Hayes named a 26-player roster for a pair of friendlies against Iceland and one against Argentina, with squad rotation in mind
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.
GettyU.S. could field two teams
Hayes understands that fans come sometimes be upset with roster decisions. No matter who she chooses, someone is always going to get left off.
"Why isn't this player in? What does this player need to do to get a chance?" Hayes hears it. She gets it.
She also has to be honest: right now, this pool is so sizable. It's a blessing and a curse. This USWNT group is loaded with talent, and it's hard to get everyone the opportunity they deserve.
"I've said this, although I say it privately more than I do publicly: the U.S. could quite easily put two teams out there," Hayes said. "There's always going to be players that are missing and there were players and there are players that are outside of this roster that equally deserves to be in."
In total, 18 members of the 2024 Olympic team were named to the squad, with Trinity Rodman the key absence, due to a back injury sustained during the NWSL season. Joining those 18 are eight players who weren't in France this summer. Among those are returning veterans Ashley Sanchez and Hailie Mace as well as rising stars such as Alyssa Thompson and Olivia Moultrie.
Plenty of eyes will be on the youngsters and newcomers this time around.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesShifting focus from 2024 to 2027-28
Hayes is pushing things forward with this roster, having called in six uncapped players. Two of them are Hal Hershfelt and Emily Sams, who were with the Olympic squad as alternates. Eva Gaetino, meanwhile, is back for her second USWNT camp. That leaves Alyssa Malonson, Yazmeen Ryan and Emma Sears, who have been rewarded for strong NWSL seasons with call-ups to their first national team camp.
The USWNT boss seems excited to expand the player pool to include new faces and, just as important, re-expand it to familiar ones. Reintroducing players such as Moultrie and Thompson is key as Hayes shuts the door on the summer of 2024 and looks ahead to the summers of 2027 and 2028 (World Cup and Olympic years).
The roster, for now, does not include players from the U.S. U20s, who have been given a break after recently finishing third at the U20 World Cup. In January, Hayes and the USWNT will hold a "Futures Camp" designed to integrate the young stars from that team.
"I'm really excited about the Futures Camp," Hayes said. "I'm very much a believer of making everything we do interdisciplinary and that from WNT, YNT on down. There's a very, very clear pathway for our players… That's not just within the U20s; It could be U23s, and it could be the best of NWSL or USL that we haven't seen yet where we can develop the right strategy for that group going into 2027."
After a weeks-long sprint to the Olympics, Hayes now has a few years in which to experiment before the next World Cup. Since the Olympics concluded, Hayes and her team have begun to map out that path. There are a few new faces in this camp, but there will be more on the way as the USNWT looks to introduce new talent over the next three years.
"I'm sitting here now thinking of a handful of players that could very well be within this roster that are not," Hayes said. "I can only pick 26 and, as you know, every player from the Olympics, as per the Victory Tour, I have to include in this squad.
"I could only select a very small size of new players in this camp, in particular, so for those that have missed out, there will be another opportunity. I think in particular, the Futures Camp could be that in January, and, if not, the doors never close to playing for the national team."
GettyRotation incoming
In addition to expanding the squad to 26 to introduce new players, Hayes also says there's a more immediate focus: squad rotation.
With the NWSL playoffs looming and the season getting going in Europe, Hayes is aware of player fatigue. Despite the expectations to win, even in friendlies, Hayes also wants to manage workloads and ensure that every player gets both an opportunity and, just as important, some needed rest.
"I have vowed to work alongside the NWSL to make sure we not only give opportunities to our players, but that means that I will be playing, three different teams, three different lineups, to make sure that I provide that opportunity for players," Hayes said. "We need a squad of 26 to be able to do that."
That could mean no player appears in more than two of the three upcoming friendlies.
"It's not new to anyone, but I know how to manage players," she said. "We have 26 players so we're not in a position to play any player more than two games, which is what my objective is. If I can't achieve that because we don't have the right numbers, then I won't, but I would certainly look to achieve that."
USA TodayWait for Yohannes continues
Hayes also got into the absence of one particular player: Lily Yohannes.
The 17-year-old starlet scored for the USWNT against South Korea in her first cap in June, but has since been out of the team as she mulls over her international future. She remains eligible to play for the Netherlands, but would need to file a switch away from the U.S. to do so.
Throughout the process, Hayes has been adamant that she won't pressure Yohannes. Instead, the USWNT will give her the space needed to make her own choice.
"We have to be mindful," Hayes said. "She's a really young player, and has been playing her domestic club football in in the Netherlands. Understandably, she wants to take the time at her age and her stage before she makes an important decision. There has been communication post-Olympics between Lily and us at the Federation. I'm always optimistic, but I don't like to pressure anybody in this situation.
"At the moment, I don't have an update, but I still very much harbor the hopes that Lily will represent the U.S. in the future but, no matter what time it takes, it needs to be right for Lily and when that time's right, I'm sure I'll update if I have anything to say on that, for the moment, it's just that we haven't reached the conclusion to that yet."