Emma Hayes’ first year as head coach of the United States women’s national team has been a pivotal transition period — nothing short of transformational.
With a focus on reshaping the squad, Hayes has overseen numerous player debuts while also implementing a fresh style of play. This approach lays the foundation for a new era as she evaluates a broad pool of talent to build a roster capable of contending at the next major tournament, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The team has proven to have good depth across the board but it’s most often been the self-proclaimed ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line that has been Hayes’ first choice after years of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan leading the line. However, this latest set of international friendlies against England and Netherlands instead saw that first-choice trio of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman all rested to nurse niggling injuries post-National Women’s Soccer League season. This allowed Hayes to review her other forward options and assess depth to deputize and push the front three.
There are several options to add depth the front three spots, all with differing profiles that are now more visible thanks to Hayes’ experimentation. Who makes a strong case to be considered in the immediate and long-term future? We’ll look at each position and the options available to Hayes starting with the winger position.
The way Hayes uses her wingers is complementary. The concept is to position one hugging the touchline while the other roams and moves inside to interchange with the striker. Swanson and Rodman usually occupy these roles, but what we witnessed during the latest international break was a slightly different tactic with both wingers looking to take on their fullbacks, offering an alternative option for Hayes to experiment with. Over the two games, Hayes used a few different players in the positions, with Thompson in particular standing out.
