The two coaching hires represent the state of the national programs. The men’s team played it safe, while the women’s side swung for the fences
The appointment of Emma Hayes was the biggest statement the US women’s national team could have made. Still hurting from a dismal 2023 Women’s World Cup, US Soccer turned to one of the best coaches in the game to remodel the USWNT. This is in stark contrast to what US Soccer did after the 2022 World Cup, when they retained Gregg Berhalter as coach of the men’s team.
Of course, the US men’s national team didn’t fail in Qatar like the USWNT did in Australia and New Zealand. Berhalter’s team did not exceed expectations at the World Cup, but they did not fall short of them either. Nonetheless, US Soccer had the opportunity to make a more exciting appointment after Berhalter’s contract expired.
