This week Al Jazeera looks at the new USWNT boss, the ‘beauty’ of mixed martial arts and the disaster of the Cricket World Cup final in India.
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The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) entered this year’s World Cup as the near-unstoppable favorites, pulling off an unprecedented “three-peat” and claiming their third straight title.
Instead, a team of aging stars and raw newcomers failed and were eliminated in the round of 16 with a penalty shootout loss to Sweden. Her coach then resigned.
US Soccer has put Chelsea coach Emma Hayes in charge of the rebuild, and this week Al Jazeera spoke to several experts to find out what makes the 47-year-old coach so special, the challenges she faces and how the move paved her groundbreaking path in the story continues the women’s game.
Since becoming Chelsea manager in 2012, Hayes has turned the London side into the dominant force in English women’s football, winning the last four consecutive Women’s Super League titles.
Before joining Chelsea, she gained some professional experience in US women’s soccer.
Sportswriter Jeff Kassouf said Hayes was well-positioned as someone familiar with U.S. football, but something of an “outsider” at a time when the team needed new thinking.
“Hayes has proven herself to be one of the best managers in the world. “She is not afraid to fail in the short term when it comes to finding the right long-term answers, as she demonstrated with her tactical flexibility at Chelsea,” Kassouf told Al Jazeera.
“The USWNT needs this more than ever. The Americans seemed rigid recently and were almost afraid of improvisation, which is necessary in big games.”
Hayes won’t officially take over until the end of the domestic season, just two months before the USWNT plays in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But several observers said her social skills, flexibility and courage to make important decisions would make her well-suited to do so.
Brandi Chastain, a two-time world champion with the USA, told Al Jazeera that Hayes will be a “breath of fresh air” and is reportedly very mindful of how the game should be played – generally fast and direct.
“I think it will be a big challenge for the players. I don’t know if they’ve been challenged to step out of their comfort zone for a long time,” she said.
Hayes has done much to raise the standards and appeal of the women’s game – promoting the sport, campaigning for increased prize money, pushing for games in larger stadiums and prioritizing the recovery and needs of her players.
The terms of her appointment to the USNWT are also groundbreaking for women’s soccer.
US Soccer announced that she will become the highest paid women’s soccer coach in the world. Although the governing body did not disclose details of her salary, she will reportedly receive the same salary as U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter.
Chastain said the move could have a domino effect, pushing other countries to address the many widespread differences between the men’s and women’s games.
“I believe every country and every leadership body needs to take note of this and say, ‘Okay, this is important.’ We can’t pretend that women’s football isn’t viable, isn’t important or doesn’t meet the standards of our men’s team.’”
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