Mandy Haught Ready to Make the Most of First USWNT Senior Callup

'It's going to be a competition, it's going to be a battle, but that's what we all signed up for.'

Utah Royal's Mandy Haught / Imago

Mandy Haught is a new face in the U.S women’s national team setup after making her first senior appearance in October.

The Utah Royals keeper was called up as a last-minute injury replacement for Jane Campbell. Haught immersed herself in the opportunity with brilliance, earning a shutout in her debut appearance for the team as the U.S. claimed a 3–0 victory over Argentina at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium.

“It was incredible. I had my expectations wide open, so I was ready for any opportunity or any chance,” Haught tells Sports Illustrated.

“It’s really easy to get yourself worked up, but I just went back to my controllables,” Haught says. “It was in a stadium that I knew, I watched the film on Argentina, the team was really calm. My focus was just keeping that calm nature and being that calm presence in the back for the team.” 

USWNT legend Alyssa Naeher recently announced her retirement from international soccer following an extraordinary career between the sticks. Although Haught has just spent two camps with her, she was quick to praise “The Alyssa Naeher leadership style.”

“She's an incredible goalkeeper. I've looked up to her for so long,” Haught says. “It's just really cool to see the power of her perseverance, and the power of just her presence. She doesn't have to say a lot, you just know that she means business. It’s just been so cool to watch someone of that nature.”

Naeher will play her final games in a U.S shirt as the side gears up to face England and Netherlands over the coming week.

Haught received her first USWNT callup under Emma Hayes. / Imago

“I've never really trained with anyone like [Naeher], and we've only had two camps together,” Haught says. “I'm sad I don't get more, I want to train with her more. This whole camp has just been celebrating such an amazing human and goalkeeper. I'm taking every little bit that I can from her while I can.”

While Haught is keen to celebrate the legacy Naeher leaves behind, her sights remain set on becoming the next one to wear the No. 1 shirt for the USWNT.

“It's going to be a competition, it's going to be a battle, but that's what we all signed up for,” Haught says. “That's what happens at this level. I'm just trying to stay true to myself, true to my game, true to my strengths, as well as taking in what this team needs as a No. 1 goalkeeper.”

“I try not to put too much pressure on it. I think it’s important to just play the way that you play and to your strengths. I’m learning where Emma [Hayes] wants to take this team, how she wants to play out of the back, and I’m just trying to be a sponge.”

The 26-year-old was able to break into the NJ/NY Gotham side that took the NWSL by storm in the 2023 season, following the retirement of Ali Krieger. Haught remained humble when reflecting on how her time at Gotham helped get her to where she is now, piling on the praise for her former teammate.

“Ali Krieger had an amazing year that year, and having her play in front of me in her last year was great. She was definitely the person that I latched to when things went crazy and as I became a first time starter.

“I had been sprinkled into starting games with the Challenge Cup, so it wasn't completely cold turkey going into the No. 1 spot,” Haught says. “Having those games definitely was nice from a comfortability standpoint. But then knowing that I was up for the job, that just instilled confidence in my game slowly game by game and building into the back and building that trust on the field in big moments.”

Haught has since made the move to the Utah Royals, where she spent the 2024 NWSL season as the starting goalkeeper. The Royals went through mid-season turmoil, firing head coach Amy Rodriguez and goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel after a poor start to the campaign.

“This year has been a rollercoaster for sure behind the scenes at the Utah Royals, but the team itself, we have a really great group of girls that persevered,” says Haught.

“I think with the implementation of Jimmy [Coenraets] being our head coach, we definitely have adapted more of a European style, which is new to me,” Haught says. “I love trying to learn how to build out of the back as efficiently as possible and they're putting more trust into goalkeepers with their feet and that's kind of where the game is going right now.”

Before Utah, came Sweden, where Haught spent one year playing with Piteå IF in the Damallsvenskan in 2022. 

“One hundred percent of what I attest to Sweden is that it helped me fall back in love with the game,” Haught says. “I was in a really hard part of my career of not having seen the field in two years, coming out of college. I was like, how can I get games? How can I feel this love again for competition? The contract came on my birthday and I saw it as a sign and I was like, 'Let's do it.'

“I had no idea what I signed up for,” Haught says, laughing. “I hopped off the plane, and I'm in the Arctic Circle! But Piteå is such a lovely place, such a lovely community, and I wouldn't have changed my experience for the world. I fell back in love with goalkeeping. I was allowed to make mistakes, I was allowed to learn from them and have opportunities to get better. It was truly transformational for my career.”

The USWNT have since touched down in London as they prepare to face England in front of 80,000 fans under the arch of Wembley Stadium on Saturday. 

“It's massive and I hope we put on a show,” says Haught. “We've been learning on how to deal with pressures this week because that's what we're going to experience. I think it's going to be a personal challenge for everyone, but I think one of the U.S's strengths is handling pressure.”

Despite having just spent two camps under Hayes’s management, Haught describes it as “an amazing experience to be coached by her."

“Just being in the meetings with her passion and intensity for this game, her love for this game is palpable. I definitely think that fuels the team. It’s so awesome to just learn from her and learn her style and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn in the upcoming trainings with her.”