This story first appeared in Extra Time, our pop-up newsletter about the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Get it in your inbox by subscribing here. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] End of an Era U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher tipped the soccer ball, which then popped in the air, above the crossbar. The U.S. Women’s National Team’s (USWNT) hopes for a third consecutive World Cup, and a powerful desire to prevent its earliest-ever exit from a World Cup, hung in the balance.