United States women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will step onto the international stage for the last time. The USWNT will face England and the Netherlands during their final international window of 2024, and the pair of friendlies are now a farewell for Naeher after a long time. The goalkeeper announced his retirement. of international play on Monday.
Naeher assumed the starting goalie position shortly after the 2016 Olympics. Once part of the backup contingency behind the legendary Hope Solo, Naeher’s arrival brought instant pressure with Hall of Famers Solo and Briana Scurry casting long shadows of success in the penalty area. But the New England native grew into her role, quickly becoming the last line of defense and leader among her teammates while winning multiple championships during her time with the national team. It leaves the national team third behind Solo and Scurry in caps (113), starts (110), wins (88) and shutouts (68).
Fans will get their last glimpse of the iconic goalkeeper between the posts on Saturday when the USWNT takes on the Lioneeses at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Here’s how you can watch the big game:
View information
- Date: Saturday November 30
- Time: 12:20 p.m.
- Place: Wembley Stadium – London, England
- TV: TNT, Telemundo
- Stream: MAXIMUM
Alyssa Naeher’s best moments
As the world says goodbye to Naeher, there are almost too many moments to remember. So here’s a ranking of her best moments while wearing the USWNT shield:
FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2008
Naeher’s early introduction to the international stage came alongside other future USWNT heavyweights. The 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup featured future senior World Cup winners Meghan Klingenberg, Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan. Naeher was goalless during the group stage against Argentina, China and France. He achieved more clean sheets during the quarter-final and semi-final and had great success in the final 2-1 against North Korea and won the tournament’s Golden Glove.
God of penalties
We may never again see the kind of cool confidence combined with clinical instincts that Naeher brought to the penalty kill. Not only was he able to save and convert penalties, but he is the only goalkeeper, male or female, to ever take and score a penalty in a World Cup. Naeher’s calm demeanor as he constantly timed his save attempts, only to keep the ball he saved and place it on the spot and then convert, was like receiving the birthday gift of your dreams while undergoing an out-of-body experience.
It’s not that Naeher was capable of producing these moments, it’s that he had the ability to produce them consistently, and in 2024 he gave fans the sweetest send-off when he eliminated Canada in not one, but two high-stakes penalty shootouts. .
Naeher bounced Concacf rivals during a penalty shootout on a soggy, wet pitch during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal and the USWNT won the inaugural trophy against Brazil. Later, before the Olympics, Naeher did it again when he faced Canada in the SheBelieves Cup. Complete a save, convert a penalty kick, make another save and achieve glory. An Alyssa Naeher special.
Penalty save in the 2019 World Cup semi-final
We had to save the penalty again as a highlight for Naeher. This time it was during the team’s 2019 World Cup run. The tournament was Naeher’s first as a starting goalkeeper in the World Cup, and the now shattered stories of pressure over whether or not the goalkeeper could handle the high points risk.
She fulfilled what was probably the most tense moment of the competition against England with a place in the World Cup final at stake. With just a few minutes left in regulation, England had a penalty chance to tie against the United States, but Naeher read Steph Houghton’s attempt throughout and made the save.
Shootout at the 2023 World Cup against Sweden
The 2023 World Cup ended with the earliest exits for the United States, but that was not the only controversy surrounding the team. The teams’ round of 16 match was considered one of the best among the disappointing performances throughout the tournament, and the knockout match required penalties to determine the outcome.
With a combination of misses on both sides of the shootout, Naeher made World Cup history when she made a save against Sweden and then stepped up and converted her own penalty for the USWNT. Despite putting her gloves on Lina Hurtig’s penalty attempt, a VAR review ruled the shootout by a millimeter, and people still talk about the “it was or it wasn’t” moment.
Saving the Olympic gold medal
Naeher brought goalkeeping and gold medal heroics to the USWNT during the 2024 Olympic run. In a rematch of the 2024 W Gold Cup final, the United States faced Brazil in the gold medal match. The two old rivals were very familiar with each other during the Olympics, and the match was a close battle.
It was coach Emma Hayes’ first major international tournament with the program and Naeher delivered for her teammates and her new coach when she made a save off a diving header late in extra time. The save would secure the gold medal and ultimately be Naeher’s last moment in a major international competition.
