• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

American Gold Sports Alliance

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Media
    • Featured News
    • Diversity and Inclusion Committee
    • Youth Advisory Committee
    • Wrestling for Gold Initiative
  • Raffles
  • Radiosport
  • Try Cricket
  • Athlete of the Month
  • Camps
  • Join Our Team
    • Richard Montgomery Wrestling
    • Richard Montgomery Girls Lacrosse
  • Donate
    • Giving Tuesday
  • Contact Us

Naeher retires as USWNT’s ‘greatest goalkeeper’

December 4, 2024 by Tara S

Naeher retires as USWNT’s ‘greatest goalkeeper’

Cesar Hernandez | ESPN FC

United States coach Emma Hayes said retiring veteran Alyssa Naeher leaves the team as the “the greatest goalkeeper” the country has produced after Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands.

“What I did say to her yesterday, in my opinion, she’s the greatest goalkeeper this country’s ever had, for lots of reasons,” Hayes said about the 36-year-old, who made six saves in her final USWNT match. “Most people don’t really realize what it takes to stay at the top. For her to do it, for the number of years she’s done it, wow.”

Naeher announced last week that the winter friendlies against England and the Netherlands would be the last of her national team career. The veteran, who will continue playing at club level for the Chicago Red Stars, earned a shutout in a 0-0 draw with England before emerging as one of the top performers in Tuesday’s narrow victory against the Dutch.

“I’m going to miss the coffee dates, hanging around the team room, talking. I’m going to miss the competition, playing at the highest level,” Naeher told ESPN after the match. “Obviously, I’m not done done, I’m still playing NWSL. But to have played internationals and World Cups is something I’ll miss, but I’ll miss the people.”

Defender Emily Fox also praised the goalkeeper who has won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal — and is the only goalie to have shutouts in both a World Cup and Olympic gold medal final.

“Big shout to her, we’re going to miss her so much,” Fox said. “We’re happy we managed to win. I think the first half was rough, but we reorganised, got control of it.”

The USWNT relied on Naeher to stay alive in their latest match in which they were outshot 14 to 1 during the first half. An equalizing own-goal from the Netherlands before half-time allowed the team to eventually fight back with a winner from Lynn Williams in the 71st minute.

“If we’re not going to be our best with the ball, we better be our best without it and I thought we got bullied and harassed. … The Dutch should have been up 2-0 in the first half,” Hayes said. “We’re not sitting here saying we were the better team, you can still win football matches and not be at your best.

“I thought today we demonstrated, by not being at our best both in and out of possession, but finding a way to win, is a sign of a great team.”

Williams, the lone USWNT goal scorer, admitted the result wasn’t the most appealing of performances from the No. 1-ranked FIFA side.

“I wouldn’t say that this was our prettiest game of soccer ever, and sometimes that’s how games go,” the Gotham FC forward said. “The biggest thing was matching their intensity, getting to the second ball, getting to the first ball.”

With the results in hand, the USWNT closed out the year with a 20-game undefeated streak that featured a Gold Cup title, the SheBelieves Cup and an Olympic gold medal.

Hayes, who has never lost as U.S. coach, will lead her team back into action in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup tournament. The Americans will face Colombia, Australia and Japan in the annual tournament that is held in February.

Filed Under: Athlete Spotlight, Soccer, Women's Soccer

Primary Sidebar

Donate Here!

Categories

Featured Posts

Introducing the Vulcan Pickleball Line in Support of the AGSA!

… [Read More...] about Introducing the Vulcan Pickleball Line in Support of the AGSA!

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Names WNBA Trio to Class of 2025

… [Read More...] about Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Names WNBA Trio to Class of 2025

2026 Expansion Team Denver Breaks NWSL Ticket Sales Record

… [Read More...] about 2026 Expansion Team Denver Breaks NWSL Ticket Sales Record

Archives

  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • February 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Raffles
  • Radiosport
  • Try Cricket
  • Athlete of the Month
  • Camps
  • Join Our Team
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 American Gold Sports Alliance Inc.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy