When Emma Hayes signed off as Chelsea manager in May, having just guided the Blues to a fifth-successive Women’s Super League title, she jokingly predicted that she would reach the final of the Olympics a few weeks later, in her first major tournament in charge of the United States women’s national team. What her crystal ball failed to reveal, though, was the opponent set to stand in her way.
“See you guys at some point, maybe the Olympic gold medal final. I have to go and f*cking beat the Spanish at some point,” she said in the Old Trafford press conference room as she bid farewell to the English media, referring to the fact that Spain’s domestic champion, Barcelona, had crushed the European dream of her Chelsea side more than once.
But when Hayes walks out at Parc des Princes on Saturday for the gold medal match, she will not get that slight shot at revenge, as it will not be Spain that lines up against the U.S. No, La Roja will instead battle Germany for the bronze medal on Friday at Stade de Lyon, after a shocking 4-2 defeat to Brazil in the semi-finals.
As the world champion, as a team that backed that up by winning the UEFA Women’s Nations League in February, as a side boasting talent like Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati – winners of the last three Ballons d’Or – Spain was the overwhelming favorite to win Olympic gold this summer. What went wrong, then, to leave this star-studded side battling for the lowest position on the podium?