When U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher thinks back to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, she remembers the grind. “It takes a lot,” she says. “It takes all 23 players on the roster, it takes all the coaches, all the support staff, all the medical staff. It’s the culmination of the two, three years leading into the tournament.”
And although standing on the podium after winning the World Cup was memorable for Naeher, a different moment stands out: walking out of the tunnel for the very first game. Naeher was on the World Cup team in 2015, but she didn’t play. So to experience the field in that first game of 2019 was, for Naeher, something special. “It’s the crowd, the energy, the magnitude of the game,” she says.
This time around, in 2023, Naeher has the advantage of having already been there before. In tournaments past, Naeher says that she learned a lot about how older players dealt with the stresses of competing, from managing family time to paying attention to what your body needs versus what your mind needs.
“To be able to learn from some incredible players in [2015] helped me a lot in 2019,” she says. As a veteran now, Naeher plans to share her experiences with the players who are heading into their first World Cup. “It’s not like anything else that you can really prepare yourself for, so the more that I can impart any wisdom that I’ve learned along the way and help the younger ones out, I certainly want to be able to do that.”
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 27: Alyssa Naeher of USA controls the ball during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between USA and Netherlands at Wellington Regional Stadium on July 27, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
DeFodi Images/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
And yet, Naeher says that her job on the team hasn’t changed. “My role is to help this team win a World Cup. That’s how I approach training every day.” When it comes to the other goalkeepers (Casey Murphy and Aubrey Kingsbury are joining her on the World Cup roster), Naeher says, “I think we’re a competitive group. We push each other every day, trying to make each other better.” As for the USWNT team as a whole, Naeher says, “There’s good chemistry. We certainly have a talented squad.” She says the team worked hard to fine tune last minute details that will make a difference in the tournament, so that they can come in “firing on all cylinders.”
The team got off to a strong start in its opening match against Vietnam with a 3-0 win, and followed that up with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands last week. The USWNT plays its final game of the group stage at 3 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday morning against Portugal; a win or draw guarantees advancement to the knockout round.
As women’s soccer itself has become more popular, the talent around the world has only continued to improve. “It’s really exciting when you have a lot of great competition,” Naeher says. Through it all, Naeher works to keep herself grounded and relaxed. “I’ll spend some time with my family, we’ll find a quiet spot and be outside with a coffee, read a book, do a crossword, anything like that.”
And like every other year, Naeher will evaluate her career at the end of this season, and decide whether she wants to continue to play. But in the meantime, she’s hoping to carry on the USWNT’s legacy, which has four World Cup wins under its belt.
“I think it’s important to always remember the players that came before you, the teams that came before you,” she says. “My goal is to be able to continue to carry on those traditions, that mentality, those expectations. Players and teams have set the bar very, very high and we need to continue to move that forward.”
For more on Alyssa Naeher and other superstars in World Cup action, stay tuned to On Her Turf all summer long.
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live
- When: July 20 - August 20
- Group stage kick-off times: 12:30am, 1am, 1:30am, 3am, 3:30am, 4am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 8:30am, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm (all ET)
- Location: Australia and New Zealand
- TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)