There was a tense look on United States goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s face as she gripped the ball close to her chest, just off the goal line, late Tuesday in Stade de Lyon.

England’s Steph Houghton threw her hands up and down in frustration from the penalty spot as Naeher stood up with what could have been the game-tying goal in the 84th minute of the World Cup semifinals.

Teammates Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz and Kelley O’Hara exploded toward Naeher to wrap her in hugs, instinctively celebrating despite minutes remaining on the clock.

“Let’s go!” Naeher screamed, pointing downfield. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

In the end, Naeher’s diving save — her biggest save of the game, the most clutch save of the tournament and the most important save of her career — secured the United States’ 2-1 victory over England and a ticket to its third straight final.

Competing as Team USA’s starting keeper for the first time in a major tournament, there were concerns over Naeher’s ability to rise to the occasion. And having to succeed Hope Solo didn’t make anything easier.

“You were doubted, you were criticized, you had to stand in that long and often cold shadow and fill those shoes as those endless comparisons to Hope Solo rained down,” retired American soccer star Alexi Lalas said on the Fox Sports broadcast, of Naeher. “All with Hope Solo literally looking down from above.”

It has been more than two decades since the US had a goalie who wasn’t Solo or Brianna Scurry. The two combined for 36 of the last 37 World Cup starts for the US coming into this year’s tournament. Scurry, starter for the iconic 1999 champions, was one of many who alluded to goalkeeping being a potential weakness for the US in its World Cup defense.

The lightning-rod Solo set national team records for appearances, wins and shutouts (102 in 195 starts) while winning two Olympic gold medals and the 2015 World Cup. But ultimately Solo’s tendency to become front-page news, with two domestic violence cases and two suspensions from US Soccer, led to the end of her career with the national team.

Solo has remained a prominent voice in the sport. She has partnered with the BBC, providing commentary during the tournament. She has offered her (negative) opinion of her former coach Jill Ellis several times and recently wrote an article for the Guardian newspaper (headline: “An insider’s guide to how England can beat USA”) in which she expressed her belief that England’s manager, Phil Neville, was the better leader.

“Totally different people. Different experience, different relationship with the players on the team. Different personalities,” US forward Christen Press told reporters this week when asked to compare Solo and Naeher. “Both confident, but in very different ways.

“This being Alyssa’s first big tournament as the starting keeper, she’s shown great confidence and composure. It’s been really cool to see her step into this moment.”

Naeher’s performance in this World Cup has been remarkable, especially considering she’s done it in the presence of the very person she hopes to live up to. Now, she’s one game away from earning her own World Cup title as the US starting keeper.

“I just try to be me,” Naeher said. “What you see is what you get. My focus, my mentality is: ‘How can I help this team win? How can I be the best teammate and player that I can be?’

“I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember, and this is the ultimate goal. When you start out, this is where you want to get to.”