Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, earned National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today.
Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added time in the second half of the Red Stars season opener against Utah Royals FC at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, Utah’s Ally Sentnor sent a free kick from outside Chicago’s 18-yard box. Royals forward Ifeoma Onumonu received the kick with her head, redirecting the ball towards the upper right of the goal. Naeher, already moving out into the field of play, quickly reversed course and jumped towards the shot. It seemed likely that Naeher would just miss connecting with the ball, but the keeper miraculously managed to brush the shot with the tip of her glove just before the ball crossed the line. The touch tipped the shot mere millimeters over the crossbar, sending the ball bouncing off the top of the netting and out of play.
The last-minute save effectively ended the match and kept Chicago’s 2-0 shutout result alive while bringing Naeher’s save count in the match up to five. In addition to clinching the win for Chicago, the clean sheet marked Naeher’s 44th perfect regular-season match of career.
Naeher is no stranger to Save of the Week honors, receiving the award six other times since 2016, most recently in 2019. Former Red Star Casey Krueger also earned the title in October 2023 following a goal-line clearance in Chicago’s match versus Racing Louisville FC. Krueger’s save also, coincidentally, occurred seven minutes into the allotted eight minutes of stoppage time and secured a clean sheet for the Red Stars against Louisville.
Naeher and the Red Stars return to Chicago for the club’s Home Opener match March 23 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The match will stream live on NWSL+, with kickoff set for 3:00 PM CT. Fans can purchase tickets to the match at chicagoredstars.com/tickets. The first 1,000 fans in attendance at the Home Opener will receive an exclusive 2024 Home Opener scarf.
