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U.S. Soccer Coach Consoles Former Player, Now Opponent After Defeat

Hayes coached Fujino at Chelsea.

Josh Wilson

United States head coach Emma Hayes comforts Maika Hamano of Japan
United States head coach Emma Hayes comforts Maika Hamano of Japan / John Todd, Getty Images

The U.S. women's soccer team advanced to the semifinal of the Olympic games on Saturday with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Japan in extra time. It took all of 120 minutes, but a late-stage goal from Trinity Rodman got the U.S. on the board, and they wouldn't have to look back.

Head coach Emma Hayes was one of the main characters of the game. The narrative around her substitutions—or lack thereof—was a main discussion point among fans. She also, at one point, delivered a handwritten note to one of her players that was an instant moment of interest.

After the game, Hayes consoled Maika Hamano of Japan, distraught from the loss on her side. Hayes was Hamano's coach at Chelsea before she departed at the end of the 2023-24 season, so the two worked together this most recent season. Hamano had three starts for Chelsea and two goals in 314 minutes played in a season where the team finished top of the table in the Women's Super League.

As much as the Olympic games are great for pure competition and incredible spectacles of sports performance, the sportsmanship is a massively important part of the largest international stage as well.

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Josh Wilson
JOSH WILSON

Josh Wilson is the news director of the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in 2024, he worked for FanSided in a variety of roles, most recently as senior managing editor of the brand’s flagship site. He has also served as a general manager of Sportscasting, the sports arm of a start-up sports media company, where he oversaw the site’s editorial and business strategy. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in accountancy from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He loves a good nonfiction book and enjoys learning and practicing Polish. Wilson lives in Chicago but was raised in upstate New York. He spent most of his life in the Northeast and briefly lived in Poland, where he ate an unhealthy amount of pastries for six months.

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