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U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will take the international stage for the final time. The USWNT will face England and the Netherlands in their final international stint of 2024, and the friendlies are now a farewell to Naeher after the long goalkeeper announced her retirement of the international game on Monday.
Naeher took over the starting goalkeeper position shortly after the 2016 Olympics. Once part of the backup behind the legendary Hope Solo, Naeher’s arrival created immediate pressure, with Hall of Famers Solo and Briana Scurry casting large shadows of success in the box. But the New England native grew into her role and quickly became the last line of defense and a leader among her teammates, winning multiple championships during her time with the national team. She leaves the national team third behind Solo and Scurry in caps (113), starts (110), wins (88) and shutouts (68).
Fans will get a final glimpse of the iconic goalkeeper between the goalposts on Saturday when the USWNT take on the Lioneeses at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Here’s how to watch the big match:
View information
- Date: Saturday November 30
- Time: 12:20 pm
- Place: Wembley Stadium – London, England
- TV: TNT, Telemundo
- Current: MAX
Alyssa Naeher’s top moments
As the world says goodbye to Naeher, there are almost too many moments to remember. So here’s a ranking of her top moments while wearing the USWNT patch:
2008 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup
Naeher’s early introduction to the international stage came along with several other future USWNT heavy hitters. The 2008 U20 Women’s World Cup featured future senior World Cup winners Meghan Klingenberg, Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan. Naeher picked up shutouts against Argentina, China and France during the group stage. She earned more clean sheets during the quarter-finals and semi-finals, seeing action in the 2-1 final against North Korea and winning the Golden Glove tournament.
Penalties god
We may never again see the kind of calm confidence combined with clinical instincts that Naeher brought to penalties. Not only could she stop and convert penalties, she is also the only goalkeeper, male or female, to ever score and score a goal. penalty kick at a World Cup. Naeher’s calm demeanor as she continually timed her stop attempts, only to keep the ball she was keeping and place it on the spot and then convert, was like receiving the birthday present of your dreams while going through an out-of-body experience.
It’s not that Naeher was able to produce these moments, but that she had the ability to execute them with consistency, and in 2024 she gave fans the sweetest farewell when she eliminated Canada in not one, but two penalties with high stakes.
Naeher bounced off the Concacf rivals in a soggy, wet pitch and penalty scenario during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup semi-final, and the USWNT lifted their first trophy against Brazil. Later, prior to the Olympics, Naeher did it again when they met Canada in the SheBelieves Cup. Complete a save, convert a penalty, make another save and take the honors. An Alyssa Naeher special.
Penalty save in the 2019 World Cup semi-final
We had to go with another penalty save as the top moment for Naeher. This time it was during the team’s 2019 World Cup run. The tournament was Naeher’s first as the starting goalkeeper at the World Cup, and the now shattered storylines over whether or not the goalkeeper could handle the high-stakes moments.
She performed in what was probably the most exciting moment of the competition against England, with a place in the World Cup final at stake. With just minutes left in regulation, England had a penalty chance to equalize against the United States, but Naeher read Steph Houghton’s attempt all the way and made the save.
2023 World Cup shootout against Sweden
The 2023 World Cup ended up being the first exit for the United States, but that wasn’t the only controversy surrounding the team. The side’s round of 16 match was considered one of the better matches among the disappointing performances during the tournament, and the elimination match required penalties to decide the outcome.
With a mix of misses on both sides of the shootout, Naeher made World Cup history when she made a tip save against Sweden, then stepped up and converted a penalty of her own for the USWNT. Despite having her gloves on for Lina Hurtig’s penalty attempt, a VAR review determined the shootout by a millimeter, and people still speak about the ‘was it or wasn’t it’ moment.
Olympic gold medal saved
Naeher brought the heroics and the gold medal to the USWNT during the 2024 Olympic run. In a rematch of the 2024 W Gold Cup final, the US faced Brazil in the gold medal match. The two old rivals knew each other well during the Olympics, and the match was a close contest.
It was head coach Emma Hayes’ first major international tournament with the program and Naeher delivered results for her teammates and new manager as she pulled behind a diving header late in stoppage time. The save would secure the gold medal and ultimately be Naeher’s last moment in a major international competition.