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On Wednesday, this new ownership entity announced the recruitment of Anja van Ginhoven, England's managerial lead working with head coach Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of overseer of worldwide women's football activities. This freshly established multi-team ownership group, with San Francisco’s Bay FC as its first club within its group, has previously engaged in recruiting from the Football Association.

The selection this year of Cossington, the influential ex-technical director for the FA, as top executive served as a demonstration of ambition by the collective. She understands the women's game inside out and now has gathered an executive team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and packed with practical experience.

She is the third central staffer of Wiegman’s setup to depart in the current year, with the chief executive leaving before the Euros and deputy manager, Veurink, leaving to assume the position of head manager of the Dutch national team, but her move arrived more quickly.

Moving on proved to be a shock to the system, yet “I had decided to exit the national setup some time back”, Van Ginhoven says. “My agreement lasting four years, similar to Veurink and Wiegman had. Upon their extension, I previously indicated I didn’t know if I would do the same. I had grown accustomed to the thought that following the tournament my time with England would end.”

The European Championship turned into an emotional competition because of this. “It's sharp in my memory, speaking with Sarina in which I informed her about my decision and then we said: ‘We share a single dream, how amazing would it be that we win the Euros?’ In reality, it’s not like aspirations are realized often however, absolutely incredibly, this one did.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, Van Ginhoven holds dual affections post her tenure in England, where she was part of claiming two Euros in a row and served on Wiegman’s staff during the Dutch victory at Euro 2017.

“The national team will forever have a special place in my heart. So, it will be difficult, notably since that the squad are scheduled to come for the international camp shortly,” she says. “When England plays the Netherlands, who do I support? I’m wearing orange at the moment, though tomorrow English white.”

A speedboat allows for rapid direction changes. In a lean group like this one, that is simple to achieve.

The American side was not in the plans as the strategic expert was deciding it was time to move on, however everything aligned at the right time. Cossington initiated the recruitment and mutual beliefs proved essential.

“Almost from the very first moment we connected we felt immediate synergy,” states Van Ginhoven. “You’re immediately on the same level. We have spoken at length about different things concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

These executives are among several to uproot themselves from high-profile jobs in the European game for a fresh start in the United States. The Spanish club's women’s technical director, González, has been introduced as Bay Collective’s worldwide sports director.

“I was highly interested to that strong belief of the power within the female sport,” González explains. “I'm familiar with Cossington for a long time; when I used to work at Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and decisions like this come naturally when you are aware you will have around you colleagues who drive you.”

The extensive expertise in their team distinguishes them, explains she, for the collective one of several recent multi-team projects which have emerged over the past few years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. Various methods are valid, however we strongly feel in incorporating football expertise,” she says. “All three of us have been on a journey in women’s football, probably for the best part of our lives.”

As their website states, the goal of Bay Collective is to advocate and innovate a progressive and sustainable ecosystem of women’s football clubs, founded on effective practices addressing the different demands of female athletes. Achieving this, with everyone on the same page, eliminating the need for persuasion for specific initiatives, provides great freedom.

“I liken it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” states she. “You're journeying through waters that there are no roadmaps for – a common Dutch expression, not sure how it comes across – and you just need to rely on your individual understanding and experience for making correct choices. You can pivot and accelerate rapidly with a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that is simple to achieve.”

She continues: “Here, we have a completely white sheet of paper to work from. In my view, our work involves shaping the sport on a much broader level and that blank slate allows you to do whatever you want, adhering to football's guidelines. This is the appeal of our joint endeavor.”

The aspirations are significant, those in leading roles are expressing sentiments the football community want to hear and it will be compelling to follow the development of Bay Collective, the team and other teams that may join.

To get a sense of future plans, which elements are crucial for a top-level environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve