Welcome everybody to Soccer one oh one.

It has been quite some time.

My name is Taylor Rockwell.

Back with me is my friend and yours. Mr. Graham Ruffman. Hello, Graham. Hello, Taylor Rockwell. How are you today? I am doing well, man. I have a long introduction to this episode. And then it occurred to me that we haven't done a 101 in quite some time. We took a break to watch all of the many, many, many, many, many soccer that happened this summer. But now we're back to talk about more soccer that's happening this summer, Graham. It's an outlier for us, for sure. Yeah, so anyone who has clicked on this episode, we'll know this episode, we're talking about Emma Hayes today because the Olympic football tournament is starting. And until today, I was like, nope, can't do another tournament so soon after the Euro's in the Coppa. And then I woke up today and I was like, ooh, Argentina v Morocco at 2 p.m. So I'm a sickle. What can I say? Yes. I love it. We've got the U.S. men finally back in the Olympics for the first time in many, many, many, many years. And then the U.S. women in the Olympics once again, but hoping to do better than last we saw them at the

Olympics. the Olympics for the first time in many, many, many, many years. And then the U.S. women in the

Olympics once again, but hoping to do better than last we saw them at the Olympics to catch

people up. There is a good amount of pressure on this U.S. women's national team after a disastrous

2023 World Cup, coupled with a less than stellar performance at the 2020 Olympic Games,

which were actually played in 2021,

where they advanced out of their group with one win, one draw, one loss,

narrowly got by the Netherlands in a shootout, then lost to Canada in the semis.

Despite earning the bronze, the tournament represented what was to come at the World Cup,

a lack of attacking cohesion, limited ideas about how to create chances as a team,

and a defense that only kept one clean sheet in six games. Those results, the Olympics and the World Cup, saw manager of Lacko

and Donovsky depart in August of 2023, opening the door for esteemed manager Emma

Hayes to take over a scant nine months later. Hayes has now been in charge for a whopping

total of four games, though interim manager Twyla Kilgore likely had been receiving significant input, Hayes has now been in charge for a whopping total of four games, though interim manager, Twyla Kilgore, likely had been receiving significant input from Hayes in that nine-month interim. So the question is, who is Emma Hayes? What has she achieved in her career? The answer is a lot. What is her managerial style? The answer is good. And what will the U.S. look like with her at the helm? We're answering all that and more on

this episode. Graham Ruthven, are you ready? As ready as I'll ever be. All right. Then the opening

question, not at all big or comprehensive. Who is Emma Hayes? So she is, as you've just covered,

Taylor, the new US women's national team head coach.

She was appointed in November after Andinovsky, Vlacko Andonovsky left following a disastrous

World Cup or certainly an underwhelming World Cup.

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