest piece” of what she leaves behind.

After leading the U.S. to Olympic gold, the manager is back on home soil for a friendly against her native England. But her sights are set on a bigger prize.

In Emma Hayes’s recent press conference, she provided a clear view of the opportunities and obstacles facing women’s soccer in America. With a critical yet optimistic perspective, Hayes compared the developmental frameworks of American soccer to those in Europe,