Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher records most career saves in NWSL history
CHICAGO (CBS) – One of the best goalies in women's soccer history is still going strong for the Chicago Red Stars.
Longtime Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher has accomplished pretty much everything you can in women's soccer, both professionally and on the international stage.
As CBS 2's Matt Zahn explained, she now has a new record and is also trying to bring leadership to a young Red Stars squad.
After a record-breaking save, Naeher has more saves than any other player in the history of the National Women's Soccer League.
"I feel really happy for her," said Red Stars coach Chris Petrucelli. "No one deserves it more than her. Her work ethic in training is next level. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. She's at an advanced part of her career, but she's still getting better every day."
Naeher made her 519th career save in a milestone game for her: start No. 150 in her NWSL career, with 93 of those starts coming with the Red Stars. And Naeher, who's also played at the highest level in net for the U.S. Women's National Team, was pretty humble about setting this all-time mark.
"Honestly, it just means I've been doing it a long time," she said. "It's just an accumulation of 11 years. I think it's just, that's really all it is."
This season has come with its share of challenges for the Red Stars, but having Naeher back in net is one of the reasons that Petrucelli is confident the group can turn things around.
"First of all, we've got a great goalkeeper," Petrucelli said. "That's the start of it. I do think there are a number of really talented players throughout the team that haven't quite played up to the level they can play yet, and when they do, we'll be a quality team."
Naeher, who first joined the Red Stars back in 2016, can share some of her experiences about going through many highs and lows while playing in the NWSL.
"That it's normal," she said. "You can't get too high. You can't get too low. I'm focusing on all the little details, trying to improve and learn from each other."
And Petrucelli, who is in his second year on the job after getting hired just before the start of last season, remains hopeful about the Red Stars' future.
"Certainly, we've had challenges," he said. "Changes in the staff, losing players and struggling to invest in players. Those are some of the challenges we've had. We don't look at it as anything that we can't overcome. No one's given up. It's a long season. There's a lot of games left and we're going to win our share."