The Red Devils are into a third-successive FA Cup final and their new No.1 is likely to have a big say at Wembley against Chelsea
It’s been quite a year for Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Twelve months ago, she was sat on the bench as Manchester United won their first major trophy, beating Tottenham in the FA Cup final. But having spent a year at the club as the back-up to Mary Earps, the 28-year-old is now set to conclude her first season as the Red Devils’ No.1 by starting Sunday’s final, having also earned her first caps for the United States women’s national team along the way.
Tullis-Joyce arrived in England after racking up some big experiences in France and the U.S, playing every game as the Seattle Reign won the NWSL Shield back in 2022. But the past year in particular has seen her career go up another level. There is no women’s national team in the world with a higher profile than that of the U.S, and there are few clubs bigger than United. Tullis-Joyce is now part of both.
But despite that pressure, plus the outside noise that inevitably came as she prepared to take the place of a goalkeeper with the stature of Earps, it has hardly seemed to impact arguably the most impressive shot-stopper in England this season. Now, after helping United secure their place in next season’s Champions League, Tullis-Joyce will hope to cap off an incredible 12 months with an FA Cup triumph – and become just the fourth USWNT member to lift the trophy.
Getty ImagesPatiently preparing
After spending her first season at United somewhat in the shadows, only playing a trio of sparsely attended League Cup group-stage fixtures and some in-house friendlies, Tullis-Joyce has exploded onto the scene this term. Those fans who watched her play last season knew she was capable of this level of performance, as did those who had seen her in the U.S. and France. But even they will have been seriously impressed by her form as the Red Devils’ No.1.
While some goalkeepers might’ve been frustrated with a lack of opportunities in that first season, with Earps getting the nod in all FA Cup outings as well as playing every minute in the WSL, Tullis-Joyce never showed it. “I definitely respect the decisions of my coaching staff,” she said last summer. “They were also very transparent on my role in the team and how they wanted me to develop. I never felt neglected in that sense and always felt like I was being prepared, which I was very thankful for.”
Looking back now, having put in a season worthy of high praise, Tullis-Joyce credits that time as United’s No.2 for preparing her for this step into the limelight. “I think a lot of it is attributed to just the prior year,” she tells reporters ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup final. “All that was done to prepare me for this moment, to step into this role.
“Quite a bit of it was heavily on the social aspect of things, so building the chemistry with my team-mates, especially the back line. I think that's what we've seen has helped me quite a bit this season. Now you can trust that person in front of you that if something's happening or if you need to get information quickly, you're not going to take it personally, because you know this person has the best interests for you and your team.”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCohesive unit
That chemistry has certainly been evident with Maya Le Tissier, the centre-back and captain of this United team who, before one reporter can finish asking their question about Tullis-Joyce’s impact, simply blurts out, with a massive smile: “She’s sick.”
“She’s been incredible,” the England defender adds. “Just playing in front of her, whenever I feel any doubt in any game I just think, ‘I have Phal behind me anyway so they’re probably not going to score’. She’s an amazing person as well. She’s a big leader within this group. She’s obviously experienced and a little bit older as well. An unbelievable goalkeeper.
"We lost Mary in the summer, but Phallon had been training the whole of the previous season so we knew she was going to be ready and she knew what it was going to take. She’s found her feet and put in some unbelievable performances. We owe her a lot of credit.”
Getty ImagesBig-time shot-stopper
Then there is the shot-stopping, which has wowed so many this term. Le Tissier is quick to pick out the strong hand which denied Kerolin in the Manchester derby earlier this month, that the game in which United secured Champions League qualification with a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
As becomes a theme when talking to her, Tullis-Joyce is eager to give credit to others for this. She talks about the work of Ian Willcock, United’s goalkeeper coach, who has helped her to “fine-tune” her skills from a technical point of view, “to help make me make more saves this season”. She also believes her highlight reels is “a major testament” to the entire goalkeeper group and the environment she shares with Safia Middleton-Patel, Kayla Rendell and Willcock.
But being “that big shot-stopper” is something she strives towards, too. “Someone that will be fun to watch because, chances are, if I’m fun to watch, I’m probably having fun as well.”
Getty ImagesLeading the way
She’s also having an unbelievable season. Tullis-Joyce played a major role in United finishing with the second-best defensive record in the WSL this season, as they conceded just 16 goals in 22 games and kept 13 clean sheets. That’s only one off Earps’ all-time single-season record in the competition and was enough to earn Tullis-Joyce a share of the Golden Glove.
Look deeper and the numbers get even better. The expected goals statistics states that Tullis-Joyce should’ve conceded almost 23 times in the league this term. That she actually let in just 16 gives her the best positive differential of any goalkeeper in the division.
That’s because of her remarkable shot-stopping, too. Of goalkeepers to play more than two games, Tullis-Joyce had the best save percentage in the WSL, blocking almost 80 percent of efforts that came her way in her first campaign as United’s No.1.