“It’s been a really good camp and we mustn’t always measure progress by outcome,” remarked Emma Hayes following the USWNT‘s 1-2 defeat to Brazil. It marked a second loss under her regime, as the American ladies failed to conclude the April camp on a high note—despite kicking it off with an emphatic 2-0 win. While one could argue it was merely a friendly and part of their momentum-building for the 2027 World Cup, the team still faces criticism for not being “up to the challenge.”
The Brazilians finally got their long-awaited revenge against the 4X World Champions. They successfully put an end to the USA’s straight nine-match winning streak over them—the longest such run any team has ever held against the South American nation. Some might say that it wasn’t just USWNT’s day at the office on Tuesday. However, sports creator Bart Keeler thinks otherwise.
“I think there are two things to look at here: one is to be obviously disappointed by not just the result, but the performance wasn’t great from the US from outside of the first 25 minutes,” he said while discussing the recent blunder on the latest episode of Soccer Down Here with co-host Jon Nelson. “Even in both games, Brazil had way too much control over the style and tempo of the game.”
Though Keeler sided with the USA, noting that the referee was “very kind” to Brazil, allowing Arthur Elias’ side to be as much “physical, bullying-ish” as they could. “They are bullies on the field and they get away with that; they are a very high-defensive action team. But we just gave away the ball like that,” said Bart, expressing his concern for the USWNT’s lack of accountability.
Technically, the sportscaster is right. As per a surprising stat from OptaJack, despite their 2-0 defeat at SoFi Stadium, Brazil managed to win possession in the attacking third 10 times during the first half alone against the USWNT at SoFi Stadium. Remarkably, only two teams have achieved a higher number over an entire match against the U.S. in the past decade.
For a moment, Catarina Macario’s minute opener at PayPal Park ignited a wave of confidence among both fans and the team that the second match was also in their favor. However, an equalizer from Brazil’s Kerolin in the 24′ minute, followed by a 90+5 winner from Amanda Gutierres left the Paris Olympics winners bleeding.
What exactly was the cause of their defeat is something that’s unclear. But food for thought; was it actually the constant changes in the roster that Hayes is making?
Did prioritizing ‘pool expansion’ backfired at Emma Hayes?
The current roster looked vastly different from the one Emma Hayes led to Olympic gold in Paris. Even across previous camps (A defeat to Japan), her selections have raised questions. While Hayes acknowledges recent results, her focus remains firmly on the team’s long-term development. “I’m prioritizing the progress from expanding the playing pool to getting to see what these players look like in a really difficult match.”
Paris 2024 Olympics – Football – Women’s Quarter-final – United States vs Japan – Parc des Princes, Paris, France – August 03, 2024. United States coach Emma Hayes reacts. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
Emma urged the USWNT fanatics to bear with the short-term pain for a successful future. Then again, many also argued that such friendlies did nothing but add pressure on younger players. However, this is exactly what the former Chelsea boss wants, insisting, “I want to put players in the frying pan.” In fact, Emma insisted that she has much ‘clarity‘ on which players she can use at her disposal for the 2027 gig while sending the not-required youngsters back to U23.
Yet, this statement was put to challenge by Bart Keeler. In a similar segment, the sportscaster continued, “It’s concerning that a lot of players she [Hayes] brought in to test out were not up to the challenge against Brazil,” adding that losing two games on top of that doesn’t make them look good.
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