The USWNT's journey back to fun

Watching the US is fun again. How did we get here?

— Marseille

There was a period of time when writing about the US Women’s National Team felt like constantly transcribing a deluge of unfortunate “firsts”. Every event required documentation of something gone awry: This is the earliest the US has exited the Women’s World Cup. This is the fewest goals the U.S. has scored in a major tournament. This is the lowest FIFA ranking in the history of the USWNT. This is the first time the U.S. has lost a game in California. 

And so on, it seemed, for months. 

I suppose for a program with such a large head start on the rest of the world, the requisite statistics would eventually catch up. The schadenfreude fiends rejoiced.  

But, ah, not so fast. 

The twelve months separating this warm Marseille evening where I write to you now, from that wretched evening in Melbourne when the seagulls sailed down like vultures, contained necessary evolution, and hard fought rejuvenation in their days. 

Worth emphasizing again: the team appointed Emma Hayes. 

Since last November Hayes watched, and coordinated, while we waited from across the sea. Under the caring guidance of Twila Kilgore (who visited and collaborated with Hayes during her final six months at Chelsea), a new era was gradually born. 

Kilgore introduced new players and fresh ideas, and they worked through the lingering malaise of a bitter World Cup over the course of two tournaments early this year. Those tournaments, the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup and subsequent SheBelieves Cup were essential to this moment now. They provided tournament-style renditions of the on and off-field challenges the team would face this summer. And they tested the team against top talent, including four of twelve Olympic teams (Canada x 2, Brazil, Colombia, Japan). 

By the end of it, the frequently flouted “fallen giants” came out with the trophy both times. Their triumphs were of mentality and spirit as much as anything else. 

It was hardly inevitable. 

In fact, it feels as though the US Women’s National Team (as well as everyone watching) lived multiple lifetimes over the course of those games. 

The fun started with more fallen statistics. They lost 2-0 to El Tri Femenil in the W Gold Cup group stage: their first loss in California, their first loss to Mexico at home, their second loss to Mexico all time. The clamorers clamored: this was yet another sign of the team’s inevitable demise. 

But then: the response. 

The team beat Colombia 3-0 in their next game. It was a fast-paced physical battle with elite technical wanderers, ready to strike. Trinity Rodman told me it was her favorite game of the year, calling it a “mental test”. With goals from Horan, Nighswonger and Shaw, the game had it all, including Alex Morgan aggressively chest bumping Catalina Usme in the box.  

The ignominious rain game followed. The US beat Canada in penalties— the first penalties since the ones that sent them home in Australia. Horrid memories arrived, horrid memories were put away. Alyssa Naeher saved three and scored one. Sophia Smith (who missed hers in Melbourne) scored a pivotal goal in the game, then stepped up to take the first penalty and buried it. 

Smith, who was in tears after the game, spoke on the emotions of it: “It's been a hard journey since the World Cup. That took a big emotional toll on me, so this felt like a big relief. I feel like I needed that.”

Lining up for the rain game, a match played in puddles.

While imperfect throughout and imperfect in the final, the team beat Brazil 1-0 to lift the W Gold Cup trophy. The entire chaos-filled tournament was cathartic art. 

A month later, the team came from behind to beat Japan in the SheBelieves Cup semi-final, then overcame Canada in Columbus-based penalties again. (Alyssa Naeher saved three and scored one of her own again. Send her right to the Hall of Fame) 

With that, two trophies were won, and a team spirit remade. 

Emanating from the team and rippling across the fanbase, an old familiar feeling came creeping back in. This is fun. They’re fun. We’re on board a ridiculous rollercoaster, but the USWNT is fun again. Somewhere in the tumult of rain games and penalties, we reacquainted ourselves with delight.

Two months later, Emma Hayes inherited a resilient team thrilled by her arrival. They played four friendlies together before the Olympic Games. There, and here, the team has still been imperfect. But they’re compelling, free, tactically adept, deeply talented, and threatening like U.S. teams of old.

Most importantly, that rediscovered delight found in the depths of this past winter has made it to Marseille. It shows up in how they play on the field: open, liberated, creative and carefree. 

After defeating Germany 4-1 Sunday evening, “fun” is one of the first things Emma Hayes had to say as she spoke with media at Stade Vélodrome:

“Oh, it was fun. I actually really enjoyed the game. My agent texted me and said, ‘I enjoyed it. I bet you didn’t.’ And I was like, ‘No, I really enjoyed the game.’ I liked the tempo. It was a high level game, high level opponent, high level of tactics, high level of tactical execution on our part. That was a mature performance. You have to suffer, of course you do. And they're a top team. But I thought we were devastating when we needed to. I thought we were well worthy of our lead at halftime…” 

Hayes emphasized again, “...Fun, free, really, really dynamic…”

3-0 against Zambia. 4-1 against Germany. Much remains to be seen. As players and Emma both hinted, they still haven’t hit their highest gear. 

And as they play with a clear sense of lightness, the statistics and milestones are writing a brand new story these days: 

Emma Hayes is just the second USWNT coach to win her first two major tournament matches, and the first since the 1991 World Cup. The USWNT is the first team to score four goals on Germany in a competitive game since the 2008 Olympics. Mallory Swanson is the first U.S. player to score three goals in a single Olympic group stage since the USA’s all-time leading goalscorer Abby Wambach did in London 2012 (they won gold). Sophia Smith is just the sixth player in program history to score in the World Cup and an Olympics before turning 24 years old.