The USWNT struggled at the World Cup. New coach says they have ‘a lot of work to do’ before Olympics

New U.S. women's national soccer team coach Emma Hayes is eager to tackle the pressure-packed challenge of returning Team USA to the top of the world this summer at the Paris Olympics.

"Just embrace it. Enjoy it," Hayes said on the 3rd hour of TODAY on May 23 in her first U.S. television interview since taking over as head coach. "I want to focus on the process. I want to focus on the performance. I want to get to know the players. I want to make sure that in the limited time we have together, we make the most of it.

"And for me, pressure is a huge privilege. We get the opportunity to go to the Olympics, and my focus is to make sure that everybody is as prepared as possibly can be."

The USWNT endured its earliest World Cup exit in history with a stunning loss in the round of 16 in 2023. The London native inherits the demanding task of returning Team USA to a spot it has held for much of its history — No. 1 in the world.

The women's squad is also looking for Olympic redemption after a disappointing bronze medal finish in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics. Team USA has won the gold in four of the seven Olympics since women's soccer was first recognized as an Olympic sport in 1996.

Hayes, 47, stopped short of predicting a gold medal in Paris, instead outlining her approach to righting the ship.

"Step by step. You can’t cut a corner on it," she said. "There’s no denying that historically the program has been hugely successful, but the rest of the world and their resources has made that an equal playing field. So we’ve got a lot of work to do."

This also is a time of transition for the USWNT, with young stars like Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman emerging and meshing with established standouts like Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan. Meanwhile, household names like Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd have retired since the last Olympics.

"I think that will always be the case," Hayes said. "That’s always what happens. Teams evolve. I think for me, it’s the combination, the blend. We need the right mix. You can’t go to an Olympics with a completely inexperienced squad.

"We need our experienced players, but getting that composition right, that’s my job between now and June 16."

Hayes also just announced her first roster in her role as head coach of the national team. The USWNT's next match will be a friendly against Korea Republic on June 1 in Colorado, which will stream live on Peacock. The teams will then play again June 4 in Minnesota.

(Peacock is part of our parent company, NBCUniversal.)

Emma Hayes has built winning professional teams in the past

Hayes is starting her USWNT stint fresh off leading England's Chelsea FC to its fifth straight Women's Super League Title.

In more than a decade as Chelsea's coach, she helped build a team from scratch into a perennial champion. She recalled having "no soccer balls, no office, no staff" when she first started with the club.

"Over 12 years we've gone from ranked nowhere to a top-three team in the world," she said.

Hayes also has previous coaching experience in the U.S. She coached a team in Long Island, New York, in the now-defunct USL W-League in the early 2000s and then was the head coach of the women's team at Iona University in New York.

She later coached the Chicago Red Stars in the pro league Women's Professional Soccer, which is now known as the National Women's Soccer League, and worked with the Washington Freedom before returning to England.

"I was lucky to be born in England, but made in America," she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com