INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made six saves whilst incomes a blank sheet towards Brazil on Saturday in her first look for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew.
Her hardest check of the day, alternatively? “The primary whistle,” the 28-year-old mentioned, smiling as she spoke about nerves forward of that sport.
Such is the present state of the USWNT’s goalkeeping place: For the primary time in many years — possibly ever — the squad now faces a longer duration of uncertainty and not using a transparent No. 1 rising. A fabled place of energy is now probably the most crew’s largest query marks.
Two-time Global Cup winner and 2024 Olympic champion Alyssa Naeher retired from world accountability on the finish of closing 12 months at age 36. Since then, USWNT head trainer Emma Hayes has successfully been accomplishing an open tryout for the placement during the last six months.
Tullis-Joyce firmly entered her identify into that open audition on Saturday. The Manchester United goalkeeper were gazing the goalkeeper race from a slight distance up till just lately, however even after incomes her first senior cap, Tullis-Joyce is as a lot of a contender to develop into the brand new No. 1 as another goalkeeper within the pool.
Jane Campbell, 30, had ostensibly develop into the favourite for the process in contemporary months, however she didn’t play in both fit towards Brazil right through this window. Mandy McGlynn made her world debut in purpose closing October. The 3 goalkeepers, plus uncapped coaching goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, entered this April coaching camp with 12 mixed caps.
Casey Murphy, with 20 caps at 28 years previous, is essentially the most skilled goalkeeper to be had for variety within the USWNT pool. However she has no longer won a call-up in 2025, and it is an increasing number of honest to wonder whether her absence is extra about an incumbent successor falling out of fashion than it’s merely Hayes checking out out new goalkeepers.
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Hayes had promised she would dole out alternatives on this two-game window towards Brazil, and he or she did that via turning to Tullis-Joyce within the first sport and McGlynn in Tuesday’s rematch, the 2 largest USWNT video games of the 12 months.
For months, Hayes has mentioned that via July she must have a clearer image of who will likely be her new beginning goalkeeper. Through then, Hayes could have observed the USWNT in pairs of video games towards Brazil, China and the Republic of Eire, and any other towards Canada. If the timeline holds, Hayes’ most popular starter could have two years to refine herself within the function forward of the 2027 Girls’s Global Cup.
“In case you consider this, previous to when even Alyssa made the No. 1 [job] her personal, it takes a time period as a way to solidify that,” Hayes mentioned previous to this coaching camp. “And I believe it is honest to mention we’ve got were given a large number of truly just right high quality goalkeepers.
“Who will emerge from that because the No. 1? Have no idea, however they have got to take their possibilities after they get them. It is a performance-related trade, and every alternative they get, they have got to profit from it as a result of, after all, that can have an effect on my resolution making as we development.”
Hayes is right kind in declaring that Naeher took time to make the placement her personal. Naeher took over the No. 1 process within the years forward of the 2019 Global Cup below immense scrutiny as she attempted to fill the boots of Hope Solo, who received a Global Cup, two Olympic gold medals, and used to be arguably the most productive net-minder the arena has ever observed.
Naeher is a quiet, calm persona — the antithesis of Solo, and the dichotomy between their personalities added to the outdoor skepticism of Naeher forward of, and right through, the 2019 Global Cup. The ones questions had been in the end squashed when she began and performed each minute because the USWNT captured a 2d immediately crown. She adopted that up with dazzling performances on the 2023 Global Cup and closing 12 months’s Olympics.
So sure, goalkeeper successions — particularly within the shadows of departed legends — are not anything new to the USWNT. Solo adopted Briana Scurry, who used to be additionally a Global Cup winner and two-time Olympic winner, in an notorious USWNT goalkeeper changeover round 2007-08. What is other now, alternatively, is a real sense of inexperience amongst goalkeeper choices — no longer handiest in relation to caps, however in giant moments.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Jane Campbell and Mandy McGlynn are in camp with the USWNT for a couple of friendlies towards Brazil, auditioning to develop into the following go-to American goalkeeper. Brad Smith/ISI Pictures/Getty Pictures for USSF
Solo used to be another on the 2004 Olympics, which the USWNT received, and the starter on the 2007 Global Cup sooner than then-head trainer Greg Ryan benched her for the semifinal in choose of Scurry. Solo reassumed the beginning function for the 2008 Olympics and did not let cross of it for 8 years, till U.S. Football terminated her contract for off-field causes.
Naeher used to be a part of the USWNT’s 2015 Global Cup-winning squad. She did not play at that event, however she nonetheless were given to revel in that pressure-packed atmosphere forward of taking the starring function 4 years later.
Murphy used to be the backup goalkeeper for closing 12 months’s Olympics and the 2023 Global Cup. She appeared like she may problem Naeher for the No. 1 function at Global Cup qualifying in 2022. Campbell used to be another finally 12 months’s Olympics. And … that is the extent of major-tournament revel in some of the goalkeepers who’ve been in senior camp in 2025.
Hayes is unabashed via inexperience, whether or not in purpose or in the course of the park, the place she’s an increasing number of given vital assignments to 17-year-old midfielder phenom Lily Yohannes. Hayes mentioned Tullis-Joyce appeared “authoritative and commanding” in her debut, Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brazil.
Tullis-Joyce performed the ball lengthy too frequently for Hayes’ liking, however the USWNT trainer added that she understood why: It used to be Tullis-Joyce’s debut, and her membership crew often performs that manner.
To make certain, there’s a stylistic have compatibility that must be made, however all of Hayes’ choices are sturdy shot-stoppers. Murphy ranks forward of Campbell and McGlynn this NWSL season in post-shot anticipated targets minus targets towards, consistent with FBRef, which is a size of shot-stopping skill. McGlynn ranked 2d within the NWSL and primary amongst American citizens in that class via a vital margin closing season. Tullis-Joyce is the runaway chief in that class in England’s WSL, consistent with FBRef.
Whoever is to think the beginning goalkeeper function, alternatively, is anticipated to be comfy at the ball to assist the USWNT possess in deeper areas, Hayes has mentioned on a couple of events.
“I might say for the goalkeepers that don’t seem to be in right here, all of them know what they have got to paintings on, and what’s a key center of attention space,” Hayes mentioned in February.
Murphy, who performs for the North Carolina Braveness, the NWSL’s maximum possession-oriented crew, is arguably essentially the most fitted to that taste. The Houston Sprint, the place Campbell begins, is making an attempt to construct a an identical identification below a brand new head trainer.
McGlynn persevered a hard sport on Tuesday vs. Brazil, a functionality that provides additional uncertainty to the USWNT’s seek for balance between the posts. Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire by means of Getty Pictures
McGlynn registered an extraordinary goalkeeper lend a hand on opening weekend of the 2025 NWSL season, however she and the Utah Royals have additionally struggled with deep-lying turnovers on different events this season. She and an green USWNT again line made a sequence of mistakes early in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Brazil whilst seeking to stay ownership round their very own purpose. McGlynn admitted after the fit that she used to be “forcing it” within the first part as she performed into the arms of Brazil’s press.
Hayes made an identical issues about McGlynn and Tullis-Joyce desiring to learn the sport in ownership and work out when to play quick or cross lengthy.
So, who would be the subsequent USWNT No. 1?
“I believe it is been a aggressive camp,” Hayes mentioned of her goalkeeper pool after Tuesday’s loss. “I believe each [McGlynn] and Phallon have had the chance to play towards a most sensible opponent, identical to Jane had the chance to play towards a most sensible opponent with Japan, and I believe it is honest to mention I am so much clearer.”
Whoever assumes the function will know smartly the scrutiny that awaits: Global Cup titles and Golden Gloves are this system’s same old. They are going to have two years to organize for that inevitable stress.
