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via Reuters

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via Reuters

Yesterday’s FA Women’s Cup final was a blast. Chelsea Women denied Manchester United the chance to defend last year’s title by securing a 3-0 win over the Red Devils. Just days ago, Sonia Bompastor and Co. were crowned WSL champions, and now they’re celebrating their third trophy, a.k.a. the treble. While the team and fans were busy popping champagne, guess who joined the celebration party? None other than Emma Hayes!

The US women’s national team boss may have left the Southwest London side last year, but that doesn’t mean she has completely forgotten her beloved WSL team. For someone who has spent over 12 years at the club, guiding them to a whopping 16 domestic trophies, it’s only natural to see Hayes keep her former team in a special place in her heart.

So, don’t be surprised to see the 48-year-old celebrating her beloved English team’s victory in front of over 70,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. Well, it’s not like Hayes flew over 4,455 miles to watch her former disciples lift the silverware. Instead, she celebrated from the States, posting a picture of the entire team posing with the trophy on her Instagram story. Along with it, she added a caption that read, “BOOM💥.”

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Just as Chelsea fans proudly say; once a blue, always a blue—little does Emma echoes still echoes this sentiment. Then again, it’s the least she could have done, considering the previous time the USWNT boss ditched her former suitors. Back in March, the former Chicago Red Stars manager took a short trip to Camden to reunite with her family and pub mates.

Surprisingly, Hayes was in attendance at Stamford Bridge alongside American Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, watching Enzo Maresca’s squad clinch a vital three points against Leicester City. Mind you, spectating the men’s game wasn’t the issue but the fact that she chose it over supporting her former women’s team, who were playing a pivotal FA Women’s Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace.

Regardless, let bygones be bygones right? Good thing is that Hayes didn’t forget this time. Not to mention, she had posted another story last week, celebrating Bompastor’s first and the club’s eighth overall and sixth consecutive WSL trophy, that too, in an emphatic fashion all the 22 games remaining undefeated. In fact, it’s just because of the Chelsea attachment that made her celebrate this victory; the London-born manager had a deeper reason to commemorate the occasion.

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Emma Hayes must be proud of her USWNT disciples!

Talk about luck—just before halftime, Chelsea managed to break the deadlock, courtesy of a penalty goal from Sandy Baltimore. As both sides returned to settle the remaining half after the break, USWNT forward Catarina Macario doubled the Blues’ lead, thanks to a brilliant set-piece from Baltimore, who then went on to complete her brace in stoppage time.

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Emma Hayes still celebrating Chelsea's wins—Is her heart truly with the US team now?

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Though the Player of the Match award definitely goes to Sandy, it’s Cat Macario who truly deserves a share of the spotlight. That’s because after spending a staggering 641 days sidelined by injury, she made a remarkable comeback last season—scoring just three minutes into her Chelsea debut in the Women’s FA Cup. Fast forward to today, and she’s back on the scoresheet again—this time in the FA Cup Final—helping The Blues lift their third trophy of the season.

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Not just Catarina Macario; Hayes would be pleased with Naomi Girma, who just six months after her record $1 million move from San Diego Wave in January, secured the domestic treble with her new team. Unfortunately, the only upset was not being able to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League as they were thrashed 2-8 by FC Barcelona on aggregate in the semi-final stage.

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Mia Fishel, another American at the London-based club, also celebrates the emphatic trophy haul alongside Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma. The rest of them, we bet Emma Hayes must have personally sent her heartiest congratulations.

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Emma Hayes still celebrating Chelsea's wins—Is her heart truly with the US team now?

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