At the beginning of the Olympics few expected Emma Hayes to take the USA all the way to the final in Paris, months after starting her job as the coach of a struggling women’s national team – but she has made an immediate impact.
My former manager at Chelsea will take on Brazil – and one of my all-time heroes, Marta – in Saturday’s gold-medal match. I am privileged that I will witness in person Hayes’s quest to become an Olympic champion. Some doubted what she could achieve in such a short time but when I booked my seat months ago, in the back of my mind I thought Hayes and the USA would be in the final. I suspected they would come up against Spain, only for Brazil to dispatch the world champions comprehensively in the semi-finals, showing how dangerous the South Americans are.
I am sure Hayes would have accepted getting to learn about her group of young and exciting players but she always backs herself to get to a final and has quickly brought confidence to a group who are enjoying their football after turbulent times. Winning is obviously very helpful but creating the right environment has always been one of Hayes’s strengths.
Hayes has worked in the States and with plenty of Americans so she is not a complete outsider and knows what makes individuals tick. Alongside her is the American Denise Reddy, her assistant in her last four years at Chelsea, so they have a good understanding of what they want to create, which has helped accelerate the process.
Taking over a team that have struggled is often easier, and it has allowed Hayes to refresh things mentally and physically. There has been some criticism of the USA’s style under Hayes but she is playing to their strengths. She does not care about outside noise; she’s a winner and will do what is necessary to keep winning. America are blessed with quick forwards who are good on the counter and Hayes recognises that. During her time in the Women’s Super League I would say other teams played football that was nicer on the eye but her Chelsea team were incredibly effective. Being an Olympic gold medallist less than 11 weeks after her first training session would be impressive by anyone’s standards, even Hayes’s.
Hayes is instilling a work ethic and resilience that will serve the team well in other tournaments. They have won their two knockout games 1-0 after extra time, showing they are defensively solid, can come up with big moments when it matters and have the stamina to do it late. Clearly there is plenty of improvement to be made but doing that from a platform of being Olympic finalists is not a bad starting point.
Whereas it is the first chapter of Hayes and the USA, we are waiting for the ending to Marta’s glittering Brazil career. She is one of my idols, someone I first saw play on TV when I was a teenager, and was an inspiration. I will always remember her white boots at the 2003 World Cup; I thought she was amazing and I wanted to be Marta or at least the Birmingham equivalent. I knew about some of the English greats, such as Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey, whom I had been to watch, but Marta opened up international football to me. I thought, if she could go to a major tournament at 17, I could emulate her, and I achieved that at the Euros two years later.
I started playing against Marta when she was in Sweden 18 years ago and faced her regularly in America. The fact she is in this final at 38 is a mark of her longevity and quality. No one wanted to see her bow out with her red card in the group game against Spain so it is fantastic that her teammates have got her to another final. I’ve met Marta a few times and I’m still in awe of her; I saw her speak at the Fifa Best awards and wanted a photo but got too embarrassed. I may live to regret that. When you come up against a player of her ability, you will always respect them but it is often not until retirement that you appreciate what they have achieved. In my experience she was a beast on the pitch and an amazing human off it.
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I have always loved Brazilian football. I played with Formiga and Cristiane in America, which gave me a greater understanding of their football culture. Brazil are the 2027 World Cup hosts, so it is good to see them performing well and hopefully it will push the conversations back home about further investment and amplify their status because, having spoken to Kaká at the men’s Champions League final, I know the country is looking forward to that tournament and it is important to have a strong host.
The Olympics have always been important in the women’s calendar but with the growth of the game there will be a greater challenge to fit everything in and avoid burnout. I played at London 2012 and it is a great honour to say I am an Olympian and would love for it to carry on with the same status, but with the women’s game evolving I am not sure it will.
Whatever the long-term outlook for women’s Olympic football, everyone has a fascinating final to look forward to. Hayes’s America and Marta are at the opposite ends of their stories, but one will get a golden chapter.