Few people are as qualified as Emma Hayes to be the US women’s national team coach. The Englishwoman built a juggernaut at Chelsea. She gained experience for that job by coaching and consulting in the USA, where she helped to assemble the Western New York Flash team that won the last WPS championship in 2011. She’s a frequent presenter at the annual United Soccer Coaches convention in the US. No one has a better understanding of where US players stand compared with their international peers.
So when the news emerged that Hayes was leaving Chelsea and is probably headed to the US to take over as the coach of four-time world champions, the question wasn’t “Why her?” The question: “Why would she take the job?”
