The biggest coaching job in women’s team sport has been filled this week, with Emma Hayes confirmed as the next head coach of the United States Women’s National Team, known as the USWNT. Like the All Blacks are to men’s rugby, the Americans are to women’s football. They are the brand, the myth, the legend and so of course come with an almost unhealthy dose of expectations.
The writing was on the wall for their last coach, Vlatko Andonovski, before the whistle blew time on their first pool match. They won that World Cup opener against Vietnam 3-0 but it’s not enough for this team to win, they have to dominate. A sentiment that may feel familiar to All Blacks fans. It’s a wonder any coach was bold enough to put their hand up for this job.
It’s an even tougher recruitment at this particular moment in time. There is a changing of the guard, with veterans of the game hanging up their boots and many questions as to whether the United States has the best system to develop their successors.
The inadvertent poster child for the success of Title IX, women’s soccer exploded after the Government’s introduction of equal funding for their college programmes in 1972. This early innovation is now an albatross, entrenching challenges around geography, class and race with the pathway to the national team marched through the university gates.
While this team spent time fighting valiantly for equal pay, other nations put more money into their domestic competitions. With many now operating professional leagues, more talent is meeting more opportunities than ever. The predictable result is that the gap between the United States and the rest of the world is closing.