The NWSL going on break until August may have caught ardent fans off guard, but the US Women’s National Team is doing anything but making this international break boring. The American ladies returned to action for their June/July window, playing the first match of their double-header against the Republic of Ireland with an emphatic 4-0 victory. Now, as both teams gear up for a second clash this weekend, Emma Hayes has issued a major warning to their rivals.

Let’s be real. The upcoming clash at Cincinnati, Ohio’s TQL Stadium, won’t be easy for either side, with the game set to take place on a scorching 34-degree Sunday afternoon. On top of that, Ireland will be without many of their star players, while the rest looked fatigued and struggled to get much of a foothold on the ball. But despite such ruthless dominance, Hayes had no words of consolation for Carla Ward, even though her former WSL rival called her a “Mentality monster.”

“Yeah, no, I won’t change who I am,” Emma began while speaking in the post-match presser, “definitely not, not for anyone, even if I like you. The U.S. Women’s National Team has such a high bar that it’s up to me to keep pace with that and deliver teams that pursue excellence every time, so we will absolutely be looking to do that again.”

Ireland might want to take Hayes’ warning seriously, considering by numbers, Ward’s Ireland took just one shot, out of which not a single one was on target. The away side maintained a little over 32% possession compared to the hosts’ 68% possession and 26 shots, with eight on target. That too, by starting over five players who had just seven caps or fewer.

Avery Patterson broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, set up by Rose Lavelle, who returned after a six-month ankle injury. Just before halftime, Sam Coffey made it 2-0 with help from Alyssa Thompson. In the latter half, Lavelle added a third in the 53rd minute, with ten minutes later, Thompson was rewarded for her earlier assist, scoring off a pass from debutant left-back Lilly Reale.

With this fixture, the defeat surely gave Carla Ward a sense of déjà vu about facing Emma Hayes back in the WSL. In fact, after the 41-year-old was dismissed from her Aston Villa job, she joined Hayes’ assistant coaching staff—but only for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yet the 48-year-old seems to be putting their professional and off-pitch friendship aside for this clash. Talking about the loss, Ward said, “I was just saying to the girls, we’re going to learn more out of tonight than we will have in all our Nations League games. And that’s what this is about.”

But who knows? In the next game, things might be a bit easier for Ward, as Hayes has admitted she’ll be rotating her starting XI, especially since this is a three-game window with the USA also set to face Canada on July 2 to wrap things up. “I want to see the whole squad, so changes will be made and an opportunity, I think, for them to show themselves, as I’m sure there will be much improvement from Ireland,” concluded Emma.

Looks like Carla Ward has some job to do in the next fixture. As for the opening game, things were quite poetic for Emma Hayes!

Emma Hayes completes the full cycle in an emphatic fashion!

Last year on June 1, Emma Hayes debuted as a USWNT head coach with a 4-0 victory over South Korea at Denver’s DSG Park, thanks to braces from Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson. Fast forward to the June 26, 2025 clash, the 4X world champions returned to the same venue—this time defeating the Republic of Ireland by the exact same scoreline.

That only prompted her to reflect on the ‘happy memories’ and how far things have come. “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.”

Hayes credited the passionate fans for creating an electric atmosphere that made it feel as if they were right on top of the field, pushing the team to respond with confidence and secure another dominant result. “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,” Emma added.

She also appreciated the 18,504 supporters in attendance, noting how their energy a year ago had eased her nerves in her very first game, and how returning now, with a new mix of players but similar success, underscored the promising road ahead.