The USWNT have been a dominant force in soccer for years, boasting four World Cups to their name and being the only team to do so. Their success isn’t just down to their prolific forwards but also the defensive integrity they have had for years. When former USWNT player Alexi Lalas’ asked Bay FC owner and former USWNT Leslie Osborne who she believes is the best goalkeeper in USWNT history, she surprised many by naming a former teammate over her close friend Alyssa Naeher.

With Naeher recently announcing her retirement from International duty, fans have been reminiscing about her glorious moments in the iconic red, blue, and white jersey. However, her unwavering presence between the sticks wasn’t enough for Osborne, who gave the title of the greatest goalkeeper of all time to her former teammate, Hope Solo. 

“Alyssa Naeher is one of my closest friends, she’s incredible, but Hope Solo, when I played, there was no one else I wanted behind me, then Hope Solo, she was the best goalkeeper in the world and I would put her up against anybody,” Osborne told Lalas on the ‘State of the Union Podcast’. 

“However, when I look at the longevity of Alyssa Naeher’s career and what she’s done, over and over and over again, battling injuries, she just always steps up in the biggest moments possible and I think she’s carried this team” added Osborne. Her most iconic moment came during the 2019 World Cup semifinal when she saved Steph Houghton’s 83rd-minute penalty, securing the United States’ 2–1 victory over England.

It’s understandable why Osborne chose Solo over Naeher, after all, they played together, and looking at Hope Solo’s incredible USWNT stats, it seems fair. She played a crucial role in the United States winning gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics and led them to World Cup glory in 2015. However, it’s the personal stats that set her apart from Naeher.

Is there ‘hope’ for a new Hope Solo?

During her 16-year tenure as a goalkeeper for the USWNT, Hope Solo made 202 appearances, started 190 matches, won 153 games, and kept 102 shutouts (clean sheets), all of which are records that are yet to be broken. In the 1256 minutes that she’s played, Solo once went 55 games without losing, which is the longest undefeated streak of all time. 

With Naeher set to play her final match in the friendly against the Netherlands, she leaves behind a career that many goalkeepers would envy. A World Cup and Olympic Gold in her 114 appearances, the United States won 88 times, with Naeher keeping 69 clean sheets. Emma Hayes will face a tough decision in picking the next No. 1. 

With the likes of Casey Murphy, Mandy Haught, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce all contending for the spot, they surely know the gravity of the task at hand, with big shoes to fill, or perhaps we should say, gloves to fit. Regardless of who gets picked, the critics will be on the edge, drawing comparisons to those who came before them.