We have seen a ridiculous amount of talent within the USWNT ranks. Be it Hope Solo, or Brianna Scurry, these goalkeeper saves the USWNT from conceding goals and becoming the last women on defense in preventing goals. Likewise, the USWNT managed to secure a gold medal in Paris thanks to both the ‘Triple Espresso and the outstanding performance of Alyssa Naeher. The sensational 36-year-old goalkeeper made crucial saves to help the team from the back.

Well, from one legend to another, the former USMNT goalkeeper, Tim Howard, showered her with praise, stating how she became one reason why the USWNT won the gold. Yes, ma’am, there is no doubt about your contributions to the team’s victory!

In her appearance on, ‘On Her Turf’, Howard mentioned, “You’re the greatest goalkeeper in the world. Hands down. And I think that goes unrecognized. The fact of the matter is you’re wearing a gold medal. And we all know without those late saves in the game, there is no gold medal.”

It’s one of the greatest compliments Naeher receives from a player who has seen it all. Tim Howard played for Everton in the English Premier League. When you receive praise from a legend like Howard, you can sit back and take all the applause in. If you look at Naeher’s performances at the Olympics, she surely deserves all the plaudits.

Alyssa Naeher shone at the 2024 Paris Olympics

After conceding two goals in the group stage games, the USWNT didn’t concede a goal in the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and finals. They became the first team to manage that feat. With Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson marshaling the back line, Alyssa Naeher became the last line of defense. And my god, she produced some stunning saves.

Brazil went all in the final, with Marta appearing in her last game for the nation. With a 1-0 lead after a Mallory Swanson goal, Naeher produced a fine stop in stoppage time to deny Adriana from drawing the game. That save became iconic. Notably, Naeher didn’t concede a goal for 330 minutes in the tournament. She made multiple saves to keep Brazil at bay.

In the end, her teammates showered her with praise. Crystal Dunn stated, “She’s so incredible. She’s somebody that we’ve really needed.” 

With Casey Murphy knocking on the door, Naeher would be keen to hold her position heading into the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Emma Hayes revitalized the entire squad by weaving her magic. Naeher became one of the go-to players for Hayes as she was the first name on the team sheet.

Hence, the goalkeeping conundrum of the USWNT remains solved. They have two sensational goalkeepers to prevent goals from entering the U.S. net.