As fun as this summer was, the calendars have now moved into fall. And with fall comes new beginnings, especially for the U.S. Women’s National Team. The mission was accomplished with a gold medal performance at the Summer Olympics, and things get going again this week when Emma Hayes’ team takes on Iceland in a pair of friendlies.

These are the first matches since the USWNT won gold, the first chance to turn the page. Hayes in particular has spoken out about the new challenges. She’s looking forward to it.

“The Olympics are a great foundation and a great foundation for us,” Hayes said, “but it is not a future predictor of success.”

Hayes needs to adjust the player pool by introducing a new generation over the next three years. She must figure out which veterans have lasting power and which are transitional. She must seize this opportunity to build the team in her image after rushing through her first summer.

And that brings us back to this camp, the first glimpse of how Hayes will build this team heading into the 2027 World Cup. The USWNT plays Iceland on Thursday at 7:30 PM in Austin, Texas, and then again on Sunday at 5:30 PM in Nashville. What can we expect from the USWNT in these two games, with a third against Argentina on the horizon? GOAL takes a look.