Emma Hayes: “I didn’t recognize my team” after the defeat against Portugal
The coach of the United States women’s team, Emma Hayes, expressed her frustration after the 2-1 defeat against Portugal at Subaru Park. Hayes described the performance as unrecognizable and criticized the team’s lack of cohesion and game rhythm.This defeat represents the team’s third of the year, a situation that has only occurred four times in the program’s 40-year history. The other two defeats were against Japan and Brazil, at a time when Hayes was testing with young players. Hayes described the defeat to Portugal, the first in 12 matches, as the most irritating in her 18 months in charge of the team due to the way they played.I didn’t recognize my team. We rushed everything; we were direct. We don’t look like the team we’ve been working on.
Emma Hayes
The coach highlighted that the team failed in defensive synchronization and did not win individual duels. In addition, both Portuguese goals came after corner kicks, something she attributed to the almost four months of inactivity between international windows. Midfielder Sam Coffey, for her part, did not want to use the lack of playing time as an excuse.I felt like I was in a game of ‘whack-a-mole’. I felt that if I brought something up, I was hitting it down. That’s how I felt the game as a coach, and I’ve been doing this for a long time. I hate those matches.
Emma Hayes
There are a million excuses that could be made, and we are not going to make them. Saying that we haven’t been together or that we are young or whatever, I think it’s a cheap excuse. The level of this team is to assume when you are not good enough and you are not playing up to the standard of the badge. There is a standard of victory, and that surpasses all those things.
Sam Coffey
The players echoed these words. Lavelle and Coffey mentioned too many individual efforts, while captain Lindsey Heaps added that “sometimes it seemed like we were on islands”. Hayes praised Portugal and reminded her players not to underestimate their European rivals, who have more tournament experience and “know how to close out matches.” However, the American coach considered that her team failed in several aspects.It seemed like a team in pre-season, so we have to let it go. But as I always say, don’t make it a habit. How we present ourselves tomorrow is important.
Emma Hayes
The USWNT will have the opportunity to seek revenge against Portugal on Sunday in East Hartford, Connecticut.The reality is that he is not good enough for the team, nor for any individual. I thought the team was bad tonight, and I told the players afterwards, that, look, everyone might want to try to solve a difficult game sometimes when it’s not going very well. The problem with that is that the team wins games.
Emma Hayes
