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The first thing you need to know about Alyssa Naeher? She achieved her, um, goal of becoming a professional soccer player in a big way. The Olympian, who was born on April 20, 1988, became the first-choice starting goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national soccer team in 2017, succeeding Hope Solo.
“It was definitely a long journey to get there, but in hindsight I’m very grateful for the time that I had to learn and grow and build into the position,” Naeher previously told The Courant. “My thing was I wanted to be 100 percent ready for my opportunity if and when it came, and I’m glad that I was.”
Although it might have taken a while, she’s enjoyed “every little piece” of her journey. Speaking to USA Today, Naeher said, “Every disappointment I’ve had throughout my career, it’s made the successes that much more sweet because you know how hard it is to get to the success. As athletes, we’re so focused on what’s next? I had that goal, I accomplished it, what’s next?” Well, currently she’s competing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Continue reading to learn more about the history-making goalie.
1. She’s a twin
Naeher has a twin sister named Amanda Naeher. “It was awesome,” she told U.S. Soccer of growing up with a twin. “You kind of had a built-in training buddy, built-in friend. We were always very active from when we were, you know, a really young age, kind of always getting into something, but once we got into soccer it was awesome.”
Recalling their dad driving her and Amanda to their very first soccer practice when they were around 5 years old, Naeher revealed that her sister accidentally closed the door on her hand and told her, “It’s alright. Don’t worry. You don’t need to use your hands in soccer anyways.”
2. She wanted to be a basketball player
The soccer star at one point wanted to be a professional basketball player. In a video for U.S. Soccer, Naeher explained, “My dad was a coach so it was always kind of my first love. Running around the gym.”
3. She went to Penn State
Naeher is a Penn State alum. The soccer player majored in kinesiology at the university.
4. She’s an Olympian
Naeher made her Olympic debut in 2016 at the Rio Games. While she didn’t take home a medal at her first Olympics, she and the U.S. women’s soccer team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Related: Meet the Highest Scoring ‘Soccer Mom’ in USWNT History
5. She’s set a NWSL record
In May of 2023, Naeher set the National Women’s Soccer League’s “all-time saves record.” “Honestly, it just means I’ve been doing it a long time,” Naeher later told CBS 2’s Matt Zahn of smashing the record. “It’s just an accumulation of 11 years.”
6. She’s “aunty Lyss”
Naeher is a proud aunt. The Olympic medalist revealed in 2015 that she became a first-time aunt just “5 hours after becoming a World Cup champion.”
7. Her jersey number is #1
Naeher’s jersey number is one. The star athlete has said that she tries to be the best version of herself every day. “I compare myself to who I was yesterday and try to be better each day. I don’t compare to anything else,” she’s said in the past. “I am trying to be my best version of myself every single day. I try to be Alyssa and that’s all I can control.”
Next, How Much Money Do Women’s Soccer Players Make?
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