USWNT advance to Olympic semifinals, thanks to goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
So much for Alyssa Naeher being the weak link.
In the lead-up to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, none other than legendary United States women’s national team goalkeeper Briana Scurry — one of the stars of the famed 1999 squad — wondered aloud if starting U.S. backstop Naeher had what it took to fill Hope Solo’s rather enormous cleats and lead the Americans to glory.
Naeher did, stopping a crucial penalty against England in the semifinal as the Americans otherwise rolled to the title.
And in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, Naeher bailed out her more celebrated teammates once again. She made three penalty stops as the USWNT beat the Netherlands on spot kicks following a thrilling, back-and-fourth 2-2 draw in a rematch of the last World Cup final.
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The 33-year-old from Connecticut kept the score tied with a late second-half penalty save on Lieke Martens, then denied the Dutch twice more in the tiebreaker — including a stop on Tokyo 2020 scoring leader Vivianne Miedema, who had both Dutch goals during open play. Miedema was also robbed by Naeher in extra time.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski had hinted before the match that he might make lineup tweaks following his team’s dismal and scoreless group stage finale against Australia. Instead, Andonovski switched out five starters, opting to begin the must-win match with star attackers Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle and Christen Press on the bench. A bold move to be sure.
The strategy paid off. Unlike in its disappointing first-round performances against Sweden and the Aussies, the U.S. came out flying Friday and thoroughly dominated the opening quarter-hour, although it was Miedema who opened the scoring by pouncing on a half-chance.
But Lynn Williams, originally an alternate on Andonovski’s roster, quickly set up the equalizer by Sam Mewis, then put the Americans ahead with a goal of her own.
Miedema made it 2-2 early in the second half on a long-range strike that Naeher probably should have saved.
Yet the U.S. still seemed to have the edge thanks to the eyebrow-raising strategy of Andonovski. The coach was able to sub in the fresh legs of Lavelle, Morgan and Press — three of the most decorated players on the planet — for Mewis, Williams and Carli Lloyd with a little more than a half-hour to play.
The Netherlands, however, kept coming. And the game — actually, the entire tournament — looked all but over for the U.S. when the Dutch were awarded a penalty kick with less than 10 minutes left. Luckily for them, again, Naeher was there. She leaped to her left to smother Martens’ weak attempt from 12 yards.
The Americans were still alive.
The Netherlands looked all but beaten after that. Still, they probably produced the best scoring chance by either team during extra time through Meidema, who was stopped point blank by Naeher.
On the other end of the field, the Americans continued to mistime their counterattack, with apparent strikes by Morgan and Press called back for offside. The U.S. has now had an astounding nine goals ruled out that way in four games. (That's something Andonovski will have to try to correct before facing Canada in the semifinals.)
Once the match went to penalties, the U.S. and its low-key, big-time backstop were always going to have the edge.
That’s exactly how it played out. Naeher stopped the first kick by Miedema. Two shooters later, she stoned Aniek Nouwen. Meantime, U.S. takers Lavelle, Morgan, Press and Rapinoe — who’d replaced Tobin Heath — made no mistakes from the spot.
Rapinoe, who scored the World Cup-winning goal for the Americans against the Netherlands two years ago in France, converted the decisive spot-kick, setting up a rematch of the classic 2012 Olympic semifinal between the U.S. and its northern neighbor.
The victory also keeps alive America's bid to become the first nation to follow a World Cup win with Olympic gold.
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Rapinoe was the face of the USWNT in 2019. There’s no question who the hero is for the U.S. after this one.
Her name is Alyssa Naeher, and nobody should doubt her anymore.
One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.