_045_(cropped).jpg) Naeher with theChicago Stars in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alyssa Michele Naeher[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-04-20)April 20, 1988 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Bridgeport,Connecticut, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Chicago Stars | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2009 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 88 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | Western Mass Lady Pioneers | 11 | (0) |
| 2008 | SoccerPlus Connecticut | (0) | |
| 2010–2011 | Boston Breakers | 36 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Turbine Potsdam | 39 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Boston Breakers | 45 | (0) |
| 2016– | Chicago Stars | 165 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2004 | United States U-16 | ||
| 2005 | United States U-17 | ||
| 2007–2008 | United States U-20 | ||
| 2009–2011 | United States U-23 | ||
| 2014–2024 | United States | 115 | (0) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of November 3, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of December 3, 2024 | |||
Alyssa Michele Naeher (/nɛər/NAIR;[2][3] born April 20, 1988) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as agoalkeeper forChicago Stars FC of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Naeher played college soccer for thePenn State Nittany Lions, earning two-timefirst-team All-American honors. She began her professional career with theBoston Breakers inWomen's Professional Soccer in 2010, but when the league folded, she went toTurbine Potsdam in Germany. She returned to the Boston Breakers when the NWSL formed and was namedNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2014. She has been the starting goalkeeper for Chicago since 2016.
Naeher made 115 appearances for theUnited States national team between 2014 and 2024. She was the starting goalkeeper for the winning squads at the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and the2024 Paris Olympics and also played at the2020 Tokyo Olympics, taking home the bronze medal, and the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She wasHope Solo's backup at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which the United States won, and the2016 Rio Olympics.
Naeher grew up in Connecticut and attendedChristian Heritage School, where she was a standout player in soccer. She was a three-time All-State and three-time FAA All-Conference selection. In addition to this, she was a Parade All-American and two-time NSCAA Youth All-American. Naeher also was a starbasketball player, scoring over 2,000 points during her career.[4]
Naeher played the 2006USL W-League season with theWestern Mass Lady Pioneers, making 11 appearances and only allowing a 0.59 goals against average.[5]
Naeher attendedPenn State from 2006 to 2009. She started 74 games during that span with a record of 50–19–5, including 24 shutouts. She was afirst-team All-American in 2007 and 2008 and was named theBig Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.[6]
Naeher was selected by the Boston Breakers with the 11th overall pick in the 2010Women's Professional Soccer draft; she was the first goalkeeper selected in the 2010 WPS draft.[7] Naeher recorded her first career shutout on August 4, 2010, against theAtlanta Beat.[8] The Breakers finished second in the WPS standings that season but lost the Super Semifinal to thePhiladelphia Independence.
After the2011 WPS season concluded, Naeher transferred toGermanBundesliga clubTurbine Potsdam.[9] She appeared in 24 matches across all competitions in the 2011/2012 season for Potsdam as they won the2011–12 Frauen-Bundesliga.[10] Naeher returned to Potsdam for the 2012/2013 season after the2012 WPS season was suspended.[11]
In May 2013, Naeher signed with theBoston Breakers in the newly formedNational Women's Soccer League, returning to the United States after playing for two years in Germany.[12]
During the2014 National Women's Soccer League season, Naeher played every minute for Boston and won theGoalkeeper of the Year award as she recorded a record 106 saves in 24 games.
On November 22, 2015, Naeher was traded from the Boston Breakers to theChicago Red Stars for defenderWhitney Engen.[13]
Naeher had a strong start to the2016 NWSL season in Chicago; she was named Player of the Month for May, posting three shutouts and allowing just one goal in four games.[14] She was one of three finalists for Goalkeeper of the Year.[15]
Naeher was again nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year in the 2017 season.[16]
Naeher was named Player of the Week in week 6 of the 2018 season by the NWSL Media Association; she was also named to the Team of the Month in June 2018.[17]
On August 18, 2018, Naeher earned her 100th NWSL cap in a 2–2 draw against thePortland Thorns FC.[18]
On March 23, 2024, Naeher made NWSL history by becoming the first goalkeeper with 50 wins for a single club when the Red Stars defeatedSeattle Reign FC in a 2–1 victory.[19]
Naeher was a member of theUnited States U-20 national team that played at the2007 Pan-American Games, where they finished as silver medalists, losing 5–0 in the final to the fullBrazilian national team.[20]
In 2008, Naeher was the starting goalkeeper for the U-20 squad that won the2008 FIFA U-20 World Cup inChile. She started and played in all but one game during the tournament. She only conceded one goal throughout the World Cup, which was toNorth Korea during the final minutes of the championship game. She was awarded the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament.[21]
On December 18, 2014, Naeher made her first appearance and start for theUnited States Women's National Team in a 7–0 win overArgentina in the International Tournament of Brazil. She played the full 90 minutes and earned her first career shutout.
Naeher was on the roster for the2015 World Cup in Canada as a backup forHope Solo but did not play, as Solo played every minute in goal as the United States won its third World Cup.[22]
In July 2016, Naeher was named to the USWNT roster for the2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
Since the United States' loss at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Naeher has become the USWNT's number one goalkeeper, taking over the spot that had been held by Solo for years.[23]
Naeher was the primary goalkeeper for the United States at the2018 CONCACAF Championship; she played in four of the five matches and earned four shutouts. The U.S won their second consecutive CONCACAF Championship with a 2–0 win overCanada.[24]
On May 2, 2019, Naeher was named to the United States roster for the2019 World Cup; this was her second World Cup. Naeher entered the tournament as the U.S.'s number one goalkeeper.[25] When Naeher started the team's first group game on June 11, it was the first time in over two decades that neitherHope Solo norBriana Scurry was in goal for the U.S at a World Cup.[26] Naeher recorded three consecutive shutouts in the group stage as the U.S won 13–0, overThailand, 3–0 overChile and 2–0 overSweden.
In the knockout round, Naeher made four saves againstFrance in the quarterfinals to help the team preserve a 2–1 victory over the host nation.[27] In the semifinals, Naeher had three saves and stoppedSteph Houghton's penalty kick in the 83rd minute to help the United States to a 2–1 victory overEngland.[28] In Sunday's final, Naeher posted one save to culminate in a shutout over the Netherlands in a 2–0 victory for the U.S., resulting in the team repeating as World Cup champions. Naeher played every minute of the USWNT's successful 2019 World Cup run.
On June 23, 2021, Naeher was nominated for the2020 Summer Olympics,[29] which were postponed by a year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Naeher brought her team into the semi-finals with three saved penalties in the quarter-finals against European championsNetherlands: a save in the 81st minute and two additional saves in the penalty shootout.[30] She was in goal until the 30th minute of the semi-final againstCanada and then had to be replaced byAdrianna Franch due to injury.[31] Her team won the bronze medal.
Naeher was named to the United States roster for the2023 World Cup, her third World Cup.[32] In the Round of 16 match against Sweden, Naeher saved one penalty kick and nearly savedLina Hurtig's shot, but the ball crossed the goal line by millimeters and knocked the United States out of the World Cup. She was the first goalkeeper ever to take a penalty at a World Cup (women's or men's), and the first to both score from the penalty spot and save a penalty.[33]
On February 7, 2024, Naeher was named to the roster for the inaugural2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.[34] During the tournament, Naeher played 5 of the 6 matches and also earned her 100th national team cap during the quarter-final match againstColombia, where she kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 victory.[35] Naeher became the third goalkeeper in the history of the USWNT team to make 100 appearances for the senior team, following Brianna Scurry and Hope Solo.
Naeher was highly praised for her performance in the semi-final match againstCanada, where she saved three penalty kicks and also converted one herself after the game went to a penalty shootout as a result of a 2–2 draw in regular and extra time.[36] Naeher was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament and earned the Golden Glove award for her performances as the U.S. went on to win the inaugural Gold Cup, defeatingBrazil 1–0.[37]
On June 26, 2024, Naeher was named to the United States roster for the2024 Summer Olympics, her third Olympic tournament.[38] She made seven saves to shut outGermany in the semi-finals, including a game-winning kick save in the last seconds of extra time.[39] She made key saves againstBrazil'sGabi Portilho andAdriana in the final, which the United States won 1–0 on a goal fromMallory Swanson.[40]
During the tournament, Naeher recorded four shutouts, passingHope Solo for the most shutouts by any US Women’s National Team goalkeeper in a single Olympic games.[41]
On November 25, 2024, Naeher announced that she would retire from international play at the end of the year.[42] She played her final international game on Dec. 3, 2024, a 2–1 victory over the Netherlands in which she made several strong saves.[43] For her performances during her final year, Naeher was named U.S. Soccer's 2024 Female Player of the Year. Naeher is the second goalkeeper to win this award.[44] Her career was honored by the national team in a pre-match ceremony before the US Women's 3–1 friendly win againstPortugal on October 26, 2025.[45]
Naeher is the daughter of John and Donna Lynn Naeher. She has a twin sister named Amanda, who played soccer forMessiah College, and a younger sister named Abigail. She is of German, English, and French Canadian ancestry.[46] Naeher is aChristian.[47][dead link][48]
Naeher was featured along with her USWNT teammates in theEA Sports' FIFA video gameFIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game.[49]
Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Naeher and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with aticker tape parade in New York City.[50] Each player received a key to the city from MayorBill de Blasio.[51] In October of the same year, the team was honored byPresident Barack Obama at theWhite House.[52]
| Club | Season | Leagues | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Boston Breakers | 2010 | WPS | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||||
| Turbine Potsdam | 2011–12 | FRB | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 54 | 0 | |||
| Boston Breakers | 2013 | NWSL | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||||
| 2015 | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 0 | — | — | — | 45 | 0 | |||||
| Chicago Red Stars | 2016 | NWSL | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||||
| 2018 | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||||
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||||
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
| 2023 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 130 | 0 | 17 | 0 | — | — | 147 | 0 | ||||
| Career totals | 250 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 282 | 0 | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 18 | 0 | |
| Total | 115 | 0 | |
United States U20
United States
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