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Hayes inspired a USWNT turnaround – but expectations remain as high as ever

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2024

Hayes inspired a USWNT turnaround – but expectations remain as high as ever

PARIS — The USWNT was on message all Olympics. Joy and belief. Trust and confidence. A fresh start under Emma Hayes.

After winning gold on Saturday at Parc des Princes in Paris, while many of the questions the players faced were about the game and the emotions and the medals around their necks, there were still a few that lingered on the past — especially last summer and the turnaround of this team over the past year from their worst World Cup finish to the top of the podium again.

The thing about this team, though, no matter what they accomplish, there’s always an eye to the future.

“We know there’s so much more in us, there’s so much more potential in the way we can play, the way we can break down opponents,” USWNT captain Lindsey Horan said in the final press conference, itching to don her goggles and start spraying champagne in the locker room with the rest of the squad to celebrate their 1-0 win over Brazil in the gold medal match.

“My gosh, the way the team is now and seeing the potential for 2027, it’s very exciting.”

USWNT captain Lindsey Horan says there is much more to come from this side (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

As much as the players have left the narrative around 2023 behind, it will shadow them for a while yet — at least until 2027 begins and a result comes there. That same old pressure is back, the expectations the same as ever: win, win, and win some more.

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Under head coach Hayes, though, it feels like there is a new pressure valve that wasn’t there before. There are karaoke machines, nail technicians, coffees, her being forced into watching more TikToks than she ever expected (or wanted). She’s met them where they are, as players and as people.

“We’ve been having so much fun,” forward Trinity Rodman said on Saturday after the match. “But again, we still push each other hard. There’s a misconception of, ‘Oh, they laugh and dance all the time at training. They’re not serious.’ We just proved to everyone that we are and that we take this very seriously.”

Big shout to @Nike for one heck of a celebration party 🎉🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/EXQXC6PyhW
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 11, 2024
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Maybe this Olympic gold proves they can have it all: the performances on the field, the goofiness off it, and joy threading through every moment, even as they had to find new depths in the summer heat of France against some of the best teams in the world.

If this team meshed so well in such a short period of time, if Hayes got so much right in her first 10 games as manager that it resulted in a gold medal, then maybe it’s more than fair to be thinking about three years down the line.

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But first, there’s so much that needs to happen between now and the next World Cup, which takes place in Brazil. Though FIFA has confirmed a schedule of international windows and competitions, from 2025 to 2029, a lot is still unknown — and there’s nothing firmed up about when World Cup qualifiers would be in 2026.

In the immediate future, everyone goes back home. Players will get a break, but there’s the rest of the NWSL season to play. Hayes noted at one press conference she still hasn’t even packed up her stuff at Chelsea’s facilities due to the speed at which she departed her previous role. There’s at least a little time here for a breather.

Hayes will now have a little bit of downtime (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

U.S. Soccer has the next four games booked, including three home matches in a row during the October window (back-to-back friendlies against Iceland in Austin and Nashville, then another against Argentina in Louisville).

Then they’ll head back to Wembley, this time with Hayes as their manager. The last time the USWNT played in England’s national stadium in London, it was a narrow loss to the Lionesses that came in the wake of the release of Sally Yates’ report into systemic abuse across the NWSL. This November, there should be no additional context needed, just a head-to-head that should be fodder for bragging rights for a while, maybe even into 2027.

Most importantly, Hayes and her technical staff, the players, and the federation have some space to intentionally start building — not just for 2027, but across the youth teams, their relationship with the NWSL, USL Super League and other international pro leagues, and more.

Hayes knows that expectations are as high as ever. And her days of being “a heart surgeon in the middle of emergency surgery” are finally over. She said Saturday that she believed she joined the USWNT at the right moment.

“Trust me, I know what this jersey means,” she said Saturday. “But I’m not going to let it strangle me, far from it.”

Back when Hayes first officially started her role in May, she worked hard to reframe the conversation from results to process, from the team’s worst-ever FIFA world ranking (they dipped to fifth) to what they could achieve.

“Are the USA at their best possible position today?” she asked at a lengthy sitdown with reporters upon her arrival in the States. “No, but it’s about where we finish when we need to that matters to me. So I want to focus on that instead of where we are in the world rankings, where we are in comparison to Spain.”

The only gap she was interested in then was the one she saw between their play on the field and what they could be at their full powers. On Saturday, not even a full three months into her tenure, she was asked what she makes of that gap now.

Hayes smiled. “We are so excited at our potential,” she answered.

“We are so looking forward to the things we can do together. Of course, tonight we have a gold medal, but it doesn’t mean it ends there. We want so much more for ourselves because we’re competitors. But we’re just at the beginning. About 75 days in, baby.”

And with that, it was time for them to join the party surely already raging in the locker room. Goggles were waiting. The pressure might always still be there, but it could wait for another couple of days. After all, there’s 1,046 to go until the first kick in Brazil.

(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Related Topics:Featured olympics soccer us womens national team

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

Published

10 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

Published

21 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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