Sonia Bompastor says she welcomes the comparisons to Emma Hayes as she looks to build her own legacy at Chelsea.

Hayes departed the club at the end of last season having clinched a fifth consecutive Women's Super League trophy, and seventh overall, as she bowed out following a trophy-laden 12-year spell.

Bompastor was appointed as her successor in May this year and began life in the WSL with a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.

It was the Blues' first home match without Hayes in the dugout since July 2012, and Bompastor says she is looking forward to building on her predecessor's success.

"It's normal for people to compare because she had such great success here," Bompastor told Sky Sports.

"I'm really thankful to Emma for the legacy she left me. She had an amazing period, and she had great results and the transition takes some time.

"I'm fine [with the comparisons] because Emma is a person and a coach who has a lot of good qualities, so I don't feel like people are comparing me to a bad person.

"If I can have the same success as she had at Chelsea, I will be the first person to be happy about that, even if I'm someone different. I'm not Emma Hayes, I have my own personality, I'm trying to bring my own ideas. Yes, some things maybe will be the same and some of those will be different.

"I try to find the good balance between building from the legacy Emma left and also trying to bring my own philosophy, own vision to the club."

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored the opening goal of Bompastor's tenure, but it was far from a convincing performance from the Blues, who managed the same number of shots as their opponents (13), but less on target (four to Villa's five).

The Frenchwoman also has a possession-based style, but her side finished the contest with narrowly less than Villa in that match (47.4%).

Bompastor acknowledged the challenges of the team trying to adapt to her style but is confident last season's top scorers will soon settle into their new rhythm.

"I'm very happy with the way the players are adapting to all these new things," she added.

"It takes a lot of time, but when you are a coach at a high level, you don't have time. It's about getting the results since the beginning until the end.

"But the players are adjusting very well, they are really open-minded and happy to learn. We are still in the beginning of the season, and it's normal that we are not quite in the place we want to be yet, but not far. We still have work to be done."

Chelsea will play WSL newcomers Crystal Palace in their first away match of the campaign on Friday.

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor is excited to begin her maiden Women's Super League campaign when the Blues face Aston Villa on Friday evening.

Bompastor joined the club in the summer after three successful years at Lyon, which includes three straight Division 1 Feminine titles and a Champions League win in 2022.

She will be following the hugely popular Emma Hayes, who enjoyed plenty of success of her own at Chelsea before moving on to coach the United States' women's team, but Bompastor insists the attention should not just be on her as her side aim to retain their title.

She said: "I just feel like it's not only about me. I think it's about Chelsea. It's also about the players, you know, and we feel ready.

"We are the holders of the title, and we want to start the league strongly tomorrow night."

Chelsea and Hayes were victorious in each of the last five editions of the WSL and her successor believes she possesses enough quality in her squad to challenge on all fronts this season.

"When you're Chelsea, you just want to win every single title," said Bompastor.

"You want to compete in every competition, and we know all the teams will be ready. It will be tough, but we feel ready, and you know, the players are really competitive."

Bompastor is wary of the threat of Villa, who have enjoyed a productive pre-season under new manager Robert de Pauw.

She said: "If you look at Aston Villa's results, they had a good pre-season with good results. In their last game they beat Manchester City, who last night beat Paris FC 5-0."

"We have a lot of respect for Villa, they have a good quality squad, and they had good results, so we know the first game will be important.

"We just want to focus on ourselves and be able to start the league as strongly as we can."

Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones believes the Blues are in "great hands" under new coach Sonia Bompastor as she looks to build on Emma Hayes' legacy.

Hayes ended her glittering 12-year reign in West London in May, having overseen her seventh Women's Super League title success, five of which have come in the last five seasons.

Hayes departed to take up an offer to manage the United States' national team, and she immediately led them to a record-extending fifth gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chelsea moved swiftly to replace Hayes with former Lyon boss Bompastor, who won three league titles and the 2021-22 Champions League crown in three years with the French giants.

The 2024-25 WSL season begins on Friday, September 20, with Bompastor's team playing host to Aston Villa in the first match of the campaign, and Beever-Jones is excited to get going.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, Beever-Jones told Stats Perform: "I think with Emma, the legacy she created at Chelsea speaks for itself. 

"She transformed it into one of the best clubs in the world and I think she's obviously left it in great hands with Sonia now. 

"It's up to Sonia and Cami to put their own flair on the Chelsea way. I think it's going to be an exciting year for sure, change is good, and we'll be losing Emma, but we've got Sonia now, and we're just so excited for the season to start." 

Hayes also won five FA Cups and two League Cups during her time with Chelsea, but the Champions League trophy eluded her, coming closest when they were runners-up to Barcelona in 2020-21.

Bompastor is something of a European specialist, winning the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach, and Beever-Jones hopes her know-how can get the Blues over the line.

"That is the aim," she said. "Chelsea haven't done it before and to have Sonia, who has won it many times, bringing that freshness and, obviously, players like Lucy Bronze giving her experience...

"To be fighting for four competitions again, that's what we want to be doing this year. 

"I feel Chelsea are the club that can do it and yeah hopefully this time next year I'll be sitting here with a Champions League medal.

"I think with Sonia, her history of what she's won as a player and a coach speaks for itself. 

"She was the first player to win it as a Champions League and then do it as a coach. It's a big hole to fill, but I think Sonia and everyone she's brought in are the right people to fill that hole. 

"It's absolute credit to what Emma did for Chelsea and I think it was the right time for her to leave. We're delighted for her to go and win a gold medal for America, and we're obviously still in contact.

"I'm super excited for this new era of Chelsea and to avoid that drop-off, I think we're in the right hands to do that, and I'm sure that drop-off won't happen."

Phallon Tullis-Joyce is excited by the job Emma Hayes has already done with the United States and predicts she will have even more success in the role.

Hayes left Chelsea after 12 years in charge in May, going out on a high after leading the Blues to a fifth consecutive Women's Super League triumph on the final day of last season.

It was her seventh title overall with Chelsea, also winning five FA Cups and two League Cups, as well as leading the team to the Champions League final in 2020-21.

Hayes began her tenure as the USA boss in May and helped the team to a record-extending fifth Olympic gold in Paris, as an undefeated tournament ended with a 1-0 win over Brazil in August.

Having made such a bright start to life with the USWNT, Tullis-Joyce, who has never played for her national team, is expecting great things from Hayes.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, the goalkeeper told Stats Perform: "I think that's incredible for US soccer to have such a notable coach.

"Everyone has seen how great she's done in this league alone, and I'm excited to see what she does with the US Women's National Team.

"She's already done an amazing job, so I can imagine she's going to do so many more great things for time to come, especially for the younger generations."

One of the players who did not feature at the Olympics for the USWNT was Alex Morgan, who recently announced her retirement from football.

Morgan, regarded as a USA legend, is one of the most decorated players in the history of the team, winning back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019 and clinching Olympic gold in 2012.

She is ninth on the all-time appearance charts having earned 224 caps, and since her international debut in March 2010, no player has been involved in more goals for the USA than her (175, 123 goals, 52 assists).

Tullis-Joyce was full of praise for the former striker and explained how she drove her to improve after coming up against her.

"Just massive respect for Alex Morgan, she's definitely a player that I've looked up to as an American," Tullis-Joyce said.

"She was one of the ones that we saw on the national team constantly just shredding goalkeepers left and right.

"Honestly, I'm learning from her how to protect my goal a little bit better. I had the fortunate opportunity to play against her several times.

"Honestly, she just seems like such a great person. And I wish her all the best in her retirement, especially after what she's done for women's football."

New United States boss Mauricio Pochettino has outlined his ambition to win the World Cup with the co-hosts in two years' time and is excited by the opportunity.

Pochettino was named the manager of the USA on Tuesday in his first role since parting company with Chelsea in May.

The Argentine, who previously enjoyed a successful five-year spell in charge of Tottenham, leading them to a Champions League final, oversaw a sixth-placed Premier League finish in his only season at Stamford Bridge.

And with the USA acting as hosts alongside Canada and Mexico for football's most prestigious tournament in 2026, Pochettino believes his players should harbour ambitions of winning the entire event.

"We need to believe in big things that we can win, not only a game but the World Cup," Pochettino said.

"If we don’t, the journey will be difficult. We have to think big. That is the only way to put your talent in the service of the team. It is a massive challenge."

The USA women's team won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 and claimed Olympic gold this summer in Emma Hayes' first tournament as manager.

Pochettino, who knows Hayes from the period in which they both managed Chelsea's senior teams, reserved special praise for her, while also wanting his players to be inspired by how successful the women's team had become in recent times.

"In Emma, we have the best coach in the world," said Pochettino.

"The women's team has won everything. We need to match them. They need to be our inspiration, not only with results but in the way they create the philosophy to defend the country, the badge and the culture.

"We want to create something special."

Pochettino's first game in charge will be a friendly versus Panama at the Q2 Stadium in Austin on October 12.

Emma Hayes' Chelsea departure could offer a window of opportunity for their Women's Super League rivals in 2024-25, says Manchester United coach Marc Skinner.

Hayes left Chelsea to take up her new role in charge of the United States national team in May, then led them to a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.

Chelsea won seven WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups in 12 years under Hayes, also winning the most games (145), scoring the most goals (525) and earning the most points (462) in the WSL throughout her reign.

Sonia Bompastor, who led Lyon to the Champions League crown in 2021-22 after twice winning the competition as a player, has taken the reins ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, which begins on Friday, September 20, with the Blues taking on Aston Villa.

Despite her impressive CV, many believe Chelsea could endure teething problems and see their five-year stranglehold on the WSL crown threatened this term.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, United boss Skinner outlined his hope that the Blues could suffer from a drop-off.

"It'll be a welcome change because she seemed to win a lot of games. Chelsea will be different, but they've also got a proven winner in Sonia," Skinner said.

"So it'll be a tough one, but the reality is as a coach, you only play them twice a season, so you've got to prepare for those games differently. 

"Emma's gone on to already achieve good things with the American team in the Olympics, and we know she's left her mark on this league. But now it's time for other teams to do the same, so hopefully we can be that team."

Skinner's United side will have a new face between the sticks next season after England stalwart Mary Earps left to join Paris Saint-Germain, following a long-running contract dispute with the Red Devils.

American Phallon Tullis-Joyce is expected to step up after serving as Earps' deputy last season, and Skinner believes she could even have a higher ceiling than her predecessor.

"I'll stress that Mary is a fantastic goalkeeper and a really big character. The reality was when we signed Phallon, we knew that Fallon could be Manchester United's number one," he said.

"Not only does she possess the skillset to be that player, but she hasn't even reached her full potential yet. 

"So as much as we'll miss Mary, we wish her all the very best, but we move forward. Football moves too quickly. 

"And for us, I have absolute confidence that you will see a fantastic goalkeeper in Phallon, who has all the potential to be a top, top goalkeeper, hopefully at the same level as Mary and beyond because she has an incredible skillset."

The 2024-25 Women's Super League will have fans excited at the prospect of new managers right across the league.

Four of the 12 clubs involved will have new bosses in the dugout when the campaign begins in mid-September.

The most hotly anticipated of those newcomers is Sonia Bompastor, who will be following on from the Emma Hayes dynasty and trying to create her own era of success at Chelsea.

In the last decade, Chelsea found the winning formula that brought silverware galore. Hayes won 15 trophies during her 12 years as manager, cementing the club’s complete dominance of the domestic competitions in England. 

That haul included a last-gasp push for the WSL title last season, as the Blues pipped Manchester City to the post.

Opta's supercomputer is backing Chelsea for the title, but Bompastor certainly has big shoes to fill.

The recipe to success

The success that Bompastor must try and replicate will be no mean feat for the new Blues boss. However, she has won one trophy as a player and a manager that Chelsea were never able to under Hayes: the Champions League.

The former France international is also no stranger to pressure and expectations having played in and managed arguably the most successful women's team of all time in the Champions League.

She captained Lyon to victory in 2011 and 2012 and went one better in 2016 to become the first person to win the famous competition as both a player and a manager. 

Bompastor's list of honours is significant as a player. She won eight Division 1 Feminine league titles, six with Lyon and two with Montpellier, she won the Coupe de France four times, and the Champions League twice.

As a manager, she won three league titles and one French Cup in her time as coach of Lyon. She has the mindset of a serial winner and, after Hayes, Chelsea could hope for nothing less in a new boss. 

Bompastor won exactly 100 of her 118 games in charge of Lyon, registering an 84.75% win percentage and losing only eight times.

Her Lyon team scored 381 goals, an average of 3.81 per match, while conceding only 71 in return (0.71 per game). Bompastor's numbers truly speak for themselves and are the reason Chelsea made her the number one candidate to replace Hayes and lead what they hope will be a new era of success. 

A new champion?

The WSL is notoriously a difficult hunting ground for new managers. No manager in the competition's history has ever won the WSL in their first season in charge. There have also only ever been five winners of the competition.

Bompastor's predecessor Hayes won seven, Laura Harvey and Matt Beard have two titles each, while Nick Cushing and Joe Montemurro lifted the trophy once apiece.

It means we have an interesting quirk in the new season, with Liverpool boss Beard being the only active manager to have won the WSL title among all the current bosses.

But Bompastor will still face stiff competition, as her main rivals in Jonas Eidevall, Marc Skinner and Gareth Taylor have all taken Hayes to the wire in recent seasons as the league continues its explosion of expansion, growth and increased competitiveness.

Bompastor came so close to securing a second Champions League medal last time out with her Lyon side ultimately falling just short when they faced a formidable Barcelona team who made their own piece of history by securing a quadruple, becoming the first team to do this since Arsenal in 2007.

Her ability to navigate and win at all costs could bring a new chapter of success for Chelsea. 

Bompastor's Blues...champions breed champions

The new Chelsea boss has been left with solid foundations as she aims to win the WSL at the first time of asking. Bompastor is taking over a team that scored 71 goals in the WSL last term, 10 more than any other team, while only Man City (15) conceded fewer goals than the Blues (18).

Chelsea accumulated 59.87 xG, the most in the league, over four more than next-best Arsenal (55.48).

In fact, Chelsea had the best shot-conversion rate in the WSL last season, despite losing leading scorer and 2023 player of the year Sam Kerr to an ACL injury at their winter training camp in January. 

Before her injury last season, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.

But Kerr's goals per 90 was actually at its lowest since the 2019-20 season, while her xG per 90 (0.46) was at its lowest during her time at Chelsea altogether.

Getting Kerr fit and firing will be Bombastor's task – the Australian is still a world-class operator on her day, as she showed by hitting double figures in each of the three seasons prior to last season. Kerr has committed her future to the club, signing a new contract till 2026. 

Chelsea had 429 shots in the WSL, the second-highest total after Arsenal (436). They averaged 0.13 xG per shot, a higher total than any team in the division. Lauren James was the joint second-highest scorer in the WSL last season, with 13 goals. The England international greatly outperformed her 6.1 xG, showing high-level finishing and demonstrating clear improvement in that area of her game. 

Mayra Ramirez had a fine Olympics with Colombia, and starred in Chelsea's huge win over Manchester United on the final day of last season. She scored three goals in seven WSL games last term following her record-breaking switch from Spain.

The impact Ramirez could be huge in her first full season with the club. Her speed, strength and deadly finishing could prove too much for defences across the WSL. 

Bompastor has also added more quality to the attack by bringing in Sandy Baltimore on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The France international is another proven winner, is a creative force and loves to drive at defences. She made 21 successful dribbles and had 24 touches in the opposition box in the Champions League last season. 

Defensively, the Blues were solid last term, with their 18 goals conceded coming from an expected goal against of 20.36, though they faced more shots than both Man City (184) and Arsenal (176). Millie Bright was missing for most of the season, however, and she really could be like a new signing this term.

Bompastor has looked to the market to help Chelsea reach that next level. Lucy Bronze, who has won every domestic trophy there is to win in France, Spain and in England, has joined after leaving Barcelona. Bronze has won the Champions League five times, lifting the trophy in spells with both Lyon and Barca.

Bronze created 28 chances for Barcelona last season from full-back – the second-most of any defender for the European champions, after Ona Batlle. Bronze supplied four assists and her experience in both attack and defence could be one of the missing links for European success.

The best of the rest

But what constitutes success for the new manager? And how big is the expectation from the club and fans alike to see their recent glory days replicated? With Man City and Arsenal both adding significant summer signings to their squads, this may be the hardest and fiercest title race we have ever seen in the WSL. 

City ran the Blues so close, with Hayes' team winning it on goal difference on the final day. Taylor has not left anything to chance, with City signing the all-time leading goalscorer in the WSL Vivianne Miedema, who left Arsenal in the summer. 

It is not just goals Miedema brings - she is also a creative force, having laid on 35 assists in the WSL, which ranks behind only Beth Mead (45) and Katie McCabe (36).

With Golden Boot winner Khadija Shaw, as well as Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Mary Fowler in their ranks, there seems to be little danger of City losing a title on goal difference again with such a stacked attacking line.

Arsenal stayed in the race for as long as they could but their attack ultimately let them down. While they have let arguably one of the best players of all time leave their ranks, they have brought in some big names themselves in the hope they can challenge their London rivals once more. 

Quality signings have come in at both ends of the pitch. Mariona Caldentey (signed from Barcelona), Daphne van Domselaar (signed from Aston Villa) and Rosa Kafaji (signed from BK Hacken), who is a youngster regularly tipped as the next big superstar of the women's game, have all arrived.

But only time will tell if one of these sides can beat Bompastor's side to glory and success.

We could be about to witness the new era of a new champion, especially if she can clinch that elusive Champions League title that Chelsea have so longed for.

Sonia Bompastor says she "likes the pressure" that comes from succeeding Emma Hayes at Chelsea.

Hayes, who won Olympic gold earlier this month with the United States, left the Blues at the end of last season after a glittering 12-year spell in charge that saw her win seven Women's Super League titles, including each of the last five in a row.

She also led them to five Women's FA Cups and two Women's League Cups to bring her tally to 14 major trophies.

Bompastor, who spent three years in charge of Lyon, winning three consecutive league titles and a Champions League, is now hoping to build on Hayes' success.

"I just feel a lucky manager to have this opportunity to build from Emma and have this opportunity to show who I am as a manager but also as a person," Bompastor said in her first Chelsea press conference.

"I already told everyone that we are here to win every single title, every single game, so this is why I came. I like the pressure.

"When I had the meeting with the sporting directors, I said this is something really special to win the Champions League.

"I think we have all the quality at this club to have this trophy at home."

Hayes came close to winning the Champions League with Chelsea, but fell short in 2020-21, losing to Barcelona.

With one eye on achieving European success this season, the Blues have already brought in Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore, but Bompastor is keen to get some more additions through the door to ensure they can make a strong challenge.

"You know how competitive the league is here, maybe one of the most competitive in the world, so it's so difficult for an English team to perform in every game," she added.

"I'll make sure we have the good numbers and the quality to perform in every game."

Emma Hayes thanked her late father for helping her achieve her "dream" after coaching the United States to Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

USA defeated Brazil 1-0 in Saturday's final at the Parc des Princes through Mallory Swanson's goal just before the hour mark.

Hayes only took over as USWNT head coach in May, after leaving her role at Chelsea, and tasted success in her first tournament in charge.

Speaking to Discovery+ at full-time as the celebrations started, Hayes said: "I'm very emotional. It's been a dream of mine.

"I have to thank my dad - he's the one who pushed me to this position, to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players."

Hayes' father, who she has long described as a cornerstone in her football career, passed away last year.

"I've got my dad's necklace on," Hayes said post-match. "It's got an American eagle, and he was with me today and that helped. 

"The crowd were tremendous. Brazil were tremendous. I'm just speechless. I'm in shock."

The United States have now won five Olympic golds in the women's final - four more than any other nation - with this their first since 2012.

Swanson calmly converted to give USA the victory in the French capital on her landmark 100th senior appearance for her national side.

This latest triumph comes 10 games into Hayes' tenure and puts the poor showings at the 2020 Games and 2023 World Cup in the past.

"They have received me so well and taken on board everything I've asked," Hayes added. "They're tremendous people, players and role models and I love them."

Brazil have still yet to win an Olympic gold in the tournament, with this their third runners-up finish after also falling just short in 2004 and 2008.

Emma Hayes is eyeing gold in her first tournament in charge of the USWNT, labelling their journey to the Olympics final as "the stuff dreams are made of". 

The United States face Brazil in Saturday's showpiece match at the Parc des Princes in a repeat of the 2004 and 2008 finals, fixtures the US won on both occasions.  

Hayes, who was appointed as Vlatko Andonovski's successor in May, has won eight of her nine games in charge (D1), scoring 19 goals and conceding just twice. 

The former Chelsea head coach won her seventh WSL title in her final season with the Blues, saying her rapid transition to the international stage has been a "whirlwind". 

"Going from my beloved Chelsea to the US women’s national team - what a whirlwind and what a dream all at once," Hayes said.

"To finish my time with Chelsea with another Women's Super League title and then be here competing for gold, honestly this is the stuff dreams are made of.

"I have visualised this moment so many times in my life."

Brazil are seeking their first gold in women's football at the Games, and are boosted by the return of Marta, who will play her final international match on Saturday.

The 38-year-old was shown a red card in Brazil's final group game against Spain for a high foot, resulting in her missing the quarter and semi-finals. 

Marta has scored 121 goals in 203 appearances for her nation, becoming the first player to score in five straight Olympics with her brace against Japan. 

“When I was a young coach assisting Vic Akers at Arsenal, we played a Women’s Cup two-legged final against Umea, the Swedish champions, and they had a young Marta,” Hayes recalled.

“I remember being on the touchline thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, who is this extraordinary player?’ To witness what she’s done on the pitch, I think she’s been more than a role model and icon, she’s been the best player.

“What she’s done for Brazil or the generation coming through, she’s been an inspiration.”

Team USA have the chance to win a first gold medal since London 2012 after winning bronze in Tokyo three years ago. 

Despite winning 16 major titles during her time at Chelsea, Hayes is hungry to add to her trophy cabinet while continuing her unbeaten start in the US dugout. 

"I like winning, it's part of my DNA," Hayes said. "I'm with a team that likes winning so of course our goal is to win the gold medal."

Sophia Smith believes the United States have "so much potential" after her extra-time winner sent them through to their first Olympics final since 2012.

The 23-year-old's 95th-minute strike proved the decisive goal of the USWNT’s 1-0 semi-final victory against an injury-stricken Germany.

The result means new coach Emma Hayes will have the chance to go for gold in her first major tournament at the helm.

Smith dedicated her goal to the effort of the whole US squad under the ex-Chelsea boss.

"I just saw an open net in front of me and knew I had to step up in the big moment," Smith told NBC. "I felt I had to do that for this team, we've been working so hard.”

Sophia Smith's extra-time strike booked the United States a place in the Olympic Games final with a 1-0 win over Germany on Tuesday.

Mallory Swanson was denied a winner in normal time, and though Germany pushed for a late equaliser, Emma Hayes will take charge of a final in her first tournament as the USA's head coach. 

Unlike in the group-stage meeting between these sides, which finished 4-1 to the dominant Stars and Stripes, it was Germany who almost took a first-half lead, with Alyssa Naeher reacting quickly to get down and push Jule Brand's low shot wide.

In the 86th minute, Mallory Swanson thought she had snatched a late winner – she latched onto Trinity Rodman's throughball and drilled her low shot across goal into the bottom corner, but the offside flag denied her.

Swanson turned provider five minutes into extra time, as Smith timed her run to perfection, darting in behind to beat Berger for power with a wonderful effort.

There was late drama though, as Naeher brilliantly smothered Laura Freigang's close-range header before Smith was denied a second goal at the other end by Berger's quick thinking.

Data Debrief: Smith's touch of gold

Smith has been in top form during the Olympics and netted her third goal in the competition as she carried her team into their 11th major tournament final.

She is also the second USA player to score in at least three consecutive appearances against Germany, after Abby Wambach - five straight from 2009-12.

Meanwhile, it was familiar heartache for Germany as they were eliminated in the knockout rounds of a major tournament (Olympics and World Cup) for the 10th time, with half of those coming at the USA's hands. 

Sonia Bompastor has said she is looking forward to building on the foundations laid by Emma Hayes at Chelsea to continue her legacy. 

Bompastor, who was announced as Chelsea Women's new head coach in May, arrives from Lyon after three years with the French side. 

During her time with Les Fenottes, she won seven titles, including the Women's Champions League in the 2021-22 season. 

Bompastor won 100 of her 118 games in charge (D10 L8), with her side scoring 381 goals in that time while averaging a win percentage of 84.75%. 

The 44-year-old replaces Hayes who spent 12 years in charge at Stamford Bridge, winning 16 titles and triumphing in 261 of her 367 games at the helm (D42 L64). 

Hayes is on the cusp of another major honour in her first tournament in charge of the United States after guiding them to the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. 

"She has been really supportive. Emma is someone I know because she was my assistant coach when I played in the WPS in the US," Bompastor said. 

"I’m looking forward to now trying to build from her legacy.

"She did a wonderful job and now I’m bringing my own personal touch as well to make sure the club reach all the expectations. We aim for the Champions League and all the other titles.

Not only does Bompastor arrive at Chelsea with an impressive managerial record, but also from her 13-year playing career. 

The Frenchwoman won 14 titles during her time with Montpellier and Lyon, and is the only female to have won the Champions League as a player and a coach. 

Chelsea were knocked out of last year's competition by eventual winners Barcelona in the semi-finals, with Bompastor confident her experiences will help guide the club to their first success in the tournament having finished as runners-up in 2021. 

"I think the group already have a great mentality – a mentality of winning. This is something that has always been here," Bompastor added. 

"The players are really important for me and they will be the ones who make sure we are successful.

"I’m here to help them feel comfortable on the field, to make sure they understand my game model, my philosophy and my vision of the performance.

I just want them to enjoy. When you have the chance to do a job with your passion, I think this is a privilege.

"I just want the players to be really happy when they step in the field and to enjoy with winning and scoring a lot of goals – and we will work very hard to achieve this goal."

Emma Hayes' unbeaten record as the United States head coach continued as her side remained perfect following their 2-1 win over Australia in Group B. 

Hayes, who took charge of the USWNT in May, has won six of her seven games at the helm, conceding just twice in that time. 

The USA, along with Spain, are the only two sides to win all of their games at the Paris Olympics so far and will have great confidence heading into the knockout stages. 

Trinity Rodman's second goal of the tournament two minutes from half-time sent them on their way, as Korbin Albert's 77th-minute strike saw her become the the youngest substitute scorer for the USA at the Olympics since Mallory Swanson against Colombia in 2016. 

Alanna Kennedy's late strike would take some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display, but the United States dominated from the first whistle. 

Hayes' side accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 2.82 from the 21 shots they had compared to Australia's 0.46, ending the match with 71.7% possession. 

The United States will face Japan in the quarter-finals of the tournament, while Australia face a nervous wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. 

In the other Group B encounter, Germany confirmed their place in the knockout stages alongside the United States following a comfortable 4-1 win over Zambia. 

Lea Schuller opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with Klara Buhl adding the Germans second of the afternoon shortly after the restart. 

Zambia captain Barbra Banda threatened to make the encounter a more difficult affair with her fourth goal of the tournament two minutes later. 

But Schuller and Elisa Senß would add further gloss to the performance soon after to secure second place in the group. 

Germany's triumph sets up a meeting with the runners-up of Group A, which could be either one of Colombia, France, Canada or New Zealand. 

Emma Hayes insisted that she will seek to solve "easy fixes" from her United States players despite a resounding 3-0 victory over Zambia in their opening game at the Paris Olympics. 

Trinity Rodman's 17th minute strike was followed up by a quickfire double from Mallory Swanson to ensure a winning start to Group B. 

Swanson's brace came within 66 seconds of each other, netting the fastest two goals by a single player in a major tournament in the team's history.

Lindsey Horan notched two assists in Nice, becoming the fifth player in USWNT history with multiple assists in an Olympic match, joining Mia Hamm, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz. 

Plenty was made of the United States' form heading into the Games, having endured a goalless draw in their final pre-tournament fixture with Costa Rica. 

However, their ruthless first-half showing saw Hayes become the first coach to win their first major tournament match in charge of the USA by a margin of three or more goals. 

The former Chelsea head coach has also helped her side keep five clean sheets in her first five games in charge, a record only bettered by Greg Ryan (nine). 

In spite of their strong showing, Hayes' side underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.96, with only eight of their 27 shots on target in the contest. 

They missed a total of nine big chances, while also having 58 touches in the opposition's box compared to Zambia's 11. 

But having seen other tournament favourites Spain and Germany kickstart their respective campaigns with victories, Hayes is confident her side can improve to claim a record-extending fifth gold medal. 

“The first part of the first half was exceptional,” Hayes said. “To come out the way we did, the intention, the intensity, the decision-making, the execution, it should have been at least 5-0 at half-time.

"There was things within our structure I didn’t like. But that’s easy fixes.

“If we had asked me at the beginning of the game ‘would you be happy with a 3-0 winner?’ I probably would have said no.

"However, for the performance and the chances created and finding the back of the net, I don’t want to be too hard on the players.”

The United States continue their Group B campaign on Sunday where they will face Germany, before travelling to Marseille to face Australia next week.