Alyssa Naeher is USWNT's savior in messy, waterlogged win over Canada

At one point during the first half, U.S. captain Lindsey Horan fell after slight contact with a defender and just kept sliding. The ball's unpredictable movement made it a pretty miserable game to watch — no skill, just luck.

With the field reduced to a slip-and-slide, many people expressed concern about the safety of playing in these conditions. Former USWNT greats like Julie Foudy, Lauren Holiday and recent retiree Sam Mewis all called for CONCACAF to postpone the game until it could be played in safer conditions.

But by the end of the long, rain-soaked game, the tune had changed to a focus on goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Foudy called for Naeher to get a crown while Mewis called Naeher an "absolute legend."

The USWNT's 2-2 penalty shootout win over Canada was anything but clean: The U.S.'s two goals, from Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith, were both quick reactions that capitalized on mistakes from the Canadian defense. Canada's goals — a well-place header and a last-minute penalty kick — had a bit of luck too.

But in the penalty shootout, Naeher stepped up to send the team to the final. The 35-year-old keeper not only made three PK saves, but knocked out a penalty kick of her own to cement the U.S.'s shootout lead.

The USWNT has had a number of incredible keepers over the years, primarily Briana Scurry of the '99ers and World Cup Champion Hope Solo. But Naeher is making her mark as one of the best American keepers in history.

Including Wednesday's shootout, Naeher has now saved six-of-14 on-target PKs in competitive penalty shootouts, according to OptaJack. In a sport where PKs are considering something like a free point, that's an absolutely insane statistic. She's America's favorite brick wall, and, more importantly, it doesn't look like she'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

The USWNT will face Brazil on Sunday for the Gold Cup final. It won't be an easy matchup, but with Naeher in goal — and just maybe from the spot — the U.S. has a great chance to keep up the comeback.