Emma Hayes, Casey MurphyImagn
Celia BalfJan 31, 2025FEATURESUSAE. HayesA. NaeherC. MurphyA. Anderson

'Continue to impress' - Emma Hayes tells The INDIVISA Show what it will take to earn the spot as starting goalkeeper for the USWNT

The starting keeper spot on the USWNT roster is up for grabs, and Hayes tells INDIVISA what she's looking for in the pool

When Alyssa Naeher announced her retirement from international soccer last year, the question immediately became: Who's next in line for the No. 1 keeper spot? The U.S. Women's National team have a long history of success in the keeper position, from Naeher's 11-year career to the those who came before her, the iconic Hope Solo and Brianna Scurry, respectfully.

What Naeher established in the backline for the USWNT was that level of consistency, excellence, and very few goals conceded. USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has her work cut out for her as she evaluates the current goalkeeper pool and tries to narrow the group down to a few for the SheBelieves Cup in February.

In connection with the recent USWNT January camp, Hayes joined The INDIVISA Show for an exclusive interview to explain what it will take to earn that No. 1 goalkeeper spot. The full episode and Hayes' complete interview will be available Monday on both INDIVISA and the INDIVISA YouTube channel.

  • Time is on Hayes' side

    The USWNT have until the 2027 World Cup to finalize a major-tournament roster, so that means Hayes can take her time with evaluating the pool and specifically narrowing down on the keeper position. When asked on The INDIVISA Show what it takes to get her attention, Hayes was clear:

    "I think that will take a little bit of time, to be honest with you," she said. "I think we have to evaluate that not just here, but I think throughout the games this year, and work probably between three or four goalkeepers that will be vying for that situation."

    There will be time for that evaluation between SheBelieves Cup and then players returning to their clubs for the regular season. Hayes is known for making appearances at NWSL games, so will likely be making many trips to see some of the competing keepers in action.

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    Experience matters, but so does opportunity

    Casey Murphy is the most experienced goalkeeper on the USWNT January camp roster, having 20 caps with the senior team to date. The rest of the group are all competing to be seen by Hayes, and she is excited to give fresh keepers exposure and experience in the national team environment.

     "They need to be given opportunities to play, to train and most importantly, when they go back to their club environments, they have to continue to impress there," Hayes said. "So I think it will take us a little bit of time to nail that down. But. I'm looking forward to that and I know we've got a great pool of keepers - so let's see how it goes."

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    Success with club careers

    One of the best ways to evaluate a keeper is in games. While there is specific keeper training and practice scenarios that can give coaches insight into how a player performs, the most effective way to judge is in a game environment. That's why Hayes emphasizes the period of time and experiences the group will get back with their clubs.

    Out of the group at January camp, five out of the seven were called in play in the NWSL.