Alyssa Naeher facts for kids

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Alyssa Naeher

Naeher with the Chicago Stars in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Alyssa Michele Naeher
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(s)	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	132	(0)
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 Women's soccer Representing the  United States FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2015 Canada Team Gold 2019 France Team Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Team Bronze 2020 Tokyo Team CONCACAF W Championship Winner 2018 United States Winner 2022 Mexico CONCACAF W Gold Cup Winner 2024 United States Pan American Games Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 6, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of December 3, 2024

Alyssa Michele Naeher (/nɛər/ nair; born April 20, 1988) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a goalkeeper for Chicago Stars FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Alyssa played college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions. She was named a first-team All-American twice. She started her professional career with the Boston Breakers in 2010. When that league ended, she moved to Turbine Potsdam in Germany. She came back to the Boston Breakers when the NWSL started. In 2014, she was named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year. She has been the main goalkeeper for Chicago since 2016.

Naeher played 115 games for the United States national team from 2014 to 2024. She was the starting goalkeeper when the U.S. won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She also won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was a backup goalkeeper at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, which the U.S. won, and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Early Life and College Soccer

Alyssa Naeher grew up in Connecticut. She went to Christian Heritage School. There, she was a fantastic soccer player. She was chosen for All-State three times. She was also a Parade All-American.

Naeher also played basketball very well. She scored over 2,000 points during her high school career. In 2006, she played for the Western Mass Lady Pioneers. She played 11 games and only let in a few goals.

Playing for Penn State University

Naeher went to Penn State from 2006 to 2009. She started 74 games for the team. Her team won 50 of those games. She also had 24 shutouts, meaning she didn't let the other team score any goals.

She was named a first-team All-American in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, she was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Professional Soccer Career

Boston Breakers (WPS), 2010–2011

The Boston Breakers picked Naeher in the 2010 Women's Professional Soccer draft. She was the first goalkeeper chosen that year. On August 4, 2010, she had her first professional shutout. This was against the Atlanta Beat. The Breakers finished second in the league that season.

Turbine Potsdam, 2011–2013

After the 2011 WPS season, Naeher moved to Germany. She joined the German club Turbine Potsdam. She played in 24 games for Potsdam in the 2011-2012 season. Her team won the German league title that year. She returned to Potsdam for the 2012-2013 season.

Boston Breakers, 2013–2015

In May 2013, Naeher signed with the Boston Breakers again. This was for the new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She came back to the United States after playing in Germany.

During the 2014 National Women's Soccer League season, Naeher played every minute for Boston. She won the Goalkeeper of the Year award. She made a record 106 saves in 24 games. On November 22, 2015, Naeher was traded from the Boston Breakers to the Chicago Red Stars.

Chicago Red Stars (Chicago Stars FC), 2016–Present

Naeher started strong with the Chicago Red Stars in the 2016 NWSL season. She was named Player of the Month for May. She had three shutouts and only allowed one goal in four games. She was also one of the top three players for Goalkeeper of the Year.

She was nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year again in 2017. In 2018, she was named Player of the Week in week 6. She was also on the Team of the Month in June 2018. On August 18, 2018, Naeher played her 100th NWSL game. This was in a 2–2 tie against the Portland Thorns FC.

On March 23, 2024, Naeher made NWSL history. She became the first goalkeeper to get 50 wins for one club. This happened when the Red Stars beat Seattle Reign FC 2–1.

International Career

Naeher with the USWNT in 2018

Naeher was part of the United States U-20 national team. They played in the 2007 Pan-American Games. They won silver medals, losing to the Brazilian national team in the final.

In 2008, Naeher was the main goalkeeper for the U-20 team. They won the 2008 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. She played in almost every game. She only let in one goal during the whole tournament. This was in the final game against North Korea. She won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

On December 18, 2014, Naeher played her first game for the United States Women's National Team. It was a 7–0 win over Argentina. She played the whole game and got her first shutout.

Naeher was on the team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She was a backup for Hope Solo. Solo played every minute, and the United States won their third World Cup. In July 2016, Naeher was chosen for the USWNT team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.

After the U.S. lost at the 2016 Olympics, Naeher became the USWNT's main goalkeeper. She took over the spot that Hope Solo had held for many years. Naeher was the main goalkeeper for the U.S. at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship. She played in four of five games and had four shutouts. The U.S. won the championship by beating Canada 2–0.

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Success

On May 2, 2019, Naeher was named to the United States team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. This was her second World Cup. She was the U.S.'s number one goalkeeper for the tournament. When she started the first game, it was the first time in over 20 years that neither Hope Solo nor Briana Scurry was in goal for the U.S. at a World Cup.

Naeher had three shutouts in a row during the group stage. The U.S. won 13–0 against Thailand, 3–0 against Chile, and 2–0 against Sweden. In the knockout rounds, Naeher made four saves against France. This helped the team win 2–1 against the host country.

In the semifinals, Naeher made three saves. She also stopped a penalty kick from Steph Houghton of England. This helped the U.S. win 2–1. In the final game, Naeher had one save and helped the U.S. get a 2–0 shutout win over the Netherlands. This meant the team won the World Cup again. Naeher played every minute of the U.S. team's successful 2019 World Cup journey.

2020 Summer Olympics (Played in 2021)

On June 23, 2021, Naeher was chosen for the 2020 Summer Olympics. These games were delayed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Naeher helped her team reach the semifinals. She saved three penalty kicks in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. She made one save during the game and two more in the penalty shootout.

She played until the 30th minute of the semifinal against Canada. She then had to leave the game due to an injury. Her team went on to win the bronze medal.

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Naeher was on the United States team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. This was her third World Cup. In the Round of 16 game against Sweden, Naeher saved one penalty kick. She almost saved Lina Hurtig's shot, but the ball crossed the goal line by a tiny bit. This meant the United States was out of the World Cup. She was the first goalkeeper ever to take a penalty at a World Cup (for women or men). She was also the first to score from the penalty spot and save a penalty.

2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup

On February 7, 2024, Naeher was chosen for the first 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. During the tournament, Naeher played 5 of the 6 games. She also played her 100th national team game in the quarter-final against Colombia. She kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win. Naeher became the third goalkeeper for the USWNT to play 100 games.

Naeher was highly praised for her performance in the semifinal against Canada. She saved three penalty kicks and scored one herself. This happened after the game ended in a 2–2 tie and went to a penalty shootout. Naeher was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament. She won the Golden Glove award. The U.S. won the Gold Cup by beating Brazil 1–0.

2024 Summer Olympics Gold Medal

Naeher and the USWNT defense getting ready for their semifinal against Germany at the 2024 Olympics.

On June 26, 2024, Naeher was named to the United States team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This was her third Olympic tournament. She made seven saves to shut out Germany in the semifinals. This included a game-winning save in the last seconds of extra time.

She made important saves against Brazil's Gabi Portilho and Adriana in the final. The United States won the final 1–0 with a goal from Mallory Swanson. During the tournament, Naeher had four shutouts. This broke Hope Solo's record for the most shutouts by any US Women’s National Team goalkeeper in a single Olympic games.

On November 25, 2024, Naeher said she would stop playing for the national team at the end of the year. She played her last international game on December 3, 2024. It was a 2–1 win over the Netherlands. She made several strong saves in that game. For her great play in 2024, Naeher was named U.S. Soccer's 2024 Female Player of the Year. She is only the second goalkeeper to win this award.

Personal Life

Alyssa Naeher's parents are John and Donna Lynn Naeher. She has a twin sister named Amanda. Amanda also played soccer for Messiah College. Alyssa also has a younger sister named Abigail. Her family background includes German, English, and French Canadian roots. Naeher is a Christian.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Awards and Honors

United States U20

• FIFA U20 Women's World Cup: 2008
• CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship runner-up: 2008

United States

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
• Summer Olympic Games Gold Medal: 2024
• Summer Olympic Games Bronze Medal: 2020
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018; 2022
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016; 2020
• SheBelieves Cup: 2016; 2018; 2020, 2021; 2022; 2023, 2024
• Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual Awards

• The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper: 2024
• The Best FIFA Women's 11: 2024
• U.S. Soccer Player of the Year: 2024
• ESPN FC Women's Rank: #30 on the 2024 list of 50 best women's soccer players
• CONCACAF Goalkeeper of the Year: 2018
• CONCACAF Best XI: 2018
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup Golden Glove: 2024
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup Best XI: 2024
• NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year: 2014
• NWSL Best XI: 2014
• NWSL Second XI: 2016
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Golden Glove: 2008
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup All star team: 2008
• IFFHS Women's World's Best Goalkeeper: 2024
• IFFHS Women's World Team: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Alyssa Naeher para niños