Just over a year ago, the discourse surrounding the up-for-grabs No. 1 shirt on the U.S. women’s national team concerned how open-ended the question was. That in itself was unfamiliar territory until Alyssa Naeher’s retirement from international soccer in November 2024 threw the gates wide open, exposing U.S. Soccer’s lack of a succession plan in the process. Now there are two clear candidates for the position. Both goalkeepers have aquatic nicknames: Phallon Tullis-Joyce, a marine biologist aff