As Emma Hayes addressed reporters on a video conference shortly after announcing her latest U.S. women's national team squad, it was hard not to notice the display set up behind her. It was a frame featuring a jersey signed by every member of the USWNT Olympic squad adjacent to, of course, the gold medal that the team won in the Paris Summer Games.
It's a marvelous display, and a visceral reminder of what Hayes has already accomplished with this group.
Hayes' tone during Thursday's media session didn't really reflect the spoils of victory behind her, though. Her setup may have been centered on the USWNT's Olympic win, but Hayes herself was keen to throw things forward.
That begins with the upcoming camp, as Hayes named a 26-player roster for a pair of friendlies against Iceland, and one more against Argentina. The majority of the squad is made up of Olympic gold medalists, of course. But there are plenty of new faces, which Hayes says is by design.
"I asked for 26 players as opposed to the usual 23 so that we can manage opportunities for players to play, plus hopefully getting back to their clubs in a safe place for them to finish out the season," Hayes said. "We're really just reviewing internally how we take ourselves to the next places, and that involves a myriad of things. But it's certainly been a really busy period post-Olympics, but one that I'm really, really enjoying."
GOAL looks at the key takeaways from Hayes' first squad, post-Olympics.