Emma Hayes made a profitable debut as head coach of the US Ladies’s Nationwide Group as Mallory Swanson and Tyrna Davidson scored twice in Saturday’s 4-0 pleasant win in opposition to South Korea at DSG Park in Denver.
Group USA was steadily discovering its rhythm, with Swanson and Davidson breaking by within the first half and once more within the second interval.
At instances, Hayes walked alongside the sideline, watching. She applauded the objectives and misses. Generally she would go to the bench to speak to assistant coach Twila Kilgore.
Hayes, 47, was introduced into the squad in November however joined the squad this week in Colorado after finishing her Ladies’s Tremendous League season with Chelsea. She is attempting to get to know her group rapidly earlier than selecting a group for the Olympics in Paris this summer time.
Hayes’ mission is easy: restore the dominance of Group USA, which had a disappointing end ultimately yr’s Ladies’s World Cup. The early exit led to the resignation of coach Vlatko Andanowski.
Dick’s Sporting Items Park had a big crowd cheering on a group with a mean age of 25.5, the youngest USWNT beginning lineup in additional than two years. One fan introduced an indication that learn, “We belief Emma.”
Captain Lindsay Horan virtually put the hosts off the mark halfway by the primary half, however the flag went up for offside simply earlier than her strike.
Nevertheless, it was an indication that the group was beginning to get on the identical web page.
Swanson opened the scoring within the thirty fourth minute because of a one-two play with fellow Colorado native Sophia Smith.
Davidson doubled their lead within the thirty eighth minute and the defender scored once more early within the second half earlier than Swanson added one other purpose within the 74th minute.
“You’ll be able to see we’re constructing one thing,” Hayes informed ESPN after the sport. “There’s numerous work forward. Little question there are numerous holes in our sport, but it surely was a superb begin.
“I take pleasure in these fantastic gamers. I simply really feel like I am recovering and I wish to coach this group they usually wish to coach me.
“By way of what I’ve requested of the group, what we have been getting ready for, executing it, we have taken steps in the precise path.
“I felt that for the primary half-hour it was a technical efficiency the place we struggled. We scored in our first three possibilities, so we have been environment friendly, we have been scientific.”
The 2 groups will meet once more in a pleasant in Minnesota on Tuesday.