There are a number of People at present enjoying overseas within the 2025-26 UEFA Ladies’s Champions League, however solely one in every of them is having a lights-out efficiency. Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has two clear sheets by means of two rounds of league section play and is the one keeper with two shutouts within the match, and she or he is on 5 straight clear sheets going again to qualifiers.

Her performances for Manchester United are an early glimpse of a goalkeeper’s capacity to handle video games and alter the membership’s trajectory towards success. Her opening day clear sheet towards UWCL debutants Valerenga might need fallen underneath the radar towards large scorelines in different matches, however her matchday two shutout was a transparent instance of resilience underneath strain away from house. 

After Manchester United fell to 10 gamers following a purple card to defender Dominique Jenssen, the goalkeeper pulled off all of the strikes to maintain issues degree forward of halftime following a harmful set piece by Atletico Madrid.

Huge video games with larger statements

Tullis-Joyce, from New York Metropolis and having performed on the College of Miami, is a goalkeeping instance of a contemporary prototype. Sure, she is tall and the wingspan to match, however this is not nearly placing the tallest participant within the purpose.

It is not that she possesses some type of cat-like agility to make saves. No, she’s a kraken, using her towering presence to cowl the goalmouth with scientific effectivity, and terrorizing attackers by whirlpooling their highly effective pictures into an abyss of a failed try. Her command over the field is stark and one which eliminates harmful crosses and virtually dares opponents to strive their luck on purpose. 

In a match the place Manchester United operated down a participant for almost an hour, it was greater than a consequence; it was an announcement. Atletico Madrid cranked up the hassle within the second half and compelled the WSL aspect into uncomfortable defensive positions, all whereas peppering the purpose. However regardless of the shot, the 28-year-old’s situational consciousness and fast reactions have been on full show. 

There was extra effort over the rest of the sport, as Atletico Madrid outshot Manchester United with extra makes an attempt on the right track, and Tullis-Joyce offered six saves. Atleti had 18 pictures to United’s 10. 

This isn’t a keeper who merely makes the save, nevertheless. She aids her backline as a relaxing power and is on her approach to turning into a clear sheet service provider. Yr over yr, she’s constructing her fame, not on flash, however on confidence. 

The Manchester United participant has been with the membership since 2023 and has quickly turn into a face of the membership and a basis piece. They’re again within the Champions League for the second time, after lacking out final season. They’re hopeful to have a greater exhibiting than their marketing campaign through the 2023-24 season, the place they have been eradicated by Paris Saint-Germain within the second qualifying spherical. 

New format is usually a recent begin

Nevertheless, the brand new Champions League format is already exhibiting that the pivot to the Swiss mannequin is a worthy shift for the match. There have been surprises with carefully contested attracts, gorgeous objectives, and even huge scorelines. There have been 39 objectives scored throughout matchday one alone.

The distinctive league section draw has pitted groups in a single desk format, and it may very well be one which favors Manchester United down the stretch. Of the “large 4” thought of contenders in FC Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, Arsenal, and Chelsea FC, Manchester United have just one head-to-head towards Lyon. They don’t face the French giants till December. 

Having a six-foot keeper controlling issues in purpose can be an enormous upside. Now, Tullis-Joyce will take back-to-back Champions League victories into the subsequent U.S. ladies’s nationwide staff coaching camps. The participant was one in every of three goalkeepers chosen for the upcoming October worldwide window. 

Performances worthy of worldwide reward

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has been vocal about squad rotation within the buildup towards the 2027 FIFA Ladies’s World Cup. The supervisor views the rest of the yr as an alternative to slender the pool to give attention to qualifiers subsequent November. She had reward for Tullis-Joyce forward of the squad’s time collectively.

“I feel you possibly can see the consistency of the choice within the three goalkeepers we have introduced in. We’re beginning to get that. There’s consistency in that. I feel Phallon and her experiences in England have actually taken her sport up a notch, like I actually discover she’s enjoying with a participant that has gone by means of the varied ranges. There was issues she completely needed to work on submit Seattle, that I feel she’s gone to England and began so as to add,” Hayes informed media after the roster choice.

There’s been an elevated highlight on the beginning goalkeeper place because the retirement of former USWNT No. 1 Alyssa Naeher. The upcoming frieldies can even function retirement celebrations for Naeher and Alex Morgan. There’s been a reasonably equal mixture of rotation for minutes between Tullis-Joyce, Claudia Dickey, and Mandy McGlynn, although the Manchester United participant had stood out over others in matches towards Brazil, China, and Jamaica. 

“I’ve mentioned this, like, plenty of occasions, if you concentrate on when Alyssa Naeher turned the U.S. nationwide staff primary goalkeeper, it takes some time. However I’d additionally say inside that, Phallon is one sort of goalkeeper, Claudia [Dickey] is one other sort of goalkeeper, who I feel can be bringing a constant degree of play. I feel the distinction between them is that one’s extra skilled than one has lived extra skilled conditions, not simply Champions League, FA Cup finals, possibly varied membership strikes.

“However I do assume the pool that we’re bringing on this camp, that we expect that these three are forward. I feel Phallon is forward at this second in time, from an expertise perspective, however I do count on that I shall be offering alternatives for at the least two of them on this camp.”

What’s subsequent

Manchester United will subsequent return to the WSL season in November. They’re going to face Brighton Hove & Albion away on Nov. 2 earlier than returning to Champions League play towards Paris Saint-Germain on Nov. 12. Phallon Tullis-Joyce will be a part of the USWNT for friendlies towards Portugal and New Zealand on Oct. 23, Oct. 26, and Oct. 29. 

You may watch UWCL motion on Paramount+.