Alyssa Naeher had a penalty shootout performance against Canada in the Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal that etched new lore in United States women’s national team history.
It’s important to add some context to what must have been going through Naeher’s mind before the shootout began.
She had just conceded and failed to save the penalty kick in the final seconds to send the game to a shootout.
ADRIANA LEON CONVERTS FROM THE SPOT AND SENDS THE GAME TO PENALTIES pic.twitter.com/pAnCWkapTV
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
She’s likely had nightmares over the past seven months of THAT shootout against Sweden in the Women’s World Cup where she was millimeters away from saving the decisive kick.
After review, the penalty is good and Sweden wins
:✅✅✅❌❌✅❌
:✅✅❌❌✅✅✅ pic.twitter.com/PbidlCoiWd— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
Alyssa Naeher nearly kept it out pic.twitter.com/DjpatlgCKD
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 6, 2023
On top of all this she finished a brutal season with the Chicago Red Stars in 2023 that saw the team concede a league-high 50 GOALS. She kept just three clean sheets in 20 starts.
Most players in that mental state with those recent struggles would fold like a lawn chair under the pressure. But this is Alyssa fucking Naeher we’re talking about.
Naeher was a brick wall in the shootout saving three of Canada’s four attempts. The moment that solidified the shootout as iconic was Naeher saving goal scorer Jordyn Huitema’s penalty, not celebrating, calming stepping up to take her own penalty and nailing it.
This is what legends do.
Naeher says 'not again' pic.twitter.com/ZfPr0wvOW4
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
ALYSSA NAEHER WITH BACK TO BACK SAVES pic.twitter.com/47JXYxPbqk
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
ALYSSA NAEHER CAN SAVE AND CONVERT PENALTIES pic.twitter.com/vewrwXwto5
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT THREE ALYSSA NAEHER SAVES pic.twitter.com/hpMppuKWuw
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
Her heroics are nothing new. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Naeher also saved three penalty kicks vs. Netherlands (one in regulation and two in a shootout).
6 - Alyssa Naeher has saved 6 of the 14 on-target penalties she's faced in competitive penalty shoot-outs for the @USWNT. Wall. pic.twitter.com/VFhF9gNVWG
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) March 7, 2024
Alex Morgan said that Naeher’s performance vs. Canada was one of the best she’s ever seen.
.@alexmorgan13 is an @AlyssaNaeher fan, just like us pic.twitter.com/BY4H9Z7vHe
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) March 7, 2024
What a player.
