The 2024 Olympics kick off at the end of the month, and the United States Women’s National Team are back in search of yet another medal. They have received medals in 6 of the 7 Olympics that have featured women’s football as a sport, and in 2024 the team heads to France – where they won the 2019 Women’s World Cup – to hopefully win their fifth gold medal.
As the Olympic roster was released last week, we are initiating a series of profiles, focusing on each position, the alternates, and the coaching staff. We will detail how they round out the USWNT as they get ready to take on the world. We begin this focus with the goalkeepers:
Goalkeepers (2): Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
The main thing about the Olympics is that the rosters are slim. Among the 18 players on the main roster, at least 2 must be goalkeepers. Still, for the USWNT, it was still a hard choice between the pool of goalkeepers that have international experience. In the end, Emma Hayes goes with Casey Murphy and Alyssa Naeher.
Naeher is the definitive starter, as she has been for the last 6 or so years. She’s been solid in net for both club and country, and she has stepped up when the pressure is at its thickest. Winning not one, but two penalty shootouts against Canada this year, she stopped at least one shot and also stepped up and nailed a penalty each time. During the match, she’s been pretty solid, with the occasional mistake that she can usually recover from. As she enters the final stages of her career, she seems rejuvenated with her play and is the right goalkeeper to help lead the team in the Olympics.
Casey Murphy beat out Jane Campbell (who goes to France as an alternate) and Aubrey Kingsbury to grab that backup goalkeeper spot, and she earned it with some pretty good play on the international stage. While she hasn’t had the best season for the North Carolina Courage, for the USWNT she’s been a calm presence between the posts.
Photo by Erin Chang/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF
Goalkeeper is usually the one position on the field where there isn’t a need for rotation, and with the way the group stage is set up, the harder matches are on the back end. The USWNT open up against Zambia on July 25th, with Germany (July 28th) and Australia (July 31st) completing the group stage. With that group stage setup, it makes sense that, barring health or card accumulation, we will see Alyssa Naeher start every match at the Olympics. Casey Murphy is still there as a formidable option, but Emma Hayes will opt for continuity wherever she can and Naeher will be the brick wall.
The goalkeepers for the USWNT are solid and ready to help the team win. If you have a close game come down to a penalty, American fans can rest assured that their team will have the advantage. However, it’s also an important position, as opponents can knock the USWNT out of the tournament if the goalkeeper isn’t on point. Our hopes are pinned with one of America’s heroes to get a great shot at gold.
