The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
World Cup winner Naeher returns to her village
TRUMBULL — Alyssa Naeher slides into a chair facing one of the major sports media figures of the past three decades. Around her, eager students from kindergarten to 12th grade pack the gymnasium at Christian Heritage School. The youngest sit on the floor, crosslegged, wideeyed. What little space remains is filled by family, faculty, friends.
A cautious media interview, never one to call attention to herself, Alyssa Naeher is relaxed on this Thursday afternoon. Her answers come easy. Words flow like the coffee she loves to drink while doing her crosswords.
“It’s because of Dan,” Naeher’s mom Donna said.
“She loves Dan Patrick,” her dad John said of the talk show host and former ESPN anchor. “He’s an old family friend. He put her right at ease. Alyssa loves to share. He really brought that out.”
Gov. Lamont had declared Wednesday “Alyssa Naeher Day” in Connecticut. There had been a ceremony at the State Capitol and now here was the U.S. women’s soccer team goalkeeper, the woman who had backstopped our country to the World Cup, looking around her alma mater to see former teachers, coaches, even a few she said that had changed her diapers.
Naeher babysat Patrick’s children who also attended Christian Heritage.
“She’s a better goalkeeper,” Patrick said.
That was a joke. There would be plenty over the next half hour as we saw an Alyssa Naeher the public doesn’t often see.
“I get to wear ripped jeans here at CHS,” Naeher
said when Patrick asked how her life has changed since winning the World Cup. “I’m going to get a detention slip later.”
Naeher hadn’t allowed herself to think of winning it all during that 20 final win over the Netherlands. Late in the game, she peaked at the clock. There were five minutes left. She began whispering and praying to herself. It was the longest five minutes of her life.
“When we were in Vancouver at the 2015 World Cup, the day after the final Amanda (her twin) was leaving,” Naeher said. “She gave me a hug and said, ‘I’ll give you a call when I get to France,’ I said, ‘OK, I hope I’m with you.’
“When she bought her plane ticket after I officially made the roster, she told me she bought an American flag and was going to throw it down to me when I win. No pressure.”
Alyssa did. Amanda did. Celebrations. Media appearances. Later, a run to the NWSL final with the Chicago Red Stars. Life has been a whirlwind since July.
“When we were over in France, I had deleted all my social media, didn’t have any connection to the outside world,” Naeher said. “I had no real idea what was going on at home. When we landed at Newark, had the tickertape parade in New York and there were thousands and thousands of people, I started hearing more and more stories. That’s when it really started to sink in.”
Naeher had been a backup for the 2015 World Cup champions and the 2016 Olympic disappointment. This was different. Way different. With all the sharpelbowed questions about whether she would be the weak link in her first run as starting goalkeeper, Naeher never blinked, never barked. She didn’t try to outsolo Hope Solo. And when it ended in victory, Naeher never pointed and said, “I told you so!”
“It’s one of the main reasons I deleted social media,” Naeher said. “It was never about comparisons for me. Hope was Hope. Hope was incredible. She had an amazing career. My only focus going into the tournament was how can I help my team win in 2019?
“Yes, I had all the doubters, but I also had a lot of people who had my back. A lot of family, a lot people sitting in this room. The number of text messages and calls, not that they were praying for me to win or success, but praying for peace and calmness.”
There may not be a dedicated coffee drinker with a calmer demeanor than Alyssa Naeher. Why so calm and unobtrusive?
“I think Amanda just overshadowed me my whole life,” Naeher said. Another joke.
John has worked at CHS for decades, earlier as athletic director and coach, now as a director of operations. When Alyssa returns she says she is “Mr. Naeher’s daughter.”
Patrick has known the Naeher family a long time. He knows them as good people, humble people. On this day, he began to talk about being on vacation in Normandy during the World Cup final and watching in a hotel lobby.
“I’m more nervous than anything my kids have ever done,” Patrick said. “I’m living through you …”
Patrick, who seamlessly has handled thousands of hours on the national stage, was overcome with emotion.
“Say something,” Patrick said to Naeher.
So she talked about Christian Heritage.
“It helped build my character as a human being, not only as an athlete,” Naeher said. “I give a lot of credit to my parents. We had people coming at us from all angles, you’ve got to take (the twins) out of CHS, put them in big school, got to do this and that. My parents never considered it, never budged, even when we started throwing fits that all these people were right and we’re never going to succeed in life. They kept us here. It was important to them. I’ve been lucky to have this village and a lot people who invested a lot of time and love to help me become the person I am.”
Patrick got his voice back.
“Megan Rapinoe is a pretty big personality …” he said.
“Just a little,” Naeher said.
“Yet it seems like every team needs that person who will take all the bullets, whether the media or the opposition.”
“She was an incredible part of the team,” Naeher said. “You need every different type of person to make a team successful. You can’t have everyone like me. You can’t have everybody like Megan. It wouldn’t work. That’s the beauty of team sports and the beauty of being part of a special team. Everybody has a role and everybody has that personality and nobody has to change who they.”
Naeher cemented her place in U.S. soccer legend with her save on a penalty kick against Steph Houghton that preserved the Americans’ 21 victory over England in the semifinals. Yet it is Naeher shooing away her teammates, Alex Morgan, all of them, who were trying to hug her is what makes the moment iconic.
“Once you pick up the ball there’s a rule you’ve got to get rid of it in eight seconds,” Naeher said. “I was starting to get nervous I’d get a penalty. I’m thinking, ‘I can’t ruin this.’ ”
“The place was going crazy,” John said. “The one American who isn’t celebrating is Alyssa. She’s pushing everyone away. You go girl! I was as proud of that as the save. At that moment, it was her team. Here’s this quiet, softspoken kid. Alyssa was calm. It was a powerful moment for me.”
The kids got to ask questions. That led to a hodgepodge of Naeher trivia.
Favorite middle school subject? Algebra.
No, she doesn’t have a Lamborghini. After the World Cup, she did treat herself to a Mercedes.
She won’t let her dad know where her World Cup medal is because he might put it in a shrine.
She wishes the World Cup would be passed around for a day to players like the NHL does with the Stanley Cup.
Paris, when U.S. faced France, was the loudest stadium ever. Still, she marvels, her young nephew Judah managed to fall asleep in the 87th minute.
She does not like ravioli, not a pasta fan. Favorite food: Cheeseburger and fries. Game day morning, she makes a breakfast sandwich of avocado, spinach, egg, cheese and bacon on a bagel. Pregame, a couple of pancakes.
People tell her she bites the inside of her cheek when she’s tense.
She started playing goal because she loved basketball and got to use her hands. Plus, the gloves were cool and got to wear a different color jersey.
Naeher doesn’t like seeing herself on TV. She was in an airport after the World Cup, sat down at a restaurant and all of a sudden her face popped up on a FOX special. She walked out and found another restaurant.
There is one place she wants to see herself.
“On the podium at the (2020) Olympics with a gold medal,” Naeher said.
The Christian Heritage gym filled with raucous applause. The DanAlyssa Show might have a return engagement.
jeff.jacobs @hearstmediact.com; @jeffjacobs123