Alyssa Naeher reveals why she’s retiring from the USWNT and what she will miss the most

Sam Mewis speaks with USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher about her announcement to retire from international duty. "Uncle Naeher" opens up about why feels like now is the right time to leave the USWNT and how the team and Emma Hayes took the news. Plus, Sam and Alyssa reminisce about their favorite USWNT moments and Alyssa talks about her future goals with the Chicago Stars FC.

#uswnt #nwsl #chicagostars

Follow The Women's Game

And get the newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Monday:

[WomensGameMiB]

Alyssa Naeher. One of the best to ever do it for the USWNT. ❤

[JoshuaFazeli]

Always humble, fierce tenacity, serious legend.

[mikewahtabi]

It’s so evident Alyssa enjoyed doing this momentous interview with Sam. ❤ to both!

[Uswnt_life]

Honestly, im just sobbing, alyssa has been the reason i play goal keeper for so long. Shes just so awesome and im really going to miss her. ❤

[littleninja]

Of course Sam got the first/only Naeher retirement interview! Loved this

[christinejesser]

Thank you, Alyssa, for your dedication and everything you’ve done for women’s football. What a legend.

[michaelayers]

What a lovely person. Sitting here listening to her I’m struck by how genuine, how honest she is. Oh, and she’s a pretty good soccer player too…. She is one of those people that’s so easy to root for. Wish her nothing but the best for the future.

[clutzify]

Alyssa - thanks for all you've done for the game and for goalkeeping! You're the best!

[japeri]

She was the best female goalkeeper of her generation, as well as being loved by her co-workers.The penalty save she made against England in the 2019 World Cup semi-final will remain in everyone's mind.

[Shdoeb]

I have more thoughts on this but here are some initial ones. Everyone who knows me knows Alyssa is my favorite player of all time. I started watching the national team regularly because of her. She seems so highly regarded—a strong presence on the field, a trusted teammate, and a genuinely good human. I’m SO PROUD of her! Can’t wait to cheer her on in England and in the future with Chicago. But I AM NOT OK.

[CatherineLehman-hl]

Thank you Alyssa! You are a legend! I loved watching you play! I will never forget your starfish jump save last summer at the Olympics! I think your soccer intelligence would make you a terrific coach if you wanted to do that in the future.

[joycefortin]

Awww Alyssa, you got me teary. What a great career. Every game was a joy to watch. Sam, you are such a good friend.

[Bds]

Thank you for all u did for the USWNT. you have been an incredible leader - so much respect

[leehampton]

It is so refreshing to listen to such an intelligent and articulate professional athlete talk about her experiences and future plans. She's so well-spoken and so relaxed with her responses. She should teach a class to other professional athletes who can't speak without saying "um" or "ya know" or "like" over and over. She's always been a favorite of mine stepping into the giant shoes of Hope Solo as UWNT keeper. She'll be a tough act to follow.

[treycarmichael]

crying UNCLE today! what a class act. hella goalie!

[robertbeckel]

Thank you for your incredible effort!
I will openly admit that I am a devoted Hope Solo fan.
My daughter started playing and when she was not playing defender she was in the goal. She immediately thought of Hope as the greatest player she could ever imagine.
Yet I will say that as unimportant as my view is I want to say that Alyssa is the best PK goalie I have ever seen or heard of in my 52 years!

[HazelJ_Anderson]

An icon and a legend. We all LOVE Alyssa Naeher 😭♥️

[sarahjane]

Sending this message from Trumbull Connecticut. Best of Luck to Alyssa! You will be missed, but NEVER forgotten.

[T.R.]

Alyssa is the GOAT. will be missed. best wishes for whatever comes next.

[padee]

This was a great way to share her announcement.. it calmed me down a bit too. Thanks to Both of you for your decades of effort and dedication to growing our Game and Womens Sports. BTW Sam I too am a person who has nick names for everyone including my dogs and cats. thanks for sharing yours with us.