emma.jpg
Getty Images

For the U.S. women's national team, 2024 will be the year of an eagerly anticipated rebuild that might bring fresh faces and new ideas for the first time in a long time.

The refresh might be fully inspired by the round of 16 exit at last year's Women's World Cup, but it was a long time coming as a host of newcomers made their World Cup debuts and veterans like Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz said their goodbyes. Coming soon to lead the new era is Emma Hayes, who will finally begin her stint as the USWNT coach in May after wrapping up the season with Chelsea. She will have emerging talent like Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw at her disposal to get this program back in contention. 

A new era does not necessarily mean the stakes are any lower, though. Hayes will start just two months before the Olympic Games, where the USWNT will be expected to rebound convincingly from the World Cup disappointment. It sets up for a fascinating year for the women's soccer heavyweights that could determine how they stack up in a new age for the women's game.

Here are five predictions for how the USWNT will fare in 2024.

1. Plenty of new faces have big roles

The first order of business after the USWNT's World Cup exit was to expand the player pool, and in just six games last fall, interim head coach Twila Kilgore did well to usher in emerging talent. Six players made their debuts for the national team while a handful of fringe players earned meaningful minutes, and two of the most exciting prospects -- Fishel and Shaw -- could help reboot the attacking flair that was missing at the World Cup.

The player pool expansion ensures that Hayes will have a mix of new faces that can contribute now and in the future when she finally takes charge. In the buildup to the Olympics, expect as many fresh faces as possible for Hayes to pick from -- and anticipate even more once the business trip to Paris is out of the way.

2. Swanson returns in style

Mallory Swanson was expected to lead the USWNT's attacking efforts at the World Cup, but a knee injury three months before the tournament meant her breakout year was put on hold. She is expected to return to the pitch this year after recovering from surgery, and the team's plans to have her front and center could make a comeback alongside her.

If her form mirrors what she was showcasing before her injury, it will be very good news for the USWNT after their attacking struggles doomed their World Cup campaign. Finding form after a lengthy spell sometimes requires patience, so a spot on the Olympics roster might still be a question mark. Hayes and company will still be building for the future after the tournament, though, so expect Swanson to be a mainstay as they do.

3. A deep Olympics run

The Olympics will be the first testing ground for a new look USWNT, but treating the tournament as a measuring stick rather than an indictment is the most reasonable approach at this point. As Kilgore expands the player pool and integrates some new ideas that inspire excitement, the squad might be able to deliver some strong results in Paris.

The USWNT will have the benefit of weaker opposition than they did at the World Cup. The 12-team Olympics means qualification was particularly fierce in Europe, where Sweden and Great Britain missed out and one of Spain, Germany and the Netherlands will also watch from home. The Americans may not go all the way considering the early phase of their rebuild, but their quality has the chance to speak for itself in Paris -- and it just might.

4. Players going global for tactical benefits

The USWNT's player pool has almost entirely consisted of NWSL players in recent years, but things are slowly changing. Captain Lindsey Horan is currently at Lyon while Fishel and Catarina Macario ply their trade at Chelsea, and newly capped midfielder Korbin Albert plays at Paris Saint-Germain.

It's a reflection of the fact that opportunities are only increasing in the women's game, but players will have added incentive to do so from Hayes. Months before accepting the USWNT job, she wrote a column for The Telegraph suggesting that the player pool needs to have more tactical diversity.

"There is still a huge amount of talent in this U.S. team, but with so many of the squad playing solely in the NWSL, it doesn't offer enough diversity to their squad in terms of playing against different styles," she said.

Horan is also an advocate for a move abroad, so expect some players to follow her lead -- and other who already did to earn a look from Hayes and company.

5. Finalizing the forward line

The USWNT's rebuild will be centered around a return to the team's famed attacking dominance, so expect some personnel changes. Hayes may have an idea by the end of the year of who her go-to talents are, which could help cement Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman's cases as not just the team's future up top, but the present.

Fishel and Shaw, meanwhile, will be amongst those campaigning for regular playing time, while veteran Alex Morgan's status is up in the air. She scored just twice in 2023 and failed to get on the scoresheet at the World Cup, suggesting that her spot as a center forward is up for grabs. Smith's a contender for that spot, but with the Olympics coming up, Hayes will be tasked with making some big decisions -- and the chance to answer questions about who will lead the line moving forward.