CHESTER, P.A. — As she hurried to be done with the post-game press conference in the bowels of Subaru Park on Tuesday evening, the usually long-winded, existential Emma Hayes was uncharacteristically terse.
Hayes repeatedly fired back at questions respectfully but purposefully, not wishing to give an ounce more than required in to satisfy each request. It was clear she was exhausted.
National team camp, punctuated by a pair of difficult results against Spain, over the last week had understandably drained the 49-year-old and left her on empty. A 2-0 defeat on Saturday to their No. 1-ranked opponents and subsequent 2-2 draw on Tuesday had left her needing to come up for air.
MORE: Player ratings from the USWNT's 2-2 draw with Spain
"I need to analyze the game to pass comment on the whole game," Hayes said after the draw, "but a great fight, great determination from the whole group in the second half, especially being two-nil down."
That was all she could muster for a complete summary of the roller-coaster affair, and she used the "I've not watched it back" response to pass on multiple questions.
It was easy to see why she was so spent. The 90 minutes in Pennsylvania on Tuesday required every energy reserve, as just like Saturday, the USWNT made two cataclysmic errors in the first half to put them in a dismal two-goal hole. Hayes needed to lift the team, both mentally and tactically, with the players looking dejected after Salma Paralluelo punished the second collection of mistakes just past the half-hour mark.
Trinity Rodman was frustrated. Lindsey Heaps was fading. Veteran defenders Tierna Davidson and Emily Fox had experienced uncharacteristic lapses in concentration. Gisele Thompson was leaving gaps in the back line when she ventured forward.
Yet there was Hayes, the unequivocal leader of the U.S. women's program, to lift the squad from despair. At halftime, she made a tactical change to switch to a 3-5-2, a necessary switch with the U.S. being overwhelmed in midfield.
But what did Hayes say to the squad at halftime to turn around the mentality and lift the spirits after the costly errors?
"Halftime...it's between me and the team," the coach told the media, the slightest hint of a tired grin escaping.
Whatever it was, it was surely draining, but it worked. Recent returnee Ashley Sanchez gave the hosts a spark with an impressive solo goal shortly after the break. Challenged to bring a complete performance to her time on the field, Sanchez was exceptional, not just scoring the goal but pressing hard up front, tracking back to defend, and taking on opponents one-on-one, picking up the gauntlet Hayes had thrown at her feet the day before.
Now just a goal behind Hayes brought on five substitutes at the hour mark cemented the implemented changes. On cue, nearly every substitute provided a positive injection of energy. Lily Yohannes was the most impressive, immediately adding what a spent Heaps was lacking to help the USWNT finally gain a foothold in midfield. Alyssa Thompson replaced her sister Gisele and provided a sharper two-way presence on the left. Michelle Cooper was a racehorse on the right, and Mallory Swanson conjured the decisive moment.
"I think you see the importance of squad depth and how our players are really developing," Hayes said, "especially the less-experienced ones. We got two first caps onto the field, it's not like it's an easy day for [debutants] Kate [del Fava] and Pietro [Tordin] to go into a game, so full credit to them.
"The strength was in the size of our pack."
At the heart of it all was Hayes, who gave absolutely everything on the touchline for the USWNT squad, both mentally and tactically. By the end of the match, she was cooked.
"I really admired the fearlessness of the performance in the second half," Hayes said, as the team reflected the personality of their leader.
"We're still in progress," Hayes said. "They [Spain] are deserving of being world champions, our job is to hunt that."
With the former Chelsea coach in charge, this team can do just about anything against just about any opponent. It won't always be easy, and sometimes will be frustrating, but they can grit their teeth when necessary and push once more into the breach.
On Tuesday, the USWNT showed they have the quality and talent to punch any opponent in the mouth, but sometimes — as Saturday's game proved — that's not always enough. Sometimes it takes a head coach emptying the tank, setting an example for the rest of the squad to follow.
She did just that on Tuesday evening — it took every drop of fuel left to lift the team, but they got there in the end, just about. They could have won both games too, despite the errors, but for now, the draw will have to suffice. As the USWNT presses forward into World Cup qualifying and then next summer's FIFA tournament itself, there will be times this grit will be required. Now we know, with this group of players, it's there, the magic must simply be drawn out by the one leading the pack.
