USWNT coach Hayes delighted with ‘sensational’ Swanson

Swanson made the perfect first impression on her new USWNT coach

The U.S. women’s national team kicked off its time under new coach Emma Hayes with an authoritative 4-0 win over South Korea, and Mallory Swanson was the star of the show.

Back in her native Colorado, Swanson scored two clinical goals as the USWNT made sure its start to life under new management left no questions as to why U.S. Soccer had hired Hayes away from Chelsea.

For the London-born manager, Swanson’s performance was the start of something special.

“Mal was sensational [in the] first half. You know, the way she has the ability to face forward, link [play],” Hayes told reporters in a post-match press conference. “I mean, I couldn’t ask for any more.”

The Chicago Red Stars attacker scored the first U.S. goal under Hayes’ stewardship, combining superbly with Sophia Smith to open the scoring in the 34th minute. Swanson’s finish capped off a 20-pass sequence that offered a glimpse of what the team could achieve in the months to come.

Swanson would go on to finish off the scoring as well, ruthlessly finishing after collecting Rose Lavelle’s 74th minute through ball.

The performance served a reminder of the blistering form the 26-year-old was in before suffering a severe knee injury in April 2023. Before tearing her patellar tendon and spending nearly a year on the sidelines, Swanson had scored in six straight USWNT matches, all against teams that would go on to play at last summer’s World Cup.

The 47-year-old manager said she had “long admired” Swanson’s play from afar, and has not been disappointed now that they’re working together.

“She’s a connector. She’s really magnetic as a human being, too, the way she operates in the team,” explained Hayes. “She can multitask, she can do what she’s doing on the pitch and she can listen [to what we’re saying] on the sidelines. I noticed that about her today.

“My goal is to keep her fit, keep her healthy, because she’s an important part of this team.”

Still, as any coach worth their salt would believe, there’s always room for growth. While Swanson was clinical when her chances arrived, the USWNT’s dominance may have given the team more openings to increase her touches (44) and shot attempts (four) on the day.

“Again, there’s work to be done,” insisted Hayes. “Many moments throughout the first half, I felt we could have done it better.”

That will be music to Swanson’s ears, and serves as a warning to upcoming USWNT opponents.

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