US begin Hayes' era with 4-0 drubbing of South Korea

The United States women's team defeated South Korea 4-0 in a pre-Olympics friendly, with Emma Hayes taking her bow as coach of a team looking to rebound from recent disappointments.

A sell-out crowd in Commerce City, Colorado, saw Hayes for the first time, as his team took the lead in the 34th minute through Mallory Swanson off a Sophia Smith pass.

The Americans gained confidence, and defender Tierna Davidson doubled their lead four minutes later with a set-piece before scoring a header early in the second half. Swanson added another goal in the 74th minute to cap off the victory.

Hayes, known for her animated personality, appeared upbeat as she gave instructions to the players.

The former Chelsea coach was hired in November, but she only joined the U.S. team in full capacity last month, after winning her seventh WSL title with the west London club.

The 47-year-old, who has stated that she does not want to change the team's "American DNA," took charge of a motivated squad eager to put last year's disappointing World Cup performance behind them.

With less than two months until the four-time gold medalists begin their Olympic campaign against Zambia in Paris, Hayes demonstrated that, despite having little time to get to know the team, she is capable of leading them to victory.

The United States will face South Korea again on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota.

SportsLigue