Above: Teagan Micah warming up pre-match against Iran. Photo: Cat Bryant for Impetus.
by Genevieve Henry (6/12/24).
After an impressive performance by Teagan Micah between the sticks for the Matildas in the latest international window, many new fans are shocked at the competence of the current second-choice goalie.
And it’s easy to see why—she’s been absent from the starting eleven pretty much the entire time the Matildas have had an exponentially growing fanbase. She hadn’t started in almost 12 months previous to her start against Brazil. But, no, she didn’t just appear out of nowhere. This wasn’t a fluke. Teagan Micah has been here.
In fact, the 27-year old has been in and around senior Matildas camps since 2017. She was even included in the 2019 Women’s World Cup squad. After five years in the squad, Micah finally debuted in June 2021 against Sweden, right before the Olympics. The match ended in an impressive 0-0 tie with the team that would just weeks later prove to be one of their toughest opponents. This score was largely due to Micah’s commanding performance.
In the lead-up to the 2021 Olympics, and many many years prior, Australia’s number one goalkeeper was Lydia Williams. The goalie most beloved by new Matildas fans, Mackenzie Arnold, wasn’t even included in the initial 18-player squad for the Olympics. In the first group stage match against New Zealand, Williams put in a sub-par performance, opening the door for Micah. She took the opportunity and ran.
Micah had a breakout tournament in Toyko. Making only her second appearance for her country, coincidentally against the same opponent as her debut, she stood tall and proved her worth in a chaotic 4-2 loss against Sweden. Micah was even more instrumental in the deciding group game against the USA. In a 0-0 draw that really could have been a win, Micah kept a clean sheet against the toughest opponents in the world. She tended the net with confidence and brilliance, sending her team to the quarterfinals.
Australia v Great Britain would go down in Matildas history as one of the most exciting wins of all time. And really, we have Micah to thank. From going up in the 35th minute thanks to Alanna Kennedy to nearly falling to a brace – that would later turn into a hattrick – by Ellen White, the famous 4-3 win was a goal fest. As a goalie, that generally doesn’t indicate a positive performance.
But, anyone who saw this match would know just how instrumental Micah was. Possibly her best moment in green and gold, she stood up confidently against Caroline Weir, known to be one of the best penalty-takers in the world, and defiantly shut her out, keeping the score at 2-2 in extra time. The team used this rush of adrenaline, Mary Fowler scoring a wonder goal to put the team ahead the next minute. But, it wasn’t only the penalty save. Micah faced 10 shots on goal, making an incredible seven saves, almost all of which defied gravity and logic.
Micah put in similarly impressive performances in tough losses to Sweden and the USA in the semi-final and third-place match at the Olympics. Although the fourth-place finish was heartbreaking, Australia and Micah especially had a lot to be proud of.
Unfortunately for Micah, her time as Australia’s number-one goalie would be short-lived. Over the past few years, her career has been stunted by a myriad of injuries; concussions that lasted months, ankle tears, and ligament injuries. These sidelined her for both the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, allowing Arnold to come up from third choice to first. But, could Teagan Micah be number one again?
“One thing I’ve learned over the course of my years in the Matildas is that the number one is never really set,” she said in the post-Brazil match press conference. “It’s always in and out. It’s always about your most recent performance. So for me, it’s just one game at a time.”
One factor to consider is playing time at club level. If Micah continues her trend of starting for Liverpool as she did over the weekend against Manchester United, the story could change massively. Frankly, Micah doesn’t get enough minutes at Liverpool, at least for now. But, neither does Arnold at Portland Thorns.
The Matildas keepers actually playing for their clubs are the uncapped ones: Chloe Lincoln, Morgan Aquino, and Jada Whyman. Micah is in a high-achieving, competitive environment that pits her against some of the best forwards in the world when she dons the gloves for Liverpool. Although she is second choice to Rachel Laws, she is still improving and gaining experience. If Micah eventually steps up to be starting for the Reds, it’s hard to see a world where she shouldn’t start for the Matildas, as well.
Micah has some differences and some similarities to Arnold. While both can pull off amazing saves, Micah is a more typical shot-stopper. She is always on the stretch, doing everything within her ability to keep the ball out of the back of the net. She is, like Arnold, a great penalty stopper. Their distribution is remarkably similar, with close average length of pass and goal kick, as well as their successful passing rate.
In comparison to Arnold, Micah has conceded only 29 goals in 67 games spanning her entire career, where Arnold has let in 183 in 116. Although Arnold has played almost twice as many games as Micah, she only kept one more clean sheet, with 20 to 19. 28.4 of the games Micah has played have been clean sheets, where 17.2 of Arnold’s matches were kept goalless.
In terms of more advanced stats, Micah’s Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed per 90 is +.23 while Arnolds is -.16. This metric quantifies expected goals based on the likelihood of the keeper saving it, with higher numbers indicating a more positive performance. Ultimately, Micah has still played far fewer games than Arnold, so their statistics are vastly different and hard to accurately compare.
One unique aspect about Micah’s career is her time in the US College system with the UCLA Bruins. She was on a full scholarship. She had one of the most incredible college careers, getting awards and setting records almost constantly. In her freshman year in 2016, she became the first freshman to start in goal on opening day since 2004.
She continued to prove herself, making 5 or more saves in over half of the games she played, making 93 total, the second-most in UCLA history. She recorded 9 clean sheets throughout the 22-game season, a feat that earned her a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Best Freshman XI.
Micah continued this form into her sophomore year, playing all 25 games and leading the entire nation in goalkeeper minutes. She equaled nine clean sheets and made an average of five saves per game. Her junior year was similarly excellent, racking up 45 saves. Senior year, Micah set a PAC-12 record for most career honors, with multiple Goalkeeper of the Week and Academic Honor Roll awards. She ended her college career with 248 saves, second of all time at UCLA. All this just shows how truly skilled a keeper Micah is, thriving in a system that only the very best can hack.
Micah has played for four clubs in the A-League Women, Brisbane Roar before her time at UCLA, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne Victory, and Melbourne City after. But, these weren’t the clubs that really formed her, making few appearances at each before making an impact in Norway at Arna-Bjørnar in between playing for the Melbourne clubs. She played for another Norwegian club, Sandviken before signing for Rosengård, where she played an important role in two successful seasons with the Swedish stalwart club.
Her impressive performances throughout her career for club and country earned her a contract at Liverpool, in the English Women’s Super League. Although she hasn’t featured regularly as of yet, she is gaining valuable experience in a system and league that greatly benefits her.
If Micah actually gets the opportunity to start for club and country, she could easily be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
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