United States coach Emma Hayes said retiring veteran Alyssa Naeher leaves the team as the “the greatest goalkeeper” that 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 heroes 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 that 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 re-organised, 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 game-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,” said Hayes. “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 goalscorer, 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,” said the Gotham FC forward. “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.