Top 50 Goalkeepers for the USWNT

cover photo from OL Reign

The top 50 returns from last September to survey the top 50 goalkeepers in the USWNT pool. The goalkeepers have been split into groups of ten with a paragraph on a highlighted goalkeeper who is at a pivotal time in their career. Although Alyssa Naeher has the starting spot with the national team nailed down at the moment, the post-2023 World Cup era should have more open competition for the number one role. Several goalkeepers have shown significant strides from last year and it undoubtedly will be a hotly contested spot with the roster.

1. Bella Bixby, 26 - Portland Thorns FC
2. Aubrey Kingsbury, 30 - Washington Spirit
3. Alyssa Naeher, 34 - Chicago Red Stars
4. Jane Campbell, 27 - Houston Dash
5. Michelle Betos, 34 - Gotham FC
6. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 25 - OL Reign
7. Katelyn Rowland, 28 - North Carolina Courage
8. Adrianna Franch, 31 - Kansas City Current
9. Ashlyn Harris, 36 - Gotham FC
10. Mandy McGlynn, 23 - Piteå IF (Sweden.1)

One to Watch: Phallon Tullis-Joyce. It’s no small feat jumping from a relatively unknown backup goalkeeper (who came in at 25th in last year’s rankings) to a top starter in the NWSL but there’s no denying Tullis-Joyce’s weekly highlight-reel saves. The combination of the athletic spring and lanky frame shrinks the goal for any striker entering the attacking third. The added fearlessness and “play like it’s your last game” vibes make the Miami alum’s ceiling hard to gauge. From an efficiency standout, Tullis-Joyce would do well to clean up her footwork, as she can rely a little too heavily on her extension saves. Although her athleticism is rare, there are plenty of times a goalkeeper must solve situations without a full stretch to the upper 90. However, the rocket ship attached to her back coupled with the starting minutes with the Reign could propel her to the national team after the World Cup.

11. Emily Boyd, 25 - Chicago Red Stars
12. Katie Fraine, 34 - Eskilstuna United (Sweden.1)
13. Casey Murphy, 26 - North Carolina Courage
14. Cassie Miller, 27 - Kansas City Current
15. Emily Dolan, 27 - Sporting de Huelva (Spain.1)
16. Adelaide Gay, 32 - Fortuna Hjørring (Denmark.1)
17. Abby Smith, 28 - Portland Thorns FC
18. Lindsey Harris, 28 - Houston Dash
19. Carly Nelson, 24 - Kansas City Current #
20. Ella Dederick, 25 - Houston Dash

#- currently on loan with FC Nordsjælland (Denmark.1)

One to Watch: Carly Nelson. Although most American fans would struggle to be convinced that Denmark’s premier league, the Elitedivisionen, is relevant for American goalkeepers, it’s been home to a number of prospects over the years, including the Kansas City Current’s young prospect, Carly Nelson. Nelson quickly earned the starting spot for Europe’s 128th best club (according to the January rankings) and although FC Nordsjælland will finish in the bottom half of the table, the minutes have given Nelson plenty of traction, who wasn’t even featured in last year’s top 50. If the former Utah Ute can keep the momentum going, she could very well find herself at a Champions League club or back in the US.

21. Cosette Morche, 24 - Issy (France.1)
22. Abbie Faingold, 25 - Marseille (France.2)
23. Katelin Talbert, 23 - Benfica (Portugal.1)
24. Shae Yanez, 25 - London City Lionesses (England.2)
25. Shelby Hogan, 23 - Portland Thorns FC
26. Hillary Beall, 23 - Racing Louisville
27. Jalen Tompkins, 25 - Valerenga (Norway.1)
28. Brittany Isenhour, 24 - Angel City FC
29. Samantha Murphy, 25 - Keflavík FC (Iceland.1)
30. Katie Lund, 25 - Racing Louisville

One to Watch: The Whole Lot. Who can’t we talk about here? Morche, Faingold, and Talbert all have seemingly injected nitrous oxide into their careers, considering where they were 6-12 months ago. Yanez, Murphy, and Lund have done well with the starting positions they’ve earned but what the next step looks like is up for debate. Tompkins (shoulder injury), Isenhour, Beall, and Hogan all have hurdles to clear when it comes to gaining minutes, despite the obvious talent they all possess. These ten goalkeepers’ next years will be crucial in determining their ability to reach their potential, or if they’ll get stuck with the dreaded “more of a 2 than 1” label. Each goalkeeper is at a crucial moment in their development and they can gain steam to become an established starter just as easily as they can fade towards retirement.

31. Kelly Rowswell, 24 - Issy (France.1)
32. Hannah Seabert, 27 - Sporting CP (Portugal.1)
33. Jordyn Bloomer, 24 - Racing Louisville
34. Audrey Baldwin, 30 - HK Fótbolti (Iceland.2)
35. Emily Armstrong, 28 - Haukar (Iceland.2)
36. Alex Godinez, 28 - Monterrey (Mexico.1)
37. Maggie Smither, 25 - Brommapojkarna (Sweden.1)
38. Bridgette Skiba, 22 - Chicago Red Stars Trialist
39. Lainey Burdett, 25 - Åland United (Finland.1)
40. Kaylan Marckese, 24 - Køge (Denmark.1)

One to Watch: Kaylan Marckese. It’s been a quick three and a half years since Marckese was drafted by Sky Blue FC in the 2019 NWSL Draft and most have likely forgotten about the former Gator goalkeeper since. However, Marckese has made good use of her time, gaining over 50 starts in the past three years in both Denmark’s and Iceland’s premier leagues. Most recently, Marckese and Køge won the Kvindeliga with relative ease, cementing their place as a top 40 club in Europe. Marckese plays a high line, reminiscent of late 20th-century goalkeeping, which can be difficult with offenses becoming more and more complex. If she can figure out the finer points of her aggressive positioning, she should be able to make a run at a starting position within a higher league.


41. Kelsey Dossey, 25 - Chicago Red Stars Trialist
42. Kelsey Daugherty, 25 - Djurgården (Sweden.1)
43. Aubrei Corder, 24 - Kalmar (Sweden.1)
44. Laurel Ivory, 22 - OL Reign
45. Devon Kerr, 25 - Washington Spirit
46. Kaylie Collins, 24 - Orlando Pride
47. Macy Enneking, 21 - University of Iowa
48. Claudia Dickey, 22 - OL Reign
49. Angelina Anderson, 21 - UC Berkley
50. Brooke Nielsen, 24 - Völsungur (Iceland.3)

One to Watch: Angelina Anderson. Anderson’s freshman year went about as good as anyone could have hoped. Anderson won second-team All-American as the Golden Bears went 13-5-3 in 2019, losing in overtime of their first-round match in the national tournament. However, the following two years kept Anderson off the radar as Cal struggled to put a consistently competitive lineup on the field, going 13-14-4 over the two seasons. Anderson plays with a similar style to Italy’s approach to goalkeeping: patience in waiting to pounce. It’s a passive style that can quickly backfire if the footwork isn’t sorted out but yield huge dividends if executed correctly. Now in her senior year, Anderson looks to remind everyone that freshman year wasn’t a fluke and why the starter for the US’s U17 World Cup team deserves to be back in the national team conversation.

The 24 Best U24 American Goalkeepers

cover photo from Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images

If you were to ask either the USWNT or USMNT fanbase about who the starting goalkeeper should be for the upcoming World Cup, brace yourself for the variety of answers you’ll receive. Gone are the days when Hope Solo and Tim Howard were unanimous picks, half because of the plethora of encouraging prospects and half because of underwhelming performances from the top. And while it may take longer to integrate new faces into a national team camp - Aubrey Kingsbury didn’t receive her first cap until 30, despite winning two Goalkeeper of the Year awards from the best league in the world - eventually our national teams will look to supplant the current starter with a younger goalkeeper.

Diving into the top U24 goalkeepers gives us an idea of what the rising talent pool looks like, as well as surveys where American goalkeepers are being developed. The following rankings are centered on a combination of current form and projected ability to succeed at the next level.

There are a few notable omissions, such as Real Salt Lake’s Gavin Beavers and Barcelona’s Spanish-American goalkeeper Diego Kochen. I have gone back and forth on this over the years but, as of right now, these lists only include goalkeepers who are at least 18 (as of May 2022) and have not turned 24 yet. Although starting for a professional side at such a young age is unquestionably an impressive accomplishment, ultimately I’ve never felt comfortable grouping 17-year-old goalkeepers with 23-year-olds. There is too much development left ahead of them at 17 years old and rarely does hype at 17 translate into elite success down the line. Not to mention, a 17-year-old’s pathway to starting for the senior national team is close to a decade away.

USWNT Prospects

1. Mandy McGlynn, 23 - Piteå IF (Sweden.1)
2. Shelby Hogan, 23 - Portland Thorns FC
3. Angelina Anderson, 21 - California
4. Hillary Beall, 23 - Racing Louisville
5. Bridgette Skiba, 22 - Chicago Red Stars
6. Mia Justus, 19 - Florida State
7. Macy Enneking, 21 - Iowa
8. Ruthie Jones, 21 - Duke

9. Heather Hinz, 20 - South Carolina
10. Claudia Dickey, 22 - OL Reign
11. Laurel Ivory, 22 - OL Reign
12. Nadia Cooper, 19 - Washington State
13. Hensley Hancuff, 21 - Gotham FC
14. Jordan Silkowitz, 22 - Iowa State
15. Katherine Asman, 21 - Penn State
16. Cayla White, 21 - Virginia

17. Marisa Bova, 22 - North Carolina Courage
18. Mackenzie Wood, 22 - Notre Dame
19. Emily Puricelli, 20 - Saint Louis
20. Kaylie Collins, 23 - Orlando Pride
21. Leah Freeman, 20 - Oregon
22. Anna Smith, 22 - USC
23. Katelin Talbert, 23 - Benfica (Portugal.1)
24. Tatum Sutherland, 21 - SMU

Bill says: While the Power 5-to-NWSL is still the main pathway for young prospects, it’s encouraging to see more and more unconventional routes being included in goalkeeper development. The midwest is showing well, with Iowa (Enneking), Iowa State (Silkowitz), Purdue (Bova), and St. Louis (Puricelli) producing strong NWSL draft candidates. On the professional side, McGlynn and Talbert left for Europe at the start of the year, both looking for playing time at a decent level of play. Currently, we have strong play from older goalkeepers in Denmark, France, Iceland, and Norway, helping open more doors for future goalkeepers down the line. Additionally, the start of the USL Super League in 2023 could provide another pathway to the NWSL, if things go according to plan.

Despite the positive movements, there’s still not much consensus on the top prospects for the USWNT, nor what college has earned the title of “Goalkeeper U”. Although changes could happen in the future, the continued crowdsourcing of goalkeeper development has been adequate in producing talent for the senior team thus far, even if the workload is only loosely coordinated from a higher structure.

USMNT Prospects

1. Ethan Wady, 20 - Chelsea U23s
2. Gabriel Slonina, 18 - Chicago Fire
3. Chris Brady, 18 - Chicago Fire
4. Carlos dos Santos, 21 - Inter Miami
5. Brooks Thompson, 20 - Philadelphia Union II
6. Jeff Dewsnup, 18 - Real Salt Lake
7. Antonio Carrera, 18 - FC Dallas
8. John Pulskamp, 21 - Sporting Kansas City

9. Hector Holguin, 21 - Santos Laguna (Mexico.1)
10. Rocco Rios Novo, 19 - Club Atlético Lanús II (Argentina.1) @
11. Zion Suzuki, 19 - Urawa Red Diamon (Japan.1)
12. Alex Borto, 18 - Fulham
13. Matt Freese, 23 - Philadelphia Union
14. Benny Diaz, 23 - Club Tijuana #
15. Abraham Rodriguez, 19 - Colorado Rapids
16. Taishi Nozawa, 19 - FC Tokyo (Japan.1) %

17. Chituru Odunze, 19 - Leicester City U23s
18. Tomas Romero, 21 - Los Angeles FC
19. Brian Schwake, 20 - Livingston FC (Scotland.1) &
20. Fred Emmings, 18 - Minnesota United
21. Daniel Peluffo-Wiese, 19 - Unterhaching (Germany.3)
22. Nicolas Hansen, 20 - Swansea City U23s
23. Vicente Reyes, 18 - Atlanta United 2
24. Xavier Valdez, 18 - Houston Dynamo

@ - on loan with Atlanta United
# - on loan with the Oakland Roots
% - on loan with Iwate Grulla Morioka (Japan.2)
& - on loan with Edinburgh City (Scotland.4)

Bill says: There is plenty of room for excitement with certain names on this list but the lack of talent between the ages of 21-24 is still concerning. The US has had too many goalkeepers lose traction at that age over the past two decades, despite many having momentum from successful U17 or U20 World Cup runs. Naturally, all eyes are on Slonina with his strong start with the Fire, but if it doesn’t continue in five years, then it won’t amount for much.

When considering the level of play for the American leagues, one cannot deny how much it’s improved since 1996, not to mention the continued expansion process to give more opportunities for goalkeepers. However, Horvath and Steffen are strong reminders that the pressure to perform in Europe doesn’t parallel America's. For young goalkeepers, minutes with professional outlets are great, but if it doesn’t translate to being able to perform in the top leagues, then we’re still not on track with matching the international level for goalkeeper development.

Women's International Football Elo Ratings

Below are Elo ratings for international women's teams. For a hypothetical FAQ, click here.

Elo Ratings
Last updated through April 18, 2022

rk country rating federation 2yr change 2yr W-T-L
1 USA 1886 CONCACAF -133 22 - 5 - 2
2 France 1832 UEFA 20 20 - 1 - 1
3 Sweden 1801 UEFA 132 22 - 6 - 0
4 Germany 1775 UEFA -46 14 - 1 - 3
5 Netherlands 1726 UEFA -21 16 - 6 - 4
6 England 1692 UEFA -23 11 - 1 - 3
7 Canada 1673 CONCACAF 50 8 - 8 - 3
8 Brazil 1673 CONMEBOL 53 12 - 7 - 3
9 Spain 1668 UEFA 56 15 - 1 - 0
10 North Korea 1620 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
11 Australia 1587 AFC -74 8 - 4 - 10
12 Italy 1582 UEFA 33 14 - 3 - 2
13 Japan 1553 AFC -42 9 - 4 - 3
14 Norway 1537 UEFA -51 11 - 1 - 5
15 Denmark 1503 UEFA 10 14 - 2 - 3
16 China 1499 AFC -7 5 - 3 - 2
17 Iceland 1476 UEFA 70 13 - 2 - 4
18 South Korea 1473 AFC 53 8 - 2 - 4
19 Austria 1380 UEFA 11 11 - 3 - 4
20 Belgium 1374 UEFA -13 12 - 3 - 6
21 Switzerland 1327 UEFA -54 8 - 5 - 5
22 Mexico 1299 CONCACAF 54 8 - 3 - 4
23 Nigeria 1267 CAF 1 5 - 2 - 4
24 Colombia 1263 CONMEBOL -23 5 - 4 - 3
25 Scotland 1261 UEFA -168 8 - 2 - 8
26 Costa Rica 1250 CONCACAF -17 8 - 2 - 2
27 Portugal 1248 UEFA 67 11 - 3 - 7
28 New Zealand 1237 OFC -12 1 - 1 - 10
29 Russia 1221 UEFA 47 14 - 3 - 4
30 Czech Republic 1217 UEFA 61 4 - 8 - 5
31 Finland 1210 UEFA 41 8 - 4 - 5
32 Vietnam 1206 AFC -28 4 - 1 - 4
33 Ireland 1206 UEFA 61 5 - 2 - 9
34 Chile 1196 CONMEBOL -31 6 - 3 - 8
35 Argentina 1194 CONMEBOL -30 1 - 4 - 7
36 Wales 1155 UEFA 15 8 - 3 - 7
37 Poland 1151 UEFA -76 7 - 4 - 8
38 Jamaica 1145 CONCACAF 28 5 - 1 - 1
39 Serbia 1104 UEFA 109 11 - 1 - 5
40 Cameroon 1100 CAF 1 4 - 1 - 1
41 Taiwan 1097 AFC 3 3 - 1 - 3
42 Ukraine 1081 UEFA -40 11 - 2 - 5
43 Ghana 1052 CAF 4 3 - 0 - 2
44 Paraguay 1043 CONMEBOL -4 3 - 3 - 3
45 South Africa 1035 CAF -53 7 - 3 - 3
46 Hungary 1030 UEFA 28 6 - 3 - 8
47 Haiti 1018 CONCACAF 32 4 - 0 - 0
48 Venezuela 1012 CONMEBOL 46 4 - 3 - 3
49 Romania 1009 UEFA 60 8 - 1 - 6
50 Panama 1007 CONCACAF 40 8 - 2 - 3
51 Slovakia 1007 UEFA 59 7 - 3 - 10
52 Myanmar 1000 AFC 19 3 - 1 - 2
53 Papua New Guinea 996 OFC 2 2 - 0 - 0
54 Uzbekistan 994 AFC -30 6 - 3 - 6
55 Ivory Coast 992 CAF -8 2 - 0 - 2
56 Thailand 987 AFC -106 3 - 0 - 5
57 Northern Ireland 980 UEFA 128 11 - 2 - 6
58 Slovenia 963 UEFA 79 10 - 2 - 3
59 Philippines 952 AFC 113 6 - 1 - 2
60 Zambia 923 CAF 28 6 - 6 - 3
61 Trinidad and Tobago 896 CONCACAF -15 3 - 4 - 1
62 Equatorial Guinea 876 CAF -50 1 - 0 - 3
63 Puerto Rico 874 CONCACAF 27 6 - 1 - 3
64 Guyana 872 CONCACAF -32 2 - 2 - 2
65 India 870 AFC -22 5 - 0 - 9
66 Cuba 868 CONCACAF -31 2 - 1 - 1
67 Morocco 848 CAF 43 6 - 0 - 2
68 Guatemala 840 CONCACAF -27 3 - 0 - 5
69 Ecuador 837 CONMEBOL -26 3 - 4 - 8
70 Tunisia 829 CAF 82 6 - 0 - 3
71 Peru 825 CONMEBOL 1 0 - 2 - 2
72 Congo DR 809 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
73 Belarus 806 UEFA 32 5 - 2 - 5
74 Mali 804 CAF -8 6 - 1 - 3
75 Algeria 804 CAF 37 3 - 1 - 1
76 Iran 799 AFC -12 1 - 2 - 4
77 Senegal 797 CAF 61 7 - 1 - 2
78 Fiji 796 OFC -33 0 - 0 - 2
79 Croatia 792 UEFA -66 3 - 2 - 9
80 Uruguay 789 CONMEBOL 48 2 - 2 - 3
81 Jordan 788 AFC -57 2 - 3 - 4
82 Zimbabwe 787 CAF -20 5 - 0 - 2
83 Kenya 784 CAF 8 2 - 0 - 0
84 Bosnia and Herzegovina 777 UEFA 9 6 - 3 - 8
85 Greece 773 UEFA -8 6 - 2 - 6
86 Dominican Republic 744 CONCACAF 15 5 - 3 - 4
87 St. Kitts and Nevis 743 CONCACAF 45 3 - 0 - 1
88 Tanzania 723 CAF -8 4 - 1 - 2
89 Ethiopia 715 CAF -14 3 - 0 - 1
90 Turkey 709 UEFA 63 7 - 2 - 8
91 Bermuda 704 CONCACAF -9 2 - 0 - 2
92 Congo 687 CAF -18 1 - 0 - 1
93 Hong Kong 674 AFC -50 0 - 1 - 2
94 Albania 674 UEFA 24 4 - 2 - 8
95 Burkina Faso 669 CAF 86 4 - 0 - 0
96 St. Lucia 664 CONCACAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
97 Egypt 662 CAF -43 0 - 1 - 3
98 Laos 656 AFC -7 0 - 1 - 1
99 Namibia 646 CAF 117 5 - 3 - 1
100 Israel 637 UEFA -36 2 - 1 - 10
101 Nicaragua 634 CONCACAF 71 5 - 1 - 3
102 Malawi 633 CAF 68 3 - 1 - 3
103 Malaysia 628 AFC 14 1 - 0 - 1
104 New Caledonia 626 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
105 El Salvador 618 CONCACAF -14 3 - 0 - 4
106 Uganda 613 CAF 39 2 - 1 - 2
107 Nepal 613 AFC -6 1 - 2 - 1
108 Botswana 612 CAF 84 4 - 0 - 4
109 Suriname 611 CONCACAF 17 2 - 1 - 3
110 Honduras 607 CONCACAF 29 2 - 1 - 1
111 Burundi 604 CAF 81 4 - 0 - 0
112 Bolivia 604 CONMEBOL -11 0 - 1 - 3
113 Bahrain 603 AFC -20 0 - 1 - 2
114 Barbados 593 CONCACAF -93 2 - 1 - 3
115 Azerbaijan 575 UEFA -48 4 - 1 - 11
116 Montenegro 571 UEFA 86 6 - 0 - 9
117 Tonga 569 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
118 Indonesia 567 AFC 3 2 - 0 - 3
119 Angola 565 CAF -153 0 - 2 - 5
120 Cook Islands 563 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
121 Malta 554 UEFA 45 5 - 1 - 10
122 Togo 534 CAF 63 3 - 0 - 0
123 Guinea 534 CAF -51 0 - 2 - 3
124 Kosovo 530 UEFA 27 4 - 2 - 9
125 Rwanda 530 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
126 Kazakhstan 526 UEFA -99 1 - 0 - 12
127 Bulgaria 526 UEFA -102 1 - 1 - 11
128 Lebanon 524 AFC 11 2 - 0 - 4
129 Gambia 519 CAF 10 2 - 1 - 5
130 Martinique 517 CONCACAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
131 Samoa 514 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
132 Tahiti 513 OFC -87 0 - 1 - 2
133 Liberia 512 CAF 25 3 - 0 - 4
134 Chad 508 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
135 Gabon 504 CAF -26 1 - 0 - 3
136 Botswanna 491 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
137 Central African Republic 490 CAF -3 0 - 0 - 2
138 Reunion 489 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
139 Antigua and Barbuda 487 CONCACAF 11 3 - 0 - 3
140 United Arab Emirates 485 AFC -28 2 - 0 - 5
141 Curacao 483 CONCACAF -9 1 - 0 - 3
142 Cyprus 469 UEFA -12 0 - 1 - 11
143 Benin 469 CAF -41 0 - 0 - 2
144 Saudi Arabia 465 AFC 15 2 - 0 - 0
145 Lithuania 465 UEFA 131 6 - 2 - 10
146 Sierra Leone 464 CAF -22 0 - 4 - 1
147 Cape Verde 462 CAF 12 1 - 1 - 3
148 Bahamas 461 CONCACAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
149 Moldova 460 UEFA -83 0 - 0 - 13
150 Cambodia 459 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
151 Kyrgyzstan 459 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
152 Faroe Islands 445 UEFA -78 1 - 1 - 12
153 Guam 442 AFC -70 0 - 0 - 3
154 Solomon Islands 439 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
155 Syria 438 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
156 Eritrea 436 CAF -56 0 - 0 - 2
157 Bangladesh 432 AFC 17 1 - 1 - 3
158 Luxembourg 416 UEFA 139 6 - 0 - 6
159 Anguilla 411 CONCACAF -43 0 - 0 - 4
160 Tajikistan 401 AFC 9 1 - 0 - 1
161 Guinea-Bissau 400 CAF -77 2 - 0 - 5
162 Macedonia 398 UEFA 16 2 - 0 - 13
163 Madagascar 393 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
164 Palestine 382 AFC -22 0 - 0 - 2
165 Turkmenistan 380 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
166 St. Vincent / Grenadines 379 CONCACAF 4 1 - 0 - 2
167 Singapore 370 AFC -11 1 - 0 - 3
168 Niger 363 CAF -7 0 - 0 - 2
169 Macau 361 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
170 Guadeloupe 360 CONCACAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
171 Libya 355 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
172 Lesotho 354 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
173 Eswatini 352 CAF -39 0 - 0 - 5
174 Georgia 340 UEFA -34 1 - 1 - 9
175 Estonia 335 UEFA -22 2 - 1 - 13
176 Cayman Islands 334 CONCACAF 23 1 - 0 - 3
177 Mongolia 325 AFC -2 0 - 0 - 2
178 Vanuatu 323 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
179 Latvia 320 UEFA -70 1 - 1 - 15
180 Armenia 316 UEFA -17 2 - 2 - 9
181 Mozambique 310 CAF 6 0 - 1 - 4
182 US Virgin Islands 307 CONCACAF -51 0 - 0 - 6
183 Sri Lanka 304 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
184 Sudan 299 CAF -1 0 - 0 - 1
185 Belize 293 CONCACAF 46 1 - 1 - 2
186 Liechtenstein 290 UEFA -10 3 - 0 - 2
187 Dominica 286 CONCACAF 4 1 - 0 - 3
188 Seychelles 279 CAF -21 0 - 0 - 3
189 Comoros 271 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
190 Grenada 270 CONCACAF -50 0 - 0 - 4
191 Timor-Leste 270 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
192 Northern Mariana Islands 256 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
193 Djibouti 251 CAF -25 0 - 0 - 2
194 South Sudan 226 CAF -22 0 - 0 - 7
195 Mauritania 226 CAF -17 0 - 0 - 2
196 American Samoa 201 OFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
197 Pakistan 164 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
198 Afghanistan 151 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
199 British Virgin Islands 146 CONCACAF -20 0 - 0 - 4
200 Iraq 145 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
201 Sao Tome e Principe 139 CAF -18 0 - 0 - 1
202 Maldives 135 AFC -18 0 - 0 - 4
203 Zanzibar 129 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
204 Mauritius 123 CAF 0 0 - 0 - 0
205 Turks and Caicos Islands 97 CONCACAF -22 0 - 0 - 4
206 Bhutan 92 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
207 Kuwait 90 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
208 Aruba 90 CONCACAF 3 0 - 1 - 3
209 Gibraltar 76 UEFA -24 1 - 0 - 5
210 Qatar 48 AFC 0 0 - 0 - 0
211 Andorra 36 UEFA 26 1 - 1 - 0

USWNT Goalkeeping Eras

cover photo from Andy Mead/Icon Sportswire

The most exclusive position in all of US Soccer: the USWNT’s goalkeeper. Only 26 women have played goalkeeper for the national team in 37 years. Branching off the men’s goalkeeping era post I did a few years ago, the same methodology applies here. The graphs portray how featured a goalkeeper was with the national team by comparing their own games played vs. the available caps in the previous two years. For example, at the end of December 2012, Hope Solo had 31 appearances in the last two years (dating back to the start of 2010). There were only 7 non-Solo goalkeeper caps (Barnhart 5, Loyden 2) in the timespan, giving Solo a 82% share. Looking at the graph in late 2012, Solo’s section spikes to one of its highest points.

This approach leaves a goalkeeper’s color on the chart until two years after their last cap, roughly mimicking the public’s perception of their connection with the national team.

All-Time USWNT Goalkeeper Caps

1. Hope Solo (2000-2016) - 202
2. Briana Scurry (1994-2008) - 175
3. Alyssa Naeher (2014-present) - 80
4. Nicole Barnhart (2005-13) - 53
5. Siri Mullinix (1999-04) - 45
6. Saskia Webber (1992-2000) - 28
7. Mary Harvey (1989-96) - 27
8. Ashlyn Harris (2013-present) - 25
9a. Tracy Noonan (1996-99) - 24
9a. Amy Allman (1987-91) - 24

11. Lakeysia Beene (2000-03) - 18
12. Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner (1988-91) - 17
13. Kristin Luckenbill (2004) - 14
14a. Adrianna Franch (2018-present) - 10
14b. Jill Loyden (2010-14) - 10
16. Kim Wyant (1985-93) - 9
17. Jane Campbell (2017-present) - 7
18a. Jen Branam (2000, 06) - 6
18b. Janine Szpara (1986-87) - 6
18c. Jen Mead (1993-1997) - 6

21. Casey Murphy (2021-present) - 4
22. Jaime Pagliarulo (1997, 01) - 3
23a. Emily Oleksiuk (2001) - 2
23b. Gretchen Gegg (1986, 90) - 2
23c. Ruth Harker (1985) - 2
26. Aubrey Kingsbury (2022-present) - 1

1985 - 1991

Featured Goalkeepers

7. Mary Harvey (1989-96) - 27
9a. Amy Allman (1987-91) - 24
12. Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner (1988-91) - 17
16. Kim Wyant (1985-93) - 9
18b. Janine Szpara (1986-87) - 6
23b. Gretchen Gegg (1986, 90) - 2
23c. Ruth Harker (1985) - 2

The first half decade games were erratic and scarce. In 1987, 1989, and 1991 the national team played 11, 1, and 28 games, respectively. UCF alum Kim Wyant started in each of the six first games while Amy Allman and Mary Harvey collected the bulk of the appearances for the time. Allman played in sixteen of the nineteen games from 1987 to 1988 but would eventually be named backup to Harvey, who led the team to a first-place finish at the 1991 World Cup.

1992-2004

Featured Goalkeepers

1. Hope Solo (2000-2016) - 202
2. Briana Scurry (1994-2008) - 175
5. Siri Mullinix (1999-04) - 45
6. Saskia Webber (1992-2000) - 28
7. Mary Harvey (1989-96) - 27
8. Ashlyn Harris (2013-present) - 25
9a. Tracy Noonan (1996-99) - 24
9a. Amy Allman (1987-91) - 24

11. Lakeysia Beene (2000-03) - 18
12. Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner (1988-91) - 17
13. Kristin Luckenbill (2004) - 14
16. Kim Wyant (1985-93) - 9
18a. Jen Branam (2000, 06) - 6
18c. Jen Mead (1993-1997) - 6
22. Jaime Pagliarulo (1997, 01) - 3
23a. Emily Oleksiuk (2001) - 2

As Harvey’s time with the national team waned, some new faces would eventually supplant the World Champion. Harvey was 30 by the time the 1995 World Cup rolled around and while Saskia Webber had established herself as a promising young goalkeeper, it was Briana Scurry who sprang onto the scene at the start of 1994.

Until the end of the decade, Scurry received at least half of the caps every year, with UNC product Tracy Noonan making the biggest dent at the end of 1997. Siri Mullinix started the 2000 Olympic silver medal run as then-coach April Heinrichs opted for Mullinix over Scurry due to her spending "too much time appearing on talk shows and too little time at the gym”. A young hotshot goalkeeper named Hope Solo earned her first cap in the spring of 2000.

2005-2016

Featured Goalkeepers

1. Hope Solo (2000-2016) - 202
2. Briana Scurry (1994-2008) - 175
3. Alyssa Naeher (2014-present) - 80
4. Nicole Barnhart (2005-13) - 53
5. Siri Mullinix (1999-04) - 45
13. Kristin Luckenbill (2004) - 14
18a. Jen Branam (2000, 06) - 6

Solo managed to earn a bulk of the caps for over a decade, dipping off slightly due to shoulder surgery at the end of 2010. Solo would start for the USWNT during the 2011 and 2015 World Cups but the starting spot in the summer of 2007 was controversially split between Scurry and Solo.

Barnhart notched 53 appearances over her career, despite playing in the NWSL for nearly a decade after her last cap. Alyssa Naeher’s rise to the starting position took a few years but by the end of 2016, Solo’s 17-year run wound down.

2017-2022

Featured Goalkeepers

1. Hope Solo (2000-2016) - 202
3. Alyssa Naeher (2014-present) - 80
8. Ashlyn Harris (2013-present) - 25
14a. Adrianna Franch (2018-present) - 10
17. Jane Campbell (2017-present) - 7
21. Casey Murphy (2021-present) - 4
26. Aubrey Kingsbury (2022-present) - 1

A new era emerges with Alyssa Naeher taking a Solo-esque dominance in playing time, hovering right around 75% of goalkeeper caps for several years. Ashlyn Harris split the leftover minutes between Adrianna Franch and up-and-coming goalkeeper Jane Campbell.