Alyssa Naeher, the only goalkeeper in women’s football history to earn shutouts in an Olympic and World Cup final, closed the curtains on her national team career in late 2024. “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 USWNT won their friendly against the Netherlands on December 3, 2024.

That series of winter friendlies were Naeher’s last matches in a Team USA uniform. The woman who had spent her first World Cup as a backup and went on to become one of the most decorated goalkeepers in USWNT history earned the highest praise from coach Emma Hayes. “In my opinion, she’s the greatest goalkeeper this country’s ever had,” Hayes said about Naeher back in December. That opinion has only gotten stronger with time.

As Team USA continues its search for a new goalkeeper, Hayes confessed that Alyssa Naeher has left a gaping hole in the USWNT’s net. “Well, a massive one, especially with that experience,” the Ballon d’Or-winning coach told NWSL on ION. “I had such a great experience with Alyssa during the Olympics,” said Hayes on the limited time she got to coach the 37-year-old.

The Olympic gold medalist still uses the veteran goalkeeper as an example for young goalkeepers. “For all the years that she reigned supreme at the top she talked a lot about the struggle and the challenges to get there and how late it took her to reach the very top levels,” said Hayes. Yet, by the time she retired, Naeher had won just about everything in, including 7 SheBelieves Cup titles.

Emma Hayes said something similar back in December as well. The former Chelsea coach explained it’s not just the accolades, but the longevity, that makes Alyssa Naeher so special. Despite the struggles, the 37-year-old stayed on top for years. “Most people don’t really realize what it takes,” Hayes told ESPN. And what’s more? The USWNT head coach still doesn’t know who will take Naeher’s place in the long term.

The perfect opportunity for Alyssa Naeher’s potential successors

Since Naeher stepped down as the national team’s goalkeeper to focus only on her NWSL career, Hayes has called up several keepers for the job. Six, to be exact. Angelina Anderson, Jane Campbell, Claudia Dickey, Mandy McGlynn, Casey Murphy, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce have all spent time guarding the USWNT net. Thankfully, Hayes will get two more shots in the next few days.

That’s because the USWNT will take on the People’s Republic of China and Jamaica in two friendlies. Hayes’ girls will take to the field against China first on May 31, at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nest up? Jamaica at Energizer Park in St. Louis. And three of the six goalkeepers Hayes chose since Alyssa Naeher retired will get their shot at glory.

On May 20th, USWNT announced their roster included their three goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), and Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United). Surprisingly, Emma Hayes left out the most experienced of the six with 20 USWNT appearances, Casey Murphy. However, she did choose Tullis-Joyce, who kept 14 clean sheets for Manchester United in 18 league games.

Yet, it seems Emma Hayes is still testing the waters and willing to see how things turn out. “We have two different types of opponents ahead of us, so we’ll have to be creative in breaking down those teams in different ways. Now that everyone has settled into a rhythm with their clubs, or is coming right off their European seasons, our players are at a good level,” said Hayes after announcing the roster. Then again, the clock is slowly ticking down for the USWNT coach because she must find Alyssa Naeher before the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifications come knocking.