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REIMS, France — Until mid-June, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher had never played in a World Cup match. She had never appeared in the Olympics, either. So the United States faced a flurry of urgent questions when it arrived in France:
How would Naeher handle the pressure when she was inevitably tested? Would she be as consistent and dependable as former champions like Hope Solo and Briana Scurry? Or would Naeher leave the Americans with rare vulnerability in a position that was long one of its greatest strengths?
During group play, the questions remained largely unresolved.