By Janina Nuno Rios
PARIS (Reuters) – Fun on and off the field was crucial for the United States in reaching the Olympic women’s soccer final, and singing karaoke helped them unwind amid a hectic schedule, coach Emma Hayes and captain Lindsey Horan said.
The four-time gold medalists will be looking to cap off their perfect season at the Paris Games with a showpiece match against Brazil on Saturday by winning their first title since 2012.
While they try to live up to the pressure of expectations, they also focus on enjoying the process and having fun in the demanding tournament. Karaoke is just one of the contributions of coach Hayes, who took over the helm in May.
Aside from discussing the tournament decider at Parc des Princes, Horan and Hayes took a moment on Friday to talk about the team’s greatest karaoke talents.
“It’s about Mal and Rose. They have the same moves as Taylor Swift,” Hayes told reporters, referring to striker Mallory Swanson and midfielder Rose Lavelle.
“It’s important that the players have space to breathe and relax and not have everything be so formal,” the coach added. “When we work, we work. And when we enjoy, we enjoy. That’s so important.”
“Americans know how to have fun. They smile and have many joys… We like to drink coffee, we like to get our nails done… We like to sing karaoke, we like to play Lego, we like to do puzzles,” said the English manager, adding that her favorite karaoke song is “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice.
Former Chelsea coach Hayes, 47, has quickly turned the US team around, putting last year’s disappointing World Cup behind them when the team was knocked out in the round of 16 – the worst result in its history.
“There is just calm and the calm has given the group so much strength,” said midfielder Horan.
“We just enjoy every moment, it’s about every single day. You have fun with your team and you see smiling faces, you pay attention to when the karaoke machine comes on, you go to a gold medal game and the karaoke is there, it’s unbelievable.
“Of all the things Emma has brought to the group, this is one of the biggest changes.”
It will be the third Olympic final between the United States and Brazil, with the Americans winning both times in 2004 and 2008.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Paris; editing by Ken Ferris)
