Naeher stands tall, ends USWNT career with win

Lynn Williams scored the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute and Alyssa Naeher made six saves in her final match as the United States defeated the Netherlands 2-1 at The Hague on Tuesday.

Williams, who entered at the start of the second half, made a well-timed run to get a touch on Yazmeen Ryan‘s cross to the middle of the box to break the 1-1 tie.

Her 21st international goal came two minutes after Naeher made a great save with her right leg on Daniëlle van de Donk.

Despite being outshot 23-5, the U.S. ended 2024 with a 18-1-4 record and a 20-match unbeaten streak.

Emma Hayes was the coach for the past 15 (13-0-2) since her debut in June, including winning the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics.

The U.S. had no business being tied 1-1 at the half after being thoroughly outplayed, with the Dutch holding advantages in possession (62 percent), shots (14-1) and shots on target (3-1).

The shots were the most the U.S. faced in a half since France had 14 in the second half of the 2019 World Cup quarterfinal.

But a strange first half saw 18-year-old Netherlands central defender Veerle Buurman scoring her first international goal in the 15th minute, then scoring an own goal for the U.S. equalizer in the 44th.

The Netherlands, ranked No. 11 in the world, had three early chances before Buurman got her head on a corner kick by Jill Roord.

On the tying goal, Tierna Davidson sent a long free kick to the center of the box and the ball went off the back of Buurman’s head.

It was the last international match for Naeher, who wore the captain’s arm band in her 115th appearance. She debuted on Dec. 18, 2014 against Argentina.

She is two-time World Cup winner (2015 and 2019) and a 2024 Olympic gold medalist. She shut out the Netherlands in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final.