U.S. girls’s nationwide workforce goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will step onto the worldwide stage one final time. The USWNT is ready to face England and the Netherlands throughout their remaining worldwide window of 2024, and the pair of friendlies are actually a farewell to Naeher after the longtime goalkeeper introduced her retirement from worldwide play on Monday. 

Naeher took over the beginning goalkeeper place shortly after the 2016 Olympics. As soon as a part of the backup contingency behind the legendary Hope Solo, Naeher’s moving into the job introduced immediate stress with Corridor of Famers Solo and Briana Scurry casting massive shadows of success within the penalty field. However the New England native grew into her function, quickly turning into the final line of protection and a pacesetter amongst her teammates whereas profitable a number of championships throughout her time with the nationwide workforce. She leaves the nationwide workforce third behind Solo and Scurry in caps (113), begins (110), wins (88) and shutouts (68).

Followers can get a remaining glimpse of the enduring keeper in between the goalposts on Saturday when the USWNT sq. off towards the Lioneeses at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Here is how one can watch the large sport:

Viewing data

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 30
• Time: 12:20 p.m.
• Place: Wembley Stadium — London, England
• TV: TNT, Telemundo
• Stream: MAX

Alyssa Naeher’s high moments

Because the world says goodbye to Naeher, there are virtually too many moments to recall. So here is a rating of her high moments whereas sporting the USWNT crest:

2008 FIFA U20 Girls’s World Cup

Naeher’s early introduction to the worldwide stage got here alongside another future USWNT heavy hitters. The 2008 U20 Girls’s World Cup featured future senior-level World Cup winners Meghan Klingenberg, Sydney Leroux, and Alex Morgan. Naeher picked up shutouts all through the group stage towards Argentina, China, and France. She earned extra clear sheets through the quarterfinal and semifinal and got here up clutch within the 2-1 remaining towards North Korea and gained the event Golden Glove.

Penalty shootout god

We’d by no means see the form of cool confidence mixed with medical instincts that Naeher dropped at penalty shootouts ever once more. Not solely might she cease, and convert penalties, she’s the one goalkeeper, man or lady, to ever take and rating a penalty in a World Cup. Naeher’s calm demeanor as she consistently timed her cease makes an attempt, solely to maintain the ball she saved and place it on the spot to then convert, was like getting the birthday present of your goals whereas going by way of an out-of-body expertise. 

It is not that Naeher was able to producing these moments, it is that she had the power to show them out with consistency, and in 2024 she gave followers the sweetest farewells when she eradicated Canada in not one, however two, high-stakes penalty shootouts.

Naeher bounced the Concacf rivals throughout a soggy, moist pitch, penalty state of affairs through the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal and the USWNT went on the win the inaugural trophy towards Brazil. Later, forward of the Olympics, Naeher did it once more once they met Canada within the SheBelieves Cup. Full a save, convert a penalty kick, make one other save, and get the glory. An Alyssa Naeher particular.

2019 World Cup semifinal penalty save

We needed to go along with one other penalty kick save as a high second for Naeher. This time it was through the squad’s 2019 World Cup run. The event was Naeher’s first as beginning goalkeeper within the World Cup, and the now shattered storylines of stress round whether or not or not the keeper might deal with the high-stakes moments. 

She delivered in what was probably probably the most tense second of the competitors towards England with a spot to the World Cup remaining on the road. With simply minutes left in regulation, England had a penalty alternative to equalize towards the US, however Naeher learn Steph Houghton’s try the whole manner and made the save. 

2023 World Cup shootout vs. Sweden

The 2023 World Cup ended because the earliest exits for the US, however that wasn’t the one controversy across the workforce.  The squads spherical of 16 match was considered one of many higher video games among the many underwhelming performances all through the event, and the elimination match wanted penalties to find out the result. 

With a mixture of misses on each side of the shootout, Naeher made World Cup historical past when she made a tip save towards Sweden then stepped up and transformed a penalty of her personal for the USWNT. Regardless of getting her gloves on Lina Hurtig’s penalty try, a VAR evaluation decided the shootout by a millimeter, and people nonetheless converse concerning the “was it or was it not” second.

Olympic Gold Medal save

Naeher introduced the goalkeeping heroics, and gold medal, to the USWNT through the 2024 Olympic run. In a rematch of the 2024 W Gold Cup remaining, the U.S. confronted Brazil within the gold medal match. The 2 long-time rivals had loads of familiarity with one another through the Olympic video games, and the match was a slender battle. 

It was head coach Emma Hayes’ first main worldwide event with this system and Naeher delivered for her teammates, and new supervisor, when she made a trailing save off a diving header late in stoppage time. The save would safe the gold medal, and in the end be Naeher’s remaining second in a serious worldwide competitors.