'Saving grace' – Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher has a golden opportunity to cement her status as a USWNT legend
Getty/GOALThe USWNT's shot-stopper is rarely in the spotlight, but Naeher to take center stage in Olympic Gold Medal game
It wasn't quite a scene out of The Godfather and, to be fair, Alyssa Naeher isn't Vito Corleone. There was no Marlon Brando accent, no white cat, no Francis Ford Coppola direction. That said, as Naeher marches through what will most certainly be her final tournament with the U.S. women's national team, star teammate Trinity Rodman had to make a statement.
She felt the need to pay respects
In the video posted on social media after the U.S. advanced the Olympic Gold Medal match, Rodman, perhaps the breakout star of these Games, grabs her teammate, and requests a hug from a player 14 years her senior. Rodman might just be the face of the USWNT someday – if she isn't already – but, as she prepares for her first major tournament final, she was compelled first to salute the 36-year-old goalkeeper that helped get her here.
"I'm just here to hype Alyssa up," Rodman says as she embraces her smiling teammate. "She is our queen, our saving grace today. We all love you and appreciate you and we're going to a Gold Medal game."
Rodman's right: Naeher has repeatedly been this team's savior. Without her late stop in the Tuesday's USWNT Olympic semifinal against Germany, the U.S. would not be playing for gold Saturday against Brazil in Paris. While most eyes have been on the USWNT's all-action attack in these Games, Naeher has consistently played her part, albeit often in the shadows.
Yet heading into what will be the USWNT's first Olympic final since London 2012, Naeher is no longer in the shadows; she's a focal point. It will almost certainly will be her final meaningful USWNT game. There's a testimonial in her honor to come, but in terms of stakes? Her final international tournament game could be the most important.
And that's why Rodman was so eager to pay her respects, so eager to let Naeher how much she means to this team, both physically on the pitch and emotionally as a leader. If this is going to be the end of Naeher's storied international career, Rodman and the USWNT feel obligated to make it golden.
We're going to a Gold Medal Game pic.twitter.com/9mET5FIJGg
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 7, 2024
