Latest news with #NaomiGirma
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
The USWNT basks in the return of Naomi Girma – their ‘security blanket'
Compared to the past few windows, Saturday's 3-0 win was a game where the U.S. women's national team looked in complete control. The attack kept the pressure on China, continuing to threaten their defense as it frequently adjusted the height of its line of confrontation. Catarina Macario provided a goal and an assist; Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey scored from their midfield roles. Advertisement However, head coach Emma Hayes' post-match press conference started with a question about the long-awaited return of Naomi Girma and how the team benefited from her 90-minute shift. 'We've missed her, we really have,' Hayes said. 'Just in terms of the way we control the game; her, in a deeper space, just making decisions when to play forward, when not to.' As the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history, this year has only intensified the scrutiny that comes with being one of the world's best players in her position. Her time at Chelsea was not as smooth as the club and player had hoped. She exited her debut in early March with a calf injury, feeling the strain having gone nearly four months without playing a club match. Her first minutes back with Chelsea came in mid-April and this international window marked her first with the U.S. in 2025. 'I gave her a hug after the game,' said midfielder Coffey, who scored her second U.S. goal against China. 'Having her on the field is like having a security blanket, and just like being wrapped in it.' Advertisement After some tense and at times disjointed performances against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup and Brazil in a pair of friendlies, the USWNT dominated the entire match on Saturday. The defense played its part, with Coffey shuttling around to shield the back-line and the partnership between Girma and Emily Sonnett giving goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce ample coverage whenever China reached the final third. Those threats were few and far between. The USWNT dominated the chance-creation game, generating 3.01 expected goals (xG) while holding China to 0.18 xG. 'It does feel natural now,' Girma said of returning to the national team. 'I mean, I was able to watch what we did before, and I think a lot of what Emma wants to do is layer on what we had done in the past year. I think the changes are good and easy for me to kind of adapt to, with that base knowledge of how we want to play. 'It was just nice to be back on the field.' Advertisement As was often the case during the triumphant run to Olympic gold last summer, Girma was at the heart of the team's build-up. She logged a staggering 138 touches, per TruMedia, 41 more than the team's second-most involved player (Avery Patterson, with the right-back notching 97 touches). Girma completed 95.3 percent of her 129 pass attempts, helping determine how the USWNT worked to break through China's defensive structure. She also put in a defensive shift that embodied working smarter, not harder. She was not throwing herself into many challenges, though much of that work was done well before the ball even reached the U.S. defense. Still, she was quick on mop up duty, leading the USWNT with seven ball clearances (nobody else had more than three) while winning all three ground duels and her only aerial duel. Having her in the back-line only helped the midfield feel more confident as they engaged defensively, with peace of mind that she was in position if they failed to win the ball. Advertisement 'I can't put into words what she means to this team,' Coffey said. 'I think everybody sees it on the field, but off the field as well. She's just a joy in this environment and such a light for us. We have missed her so much. I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is.' In a year characterized by frequent rotation across Hayes' squads and lineups, Girma's return represents a different type of variable for the team. Throughout 2025, Hayes has called on a number of center-backs, each auditioning to be Girma's primary partner. Sonnett represents a vital holdover from the team's last World Cup win in 2019, having established herself as a hard-nosed veteran along the back-line. Emily Sams came off the bench against China, while Tara McKeown has earned five caps this year. The latter two in particular are emblematic of Hayes' examination of her broader player pool, with both stepping into more important roles given positional absences. Not only has Girma been missing, but so has her partner last summer, Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL in April. While Sams, McKeown, Sonnett and others have stepped into their roles, none can quite match the same comfortable benchmark established by Girma. Advertisement 'I mean, she's a world-class player,' Hayes said. 'I thought she brought something to our performance that we're looking for, so I'm delighted to have her back.' Once she returned to playing regular minutes for Chelsea in mid-April, she was eased back into the fold. While Chelsea kept clean sheets in each of her final four performances of the WSL season, only two of those matches saw Girma play all 90 minutes. 'It was a lot of transition for me,' Girma said on Friday regarding her first months with Chelsea. 'I think it was a huge learning experience for me. You always have those moments in your career where you're up and down, up and down, up and down, so it was definitely like that. 'But I think it was a good five months of getting settled, getting to know my team-mates, getting used to playing there, playing with a new team, and living in a new country. So it's been really positive so far, and I've really enjoyed it.' Advertisement Girma logged her 46th cap, an impressive total for a 24-year-old defender who seems destined to be the bedrock of this team for years to come. With its world class center-back in the lineup, the United States put together its most composed performance of the year. Then again, that revelation hardly comes as a surprise given Girma's floor-raising performances since her debut in 2022. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, Soccer, NWSL, UK Women's Football 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
3 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
The USWNT basks in the return of Naomi Girma – their ‘security blanket'
Compared to the past few windows, Saturday's 3-0 win was a game where the U.S. women's national team looked in complete control. The attack kept the pressure on China, continuing to threaten their defense as it frequently adjusted the height of its line of confrontation. Catarina Macario provided a goal and an assist; Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey scored from their midfield roles. Advertisement However, head coach Emma Hayes' post-match press conference started with a question about the long-awaited return of Naomi Girma and how the team benefited from her 90-minute shift. 'We've missed her, we really have,' Hayes said. 'Just in terms of the way we control the game; her, in a deeper space, just making decisions when to play forward, when not to.' As the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer history, this year has only intensified the scrutiny that comes with being one of the world's best players in her position. Her time at Chelsea was not as smooth as the club and player had hoped. She exited her debut in early March with a calf injury, feeling the strain having gone nearly four months without playing a club match. Her first minutes back with Chelsea came in mid-April and this international window marked her first with the U.S. in 2025. 'I gave her a hug after the game,' said midfielder Coffey, who scored her second U.S. goal against China. 'Having her on the field is like having a security blanket, and just like being wrapped in it.' After some tense and at times disjointed performances against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup and Brazil in a pair of friendlies, the USWNT dominated the entire match on Saturday. The defense played its part, with Coffey shuttling around to shield the back-line and the partnership between Girma and Emily Sonnett giving goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce ample coverage whenever China reached the final third. Those threats were few and far between. The USWNT dominated the chance-creation game, generating 3.01 expected goals (xG) while holding China to 0.18 xG. 'It does feel natural now,' Girma said of returning to the national team. 'I mean, I was able to watch what we did before, and I think a lot of what Emma wants to do is layer on what we had done in the past year. I think the changes are good and easy for me to kind of adapt to, with that base knowledge of how we want to play. Advertisement 'It was just nice to be back on the field.' As was often the case during the triumphant run to Olympic gold last summer, Girma was at the heart of the team's build-up. She logged a staggering 138 touches, per TruMedia, 41 more than the team's second-most involved player (Avery Patterson, with the right-back notching 97 touches). Girma completed 95.3 percent of her 129 pass attempts, helping determine how the USWNT worked to break through China's defensive structure. She also put in a defensive shift that embodied working smarter, not harder. She was not throwing herself into many challenges, though much of that work was done well before the ball even reached the U.S. defense. Still, she was quick on mop up duty, leading the USWNT with seven ball clearances (nobody else had more than three) while winning all three ground duels and her only aerial duel. Having her in the back-line only helped the midfield feel more confident as they engaged defensively, with peace of mind that she was in position if they failed to win the ball. 'I can't put into words what she means to this team,' Coffey said. 'I think everybody sees it on the field, but off the field as well. She's just a joy in this environment and such a light for us. We have missed her so much. I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is.' In a year characterized by frequent rotation across Hayes' squads and lineups, Girma's return represents a different type of variable for the team. Throughout 2025, Hayes has called on a number of center-backs, each auditioning to be Girma's primary partner. Sonnett represents a vital holdover from the team's last World Cup win in 2019, having established herself as a hard-nosed veteran along the back-line. Emily Sams came off the bench against China, while Tara McKeown has earned five caps this year. Advertisement The latter two in particular are emblematic of Hayes' examination of her broader player pool, with both stepping into more important roles given positional absences. Not only has Girma been missing, but so has her partner last summer, Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL in April. While Sams, McKeown, Sonnett and others have stepped into their roles, none can quite match the same comfortable benchmark established by Girma. 'I mean, she's a world-class player,' Hayes said. 'I thought she brought something to our performance that we're looking for, so I'm delighted to have her back.' Once she returned to playing regular minutes for Chelsea in mid-April, she was eased back into the fold. While Chelsea kept clean sheets in each of her final four performances of the WSL season, only two of those matches saw Girma play all 90 minutes. 'It was a lot of transition for me,' Girma said on Friday regarding her first months with Chelsea. 'I think it was a huge learning experience for me. You always have those moments in your career where you're up and down, up and down, up and down, so it was definitely like that. 'But I think it was a good five months of getting settled, getting to know my team-mates, getting used to playing there, playing with a new team, and living in a new country. So it's been really positive so far, and I've really enjoyed it.' Girma logged her 46th cap, an impressive total for a 24-year-old defender who seems destined to be the bedrock of this team for years to come. With its world class center-back in the lineup, the United States put together its most composed performance of the year. Then again, that revelation hardly comes as a surprise given Girma's floor-raising performances since her debut in 2022.
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Lo'eau LaBonta makes historic debut as USA women ease past China in friendly
Naomi Girma returned to the national team and Lo'eau LaBonta became the oldest player to make her international debut for the US in a 3-0 win over China on Saturday. Catarina Macario, Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps scored while goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce got her second shutout in as many appearances. LaBonta, the 32-year-old midfielder for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League, came on as a second-half substitute. The match also marked Girma's first appearance for the national team this year. The 24-year-old defender has been nursing injuries but recently returned to help Chelsea win the Women's Super League title and the FA Cup. Girma commanded a record $1.1 transfer fee when she moved from the San Diego Wave to Chelsea earlier this year. Tullis-Joyce, who plays for Manchester United, started in goal in just her second US appearance as coach Emma Hayes looks to replace goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who retired from the national team last year. Macario scored her 11th international goal after Alyssa Thompson kept the ball alive in a tumble in front of the net in the 28th minute. Coffey made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, taking a pass from Macario out front and banging her second goal for the US past goalkeeper Pan Hongyan with her left foot. Heaps, the US captain, scored on a header in the 54th minute. The United States are currently missing several key contributors from last year's Olympic gold medal-winning squad. Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson are both on maternity leave. Trinity Rodman is dealing with a nagging back issue. The United States famously defeated China on penalties in the 1999 Women's World Cup final. The teams last met in 2023, with the Americans winning both games. The Americans have a 39-9-13 overall record against China, including five straight. The United States was coming off a 2-1 loss to Brazil on 8 April. China defeated Thailand 5-1 in their last outing. The US face Jamaica on Tuesday in St Louis.
Associated Press
13 hours ago
- General
- Associated Press
Girma returns, LaBonta makes historic debut in U.S. women's 3-0 win over China
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Naomi Girma returned to the national team and Lo'eau LaBonta became the oldest player to make her international debut for the U.S. in a 3-0 win over China on Saturday. Catarina Macario, Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps scored while goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce got her second shutout in as many appearances. LaBonta, the 32-year-old midfielder for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League, came on as a second-half substitute. The match also marked Girma's first appearance for the national team this year. The 24-year-old defender has been nursing injuries but recently returned to help Chelsea win the Women's Super League title and the FA Cup. Girma commanded a record $1.1 transfer fee when she moved from the San Diego Wave to Chelsea earlier this year. Tullis-Joyce, who plays for Manchester United, started in goal in just her second U.S. appearance as coach Emma Hayes looks to replace goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who retired from the national team last year. Macario scored her 11th international goal after Alyssa Thompson kept the ball alive in a tumble in front of the net in the 28th minute. Coffey made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, taking a pass from Macario out front and banging her second goal for the U.S. past goalkeeper Pan Hongyan with her left foot. Heaps, the U.S. captain, scored on a header in the 54th minute. The United States is currently missing several key contributors from last year's Olympic gold medal-winning squad. Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson are both on maternity leave. Trinity Rodman is dealing with a nagging back issue. The United States famously defeated China on penalties in the 1999 Women's World Cup final. The teams last met in 2023, with the Americans winning both games. The Americans have a 39-9-13 overall record against China, including five straight. The United States was coming off a 2-1 loss to Brazil on April 8. China defeated Thailand 5-1 in its last outing. The U.S. faces Jamaica on Tuesday in St. Louis. ___ AP soccer:
New York Times
a day ago
- General
- New York Times
How to watch the USWNT vs. China in Saturday's international friendly
One of the younger USWNT groups of recent years begins an important if leisurely summer stretch. The American national team has five friendlies coming up over a period of less than five weeks, beginning with Saturday's match against China. The three goalkeepers tout a combined four international caps. Rising star center back Naomi Girma is 24 years old. Trinity Rodman is 23, Korbin Albert is 21 and Alyssa Thompson is just 20. This first friendly is a good opportunity for manager Emma Hayes to see where this young group stands in its development. Advertisement The U.S. women, FIFA's top-ranked team, have three wins and two losses in 2025. The USWNT won its first two tilts with Colombia and Australia in the SheBelieves Cup, but lost to Japan on the third and final match day. That 2-1 defeat was a stinger — Tōko Koga's decisive goal in the 50th minute hushed an otherwise raucous San Diego crowd. The U.S. side then split a pair with Brazil, winning 2-0 on April 5 before dropping the follow up, 2-1, three days later. Rodman broke through in the fifth minute of that first Brazil contest, and Lindsey Heaps added insurance on a penalty try. Catarina Macario netted a score in the opening minute of the rematch, but Amanda Gutierres came up with the improbable winner in stoppage time. The USWNT has a 38-9-13 record against the Chinese national team. China lost in the group round of the 2023 World Cup. It scored blowout wins over Thailand (5-1) and Uzbekistan (5-0) last month, but finished third in the four-team Pinatar Cup back in February. The Steel Roses are 17th in the latest FIFA rankings. 2015: 'Carli Lloyd sprinted toward the right sideline, her face contorted in joy, before she aimed a flying kick at the corner flag. Her teammates, giving chase close behind, mobbed her in celebration, forming a jubilant tornado of white jerseys and neon green socks. Fifty minutes had gone by in the United States' World Cup quarterfinal match against China on Friday when Lloyd took flight near the penalty spot and drilled a powerful header into the lower corner of the goal to break a scoreless tie.' — Andrew Keh 1996: 'They have been together a long time close to a decade for some of them — and tonight the American women won a prize they could not have imagined when they began assembling. By beating a spirited and talented China, 2-1, they won a gold medal in the first women's soccer tournament in Summer Games history. Tiffeny Milbrett scored the historic goal in the 68th minute at the end of a fast break begun by Mia Hamm on the right side, who pushed the ball to Joy Fawcett in the middle, who set up Milbrett racing in from the left. The attendance was 76,481, apparently the largest crowd to watch a women's game anywhere in the world.' — George Vecsey Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Naomi Girma: Pau Barrena / Getty Images)
