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.