da heads bet： Emma Hayes is set to take charge of her first match as USWNT head coach in a pair of pre-Olympics friendlies against South Korea.
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Hayes to begin USWNT job at end of MaySouth Korea set to be first opponentOlympics to follow soon afterWHAT HAPPENED?
In preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the USWNT are set to take on the Korea Republic in a double-match contest in early June. Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Colorado will play host on June 1, while Allianz Field on June 4 will see the USWNT report to the pitch in Minnesota.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT TWILA KILGORE SAID
“It will be exciting for everyone to have Emma on board for the June games,” said U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore, who will join Hayes’ staff as an assistant coach upon her arrival in the USA. “We need as many quality games as we can get heading into the Olympics and Korea Republic will provide good tests. While we will be watching every game our players play in their club environments over the next three months, the matches in Colorado and Minnesota are the final international matches before the Olympic Team is chosen, so they will carry that extra edge.”
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Hayes will finish the 2023/24 season with Chelsea. Her last game will either be May 18 on the final day of the WSL campaign, or May 25 if the Blues reach the Champions League final. She is set to jump more or less straight into USWNT duty after agreeing a four-year contract in November until 2027, with the Olympics only just around the corner and success the minimum expectation.
With scheduled matches on June 1 and June 4, she will be thrust into her role nearly immediately.
DID YOU KNOW?
The United States won the gold medal in four of the first five Olympic tournaments after women's soccer was introduced in 1996, claiming silver the only time they didn't win (2000). They haven't reached the final since 2012, however, failing to medal at all in 2016 and going home with a disappointing bronze in 2021.