Coach on the road to winning Olympic gold with the US, why her final months at Chelsea were so tough and immersing herself in politics
“Was there a moment that I knew we were going to win gold? Probably the toe save,” says Emma Hayes, after a pause to think. “After the toe save I was like: ‘Oh, your name’s on it. Your name’s on it.’”
That “toe save” came in the 119th minute of the United States’ Olympic semi-final against Germany, the goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher leaping and flicking away Laura Freigang’s point-blank header to preserve their lead. Four days later, Mallory Swanson’s 57th-minute strike earned the US gold against Brazil, a staggering 72 days after Hayes oversaw her first practice.
Written by Suzanne Wrack
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/sep/05/emma-hayes-us-chelsea-energy-interview under the title “Emma Hayes: ‘I’ve got energy again, excitement, a chance to build something’”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
