Tag: Alyssa Naeher

Naeher: Lack of gold medals brought USWNT together at Olympics

The U.S. somehow entered the 2024 Olympics with zero collective gold medals

Alyssa Naeher has said the U.S. women’s national team came together at the Olympics over the group’s collective lack of even a single gold medal.

The USWNT entered the 2024 Olympics on the back of two straight tournaments without a gold medal. In 2016, the U.S. was stunned in the quarterfinal by Sweden and exited with no medal, while in 2021 the team beat Australia in the bronze medal game after losing to Canada in the semifinal.

Two players from the 2012 gold medal-winning Olympic team, Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn, were in the mix for the 2024 roster, but both were left at home by head coach Emma Hayes.

That meant all 22 players on the 2024 roster entered the Olympics with a collective total of zero gold medals — a rarity for a program as historically successful as the USWNT.

According to Naeher, who turned in an outstanding tournament at goalkeeper, the team bonded over their opportunity to do something special as a collective.

“For us specifically going into this one, something that we talked about as a group before was unlike any tournament team that I can remember for sure, nobody on this team had an Olympic gold medal,” Naeher said on SiriusXM FC.

“That’s really rare going into this kind of a tournament — you always have that one person that’s still around from 2012 or something. But I think that was something very unique to this group, and once we figured that out, it helped jell the group even more because we were kind of like, ‘Hey, this is something special and unique that we can do together as the 22 players in this room.'”

The USWNT now has a roster full of players with a gold medal, of course, as the team beat Brazil 1-0 in the Olympic final earlier this month.

It was the program’s fifth gold medal, having also won in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012.

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Watch the goal and save that won the USWNT the Paris Olympics gold medal match

These two plays defined the USWNT’s gold medal match victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A stellar goal and a stunning save helped separate the Untied States from Brazil in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match for women’s soccer.

The USA took the gold in a 1-0 decision, sparked by forward Mallory Swanson’s electric goal in the second half and goalie Alyssa Naeher’s absolutely crucial save in stoppage time that could’ve evened the score.

Saturday’s win gave the United States women’s national team its first set of gold medals since the 2012 London Olympics, making this a historic 12-year gap erasure for the Americans. It’s the fifth gold in the program’s history.

That wouldn’t be possible without Swanson and Naeher’s absolute vital plays, which you can watch below.

 

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USWNT goalkeeper Naeher subbed off for Chicago Red Stars with injury

The veteran’s injury is an immediate issue for club, and could become one for country as well

Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Utah Royals after suffering an injury.

Naeher came away gingerly after making a recovery run in the second half. The 36-year-old attempted to carry on but was clearly laboring, and had to be replaced by Mackenzie Wood in the 62nd minute.

The Red Stars were up 2-0 at the time of the injury, and held on for a 3-1 win thanks to a goal and assist from Mallory Swanson.

Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson didn’t have an update on Naeher when asked in his post-game press conference.

“I’m leaving it to the pros, I don’t know what’s going on yet,” he said.

The injury is bad news for the Red Stars, and could potentially become an issue for the U.S. women’s national team as well, with the Olympics set to kick off in just over two months.

Naeher has been an ever-present as the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper for several years, and has recently cemented her spot with some sterling performances in the W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup this spring.

The injury could jeopardize Naeher’s availability for incoming coach Emma Hayes’ first USWNT camp, with the team facing two matches against South Korea on June 1 and June 4.

Following those matches, the USWNT will gather its Olympic roster together for send-off games against Mexico on July 13 and Costa Rica on July 16.

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Naeher on winning Sweden penalty: ‘I will go to my grave claiming that I saved it’

The USWNT was knocked out of the World Cup by a penalty that crossed the line by millimeters

U.S. national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said she’ll go to her grave claiming she saved Sweden’s penalty that knocked the USWNT out of the World Cup.

With a round-of-16 penalty shootout into sudden death, Sweden’s Lina Hurtig stepped up to the spot knowing that a converted penalty would send her side into the quarterfinal.

Naeher dove and stopped Hurtig’s shot, which popped up into the air and was then clawed out a second time by the USWNT goalkeeper. It appeared that the shootout would go on but after a review, the penalty was shown to have crossed the line by the absolute slimmest of margins.

Naeher was in disbelief on the pitch and nearly a month later, the goalkeeper still wasn’t sure Hurtig’s shot had ever actually crossed the line.

“It felt like it was in slow motion,” Naeher said on the Snacks podcast. “As I was diving, I was like, ‘Oh, this is behind me.’ So I just tried to get anything on it.”

“I will go to my grave claiming that I saved it, you cannot convince me otherwise,” she added. “I have the picture saved on my phone. I have looked at it an unhealthy amount of times since the game has ended. I genuinely thought that I saved it.”

After Hurtig’s penalty, Naeher faced an agonizing wait as the referee consulted goal-line technology to determine if the ball crossed the line. Finally the referee signaled goal, ending the USWNT’s World Cup in heartbreaking fashion.

“When [the referee] blew the whistle and I watched them run, I don’t think I can describe the sinking feeling that was,” Naeher said. “It was the most bizarre way to end the game.”

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USWNT player ratings: Defensive spine shines in gut-punch penalty kick defeat

The USWNT finally played like themselves, but soccer can be cruel

Soccer has always been a cruel sport, and today it came calling for the U.S. women’s national team.

After three underwhelming performances in the group stage, the USWNT finally looked like themselves against Sweden, bossing one of the best teams in this World Cup.

Unfortunately, they found goalkeeper Zećira Mušović having one of the games of her life, and when she wasn’t making a big save, the errant finishing that has plagued this team appeared again, and the result was a penalty kick elimination after a scoreless 120 minutes.

It was a heartbreaker for the U.S., who missed a shot in the shootout that would have seen them advance, and then had to watch Sweden’s winning kick require a VAR check to reveal that the ball had crossed the line by a nearly imperceptible margin.

Still, when it comes to ratings, this was by some margin the best performance from the USWNT at this World Cup as a team, and for many players as individuals.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Lack of ideas as U.S. barely survives Portugal

Lots of not-great, and some quite bad!

The U.S. women’s national team, by a margin of about three inches, survived a feisty Portugal side to get through to the knockout round of the World Cup.

That’s about all the good news there is to discuss. The USWNT were totally unable to solve the Portuguese midfield diamond throughout a troubling 0-0 draw, struggling for possession and also lacking chances to break out in transition.

The stats may show the USWNT holding a 17-6 shot advantage, and this is another game in which a U.S. opponent were held without a shot on goal. However, anyone that watched the match would be able to tell you that the Portuguese troubled the U.S. from start to finish, seeing the game’s best chance end with Ana Capeta hitting the post deep in stoppage time.

It was a dispiriting and disappointing showing in which no player really looked like they’d been given a platform to be their best. If the USWNT is to go on and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups, this has to be by far their worst performance of the tournament.

Here’s a breakdown from a game in which no one looked particularly good.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Disappointing showing vs. Netherlands ends in draw

A good start and finish sandwiched some worrying stuff for the USWNT

The U.S. women’s national team was far from its best against the Netherlands, struggling for a long spell in the middle of the match before recovering for a 1-1 draw.

Jill Roord’s goal on the first shot conceded all tournament by the USWNT deflated the group, and until Dutch star Daniëlle van de Donk clattered into club teammate Lindsey Horan, it was starting to get hard to see a way back in for the favored Americans.

However, Horan — after a fairly heated argument with van de Donk in the seconds that followed — powered home a header, and the U.S. took the game over for the final half-hour.

The good news? Those final minutes were the “real” USWNT. The bad news? They arrived for a reason the team can’t control, and since a winner didn’t arrive (nor did any substitutions after Rose Lavelle’s entry at halftime), the flaws on the day aren’t going to be papered over by three points.

With all that in mind, let’s dig into who delivered, and who didn’t.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Smith stands out as U.S. eases past Vietnam in World Cup opener

Smith was at the center of most of the USWNT’s best in their win

It may not have been the blowout some expected, but the U.S. women’s national team started the World Cup off with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith — one goal was clinical, the other needed a fairly hefty slice of luck — set the USWNT on their way. After some missed chances, including an Alex Morgan penalty kick that was saved by Vietnam’s Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Lindsey Horan added the third on an assist from Smith.

In the context of Vietnam’s recent results, including only falling to Germany 2-1, it’s a decent result. It’s also not the rout that fans may have thought was coming, though on another day the goals may have been flowing with just a touch more sharpness from the attacking players.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

EA Sports reveals 10 highest-rated NWSL players in FIFA 23

The NWSL is set to be part of the hugely popular video game for the first time

EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest rated NWSL players in FIFA 23, as the league’s teams are available in the game for the first time ever.

San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan leads the list with a rating of 90, while Debinha — who signed with the Kansas City Current in a huge free agent deal this offseason — is next up, rated 88 overall.

U.S. women’s national team starters Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) are next on the list, all given an 87 rating.

EA Sports has announced all of the player ratings across the NWSL, which can be found along with their ratings for women’s players in the Women’s Super League, Division 1 Féminine, and prominent national teams like Spain and Germany. The full list of women’s player ratings can be found here.

Following a landmark partnership between the league, the NWSL Players’ Association, and EA Sports, FIFA 23 will include NWSL players starting on March 15 in the following modes:

  • Kick Off
  • Tournament Mode
  • Head to Head season
  • Co-op Seasons
  • Online Friendlies

FIFA 23 will also include four NWSL stadiums, authentic kit renderings, and celebrations.

Here are the top 10 — or really 11, due to a three-way tie for ninth place — NWSL players in FIFA 23.

San Diego Wave outlast Chicago Red Stars in NWSL playoff marathon

San Diego set another NWSL record, and got a playoff win over a gritty Red Stars side

For all the glamour and attacking talent the San Diego Wave have, the story of their debut season may just be their toughness and determination.

San Diego wore down a stubborn Chicago Red Stars side to take a 2-1 extra time win, sending a 26,215 crowd — breaking an NWSL record the Houston Dash had set just hours earlier — at Snapdragon Stadium home happy. Alex Morgan bagged a 110th minute winner after Yuki Nagasato and Emily van Egmond had scored for each side in regulation.

A stunning mistake gave Chicago an unexpected lead. Kailen Sheridan, who is contending for NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, is known for being sure-footed in possession. However, collecting the ball just outside the San Diego box in the 10th minute, she seemed to be caught between two choices in distribution, eventually badly under-hitting a pass attempt that rolled right towards Yuki Nagasato.

Accepting the gift, the veteran did what veterans do, calmly scooping the ball over Sheridan and into an empty net from 24 yards.

It’s bad to fall behind early in a playoff game, but it’s even worse to fall behind against this Red Stars team. In the 2022 regular season, Chicago had never lost a match in which they took a lead.

A major reason they managed that record was that Chicago is a team full of veteran technicians that know how to control a game. The Red Stars showed plenty of guile in possession, patiently making San Diego chase for long spells in what was one of their best halves of the entire year.

Adjustments were needed, and late in the half San Diego finally started connecting in their attempts to go direct and figuring out how to set up shop to complicate things for the visitors. Wave coach Casey Stoney could be seen using stoppages in play to talk her side through those alterations, and they started to take hold.

“We were getting outnumbered in certain areas,” Stoney told reporters post-game. “I think once we went to a 4-4-2, we looked a little more structured. We could get pressure higher up, and that really helped us.”

Chicago agreed that the shift from San Diego had a huge impact. “I think they changed formations a little bit, or at least tactics a little bit, and put four on the front line,” said Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. “They looked to use (Taylor) Kornieck, and then their speed up front to overload and create some different chances.”

The changes from San Diego expanded to include Sofia Jakobsson, who entered at halftime, and she played a major role in the Wave’s equalizer. Engineering some isolation on the flank against Zoe Morse, Jakobsson played a dangerous cross that Chicago couldn’t fully clear, with Emily van Egmond volleying home amid the resulting chaos.

The Red Stars were hardly parking the bus, but the intensity required to play San Diego began to clearly take its toll. The Wave were seizing more control as full time approached, with Chicago simply not having enough in the tank to push back with consistency.

Extra time was more of a curse than a blessing for Chicago as a result, and while they did have a couple of chances, it felt like there could only be one winner.

The path there — an angled low shot designed to create a rebound that bounced just barely below Alyssa Naeher’s dive, slipping into the bottom corner — wasn’t expected, but Alex Morgan being the goalscorer? In 2022, that’s absolutely in the script.

San Diego’s reward for chipping away at Chicago’s resolve until they finally found their way through? A daunting trip to Portland, where they’ll face the Thorns next Sunday, October 23, at 5:00pm Eastern.

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