Saturday, June 1, 2024. Emma Hayes made her official debut as USWNT head coach in a friendly against South Korea. Braces from Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson helped the American ladies secure a 4-0 win at Denver, Colorado’s DSG Park. Fast forward to today—Thursday, June 26, 2025—and the 4x world champions returned to that very same ground, securing a… any guess? An uncanny 4-0 win, this time over the Republic of Ireland!

Coincidence in the air, right? As intriguing as this is, the real point to focus on is the astonishing fact that Hayes completed her full debut cycle at the very same venue. It does make one wonder what must have been going through Hayes’ mind back when she first took charge, compared to how she feels now!

“I mean, so many happy memories,” the 48-year-old began while speaking in the aftermath of the win. “First of all, just arriving here, I love the fresh air in Denver, so noticeable. This time around, I got my altitude strategies right. I remember being really parched last year. This year, I felt really hydrated which was good.”

The former Chelsea boss was more than thankful to ardent supporters for creating an incredible atmosphere in the stadium. Not only did it make the team feel the fans were on top of the field, but it also helped the players respond to this unwavering support in a positive manner to secure an emphatic win.

“I said it the other day, I was really nervous in my first game and I didn’t know how I was going to be received as an outsider. So I felt like they took me in as one of their own and that’s always stood with me,” admitted the former WSL boss, who thanked the ardent USWNT supporters for helping her settle in quite seamlessly.

Further heaping praise on the 18,504 crowd that came to cheer on the Stars and Stripes ft. ladies, Hayes expressed her gratitude for their last year’s gesture, “Forget the team, it relaxed me, and coming back again is just a reminder of that. 12 months on, different set of players, same outcome, different possibilities going forward but I think really good evening all around,” concluded Emma Hayes.

Indeed, it is quite a heartfelt revelation from the London-born manager. Even though the debut match made Hayes quite anxious about how things would unfold, the good thing is that the entire crowd made her feel welcomed. Now, look how far she has come throughout the year, winning the 2024 Paris Olympic gold, and also securing this emphatic win on the same ground where it all began for her.

Emma Hayes and Co. dominate Republic of Ireland with remarkable feat

Notably, despite the absence of Tripple Espresso, a.k.a the attacking trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson, the American ladies kept their scoring spree on top. In fact, the most surprising factor is that Emma Hayes’ starting XI had over five players with seven caps or fewer, making it a significant win along with the nation’s youth stars.

Avery Patterson broke the deadlock within 18 minutes, courtesy of an assist from Rose Lavelle, who made her return from a 6-month ankle injury break she sustained during a 2-1 win over the Netherlands back on December 4, 2024. Just before halftime, Sam Coffey doubled the scoreline with an assist from Alyssa Thompson.

Later, Rose Lavelle really proved why Hayes missed her so much, as she made it 3-0 during the 53rd minute, before being replaced by Olivia Moultrie just five minutes later. It was exactly 10 minutes later Alyssa Thompson was also rewarded for her assist, getting her name on the scoresheet, thanks to debutant and left-back Lilly Reale.

Emma Hayes and the band will now gear up for a return clash against the Irish ladies on June 29, Sunday, before wrapping up this camp with a match against Canada on July 2.