5. Mia Hamm: The first lady of soccer in America.
This would be a total move out of left field for Gulati and U.S. Soccer. However, Hamm is heavily involved with the MLS expansion club, LAFC. Some pundits have even mentioned the possibility of her taking the first manager spot in club history.
Hamm knows her way around the soccer field and has the tactical awareness of being involved in high-pressure games. She appears 275 times for the USWNT, she’s won many championships on the college and professional/national team level. Off the field, as before mentioned, she is a founding member of LAFC. She is on the board of directors for A.S. Roma and is a global ambassador for F.C. Barcelona.
If anyone is doubting whether Hamm knows the game of soccer, it would be a short conversation as her résumé speaks for herself. However, if you are looking for someone with coaching experience at a high-level, Hamm is not that person.
There is also a chance that she presence as manager would add even more pressure to the team overall as being the first female national team coach in U.S. Men’s history. That alone would be more than Gulati and company would want to deal with in such a crucial moment in USMNT history.