Great stories are often written when there is a balance on both sides. "It's bigger than anything else I've done," declared London strategist Emma Hayes after winning the Olympic championship. This achievement has restored the USA to the top of the global football rankings, a position they haven't held since 2012.

Two months have passed since the Englishwoman took on her new role, replacing Twila Kilgore. Hayes, with a wealth of experience in the Women's Super League with Chelsea —winning 7 championships since 2015— led the Americans to secure their fifth Olympic gold in football with a 1-0 victory over the 'Canarinha' with Swanson's winning-goal in the 57th minute.

Now, reflecting on the situation, the players have undeniably put Hayes in the spotlight, acknowledging her tremendous work. “I know we’ve been through many ups and downs, but I feel like we’ve finally found our balance and a lot of that is thanks to Emma,” commented Sophia Smith, the star forward for the Portland Thorns, to Olympics.com.

However, this sentiment is not isolated nor is it a message from Smith to previous coaching staffs; it is a widely shared feeling within the squad. Naomi Girma also credits the title-winning campaign to the freedom to “play our way,” a factor that Hayes has harnessed: “I think she just came in and let us be ourselves, play freely, and express ourselves,” happily remarked the powerful defender with her medal around her neck.

On the flip side of the coin is Hayes, the great architect of success. The United States had been falling victim to a repetitive pattern of disappointments in recent years, exemplified by their World Cup campaign in Australia and New Zealand last year, where they were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Sweden in a penalty shootout. 

Hayes, who has managed to rekindle the fire after a successful stint with her beloved club, seems to have struck gold upon arrival. “Chelsea has been and is my love,” confessed the strategist. “Every trophy I won with that club is very precious to me,” she began, “but this is probably much bigger than anything I’ve done before,” Hayes concluded, referring to the Olympic gold after a twelve-year drought.