Tag: Naomi Girma

USWNT stars Girma, Horan say new coach Hayes ‘brings great energy’

Two key USWNT players say they’re enjoying the start to the Emma Hayes era

The U.S. women’s national team is finally getting a feel for what Emma Hayes’ tenure as head coach will look like, and the early reviews are good.

USWNT stars Lindsey Horan and Naomi Girma, speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s friendly against South Korea (5 p.m. ET, TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock), both reported good vibes in these first few training sessions under Hayes’ watch.

“I think having her in has been great,” said Girma. “It’s been exciting for us just to layer in a lot of new things tactically.

“There were some things that we started talking about six months ago with Twila [Kilgore] being our interim head coach and Emma working in the background, and I think now having her here has been great to layer more of those things in and just really evolve our game.”

The lessons passed along under Kilgore, and how much they connect to what Hayes wants out of the team in the coming weeks, will be tested quickly. The USWNT has two matches against South Korea this month, and will convene an Olympic roster of just 18 players (plus four alternates) before friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica in July.

After that, it’s off to Paris.

“I think it’s awesome to have Emma here in person and in training,” said Horan. “You get some jokes here and there, but [she’s] just demanding a lot out of us and keeping the standard but also, you know, the positive encouragement and feedback as well and giving voices to us.”

USWNT ‘excited to get to work’ under Hayes

The USWNT captain didn’t want to give too much away about the team’s next steps tactically, but said that the idea has been building on the foundation laid since Hayes was hired back in November.

“I think you’ve seen in our past few games, maybe the way that we’re playing, the adjustments in our formation, maybe the rotation in certain positions, et cetera,” explained the Colorado native. “I think all those things that we were trying to do in the past few months, you get here now and you hear it from her, from Emma herself, and the things that she really wants, it kind of all starts clicking in your head.

“Obviously it’s things we’ve been working on, but now it’s really coming to life.”

For Girma, there has been a tangible sense within the group that the team is raring to go.

“You can feel the excitement within the group,” explained the San Diego Wave defender. “[Hayes] brings great energy, and I think for us, we’ve just been excited to have her. Now that she’s here, we’re excited to get to work. I think we can feel that as a collective.”

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USWNT star Alex Morgan returns from injury for San Diego Wave

Morgan returned to the pitch after missing a month with an ankle injury

Alex Morgan has made her return from injury, and just in the nick of time.

The U.S. women’s national team star had been sidelined for over a month with an ankle injury, but made her return Thursday night in a scoreless NWSL draw between the San Diego Wave and Angel City FC.

Morgan entered the match as a substitute, replacing Elyse Bennett in the 63rd minute. That ended just under five weeks on the touchline for Morgan, who departed an April 19 loss to the Orlando Pride following an awkward fall.

The news comes just days before the USWNT will assemble for the first time under coach Emma Hayes, who included Morgan in her 23-player squad for matches against South Korea early next month.

San Diego matches have been must-watch for USWNT observers lately, with numerous candidates for the Olympic roster all dealing with injuries.

Naomi Girma (hamstring) started for the Wave, putting in her first 90-minute shift since April 27’s home win over Bay FC.

Jaedyn Shaw (ankle) sat out last Friday’s loss, coincidentally also against Bay FC, but returned for manager Casey Stoney as the defending NWSL Shield holders battled to a scoreless draw in LA.

Those two, like Morgan, were on the latest USWNT squad. Abby Dahlkemper, a longtime U.S. center back looking to push her way back into the squad under new management, made her first start since April 19.

Morgan faces fight for USWNT Olympic spot

Morgan has been a USWNT fixture since bursting onto the scene in 2010. However, with the extraordinarily tough task of taking just 18 players to Paris, Hayes could possibly leave her out of a major tournament.

Catarina Macario’s return to fitness will give Hayes a very different sort of No. 9, and one she knows extremely well (having just finished coaching her at Chelsea). Sophia Smith, meanwhile, has arguably been the best striker in the NWSL this season, with Zambia star Barbra Banda her only serious competition.

On top of that, Hayes has brought up a need for versatility, which may play against Morgan. The 34-year-old has occasionally played on the left during her career, but has played almost entirely as a center forward in recent years.

With Smith able to play wide and Macario capable as a midfielder — not to mention Trinity Rodman being a possible central option, and Crystal Dunn being listed among the forwards after years of playing left back for the USWNT — the competition for a U.S. roster spot has never been stiffer for Morgan.

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USWNT defender Girma set to return from injury for San Diego Wave

A little good news, a little bad news for both the Wave and the USWNT

The San Diego Wave are set to welcome multiple U.S. women’s national team players back from injury, including star defender Naomi Girma.

Wave head coach Casey Stoney said that Girma would be available for Friday’s game against Bay FC, with the 23-year-old apparently having recovered from a thigh injury that sidelined her for San Diego’s last three matches.

“Naomi and Abby will be back,” Stoney told reporters during a Wednesday press conference, referring to Girma and another USWNT center back, Abby Dahlkemper. The latter has been out for roughly a month, also with a thigh issue.

Girma is considered a lock to start for the USWNT at the Olympics, but has now missed time over muscular injuries twice in the last six weeks. USWNT interim coach Twila Kilgore had to substitute Girma in April’s SheBelieves Cup win over Japan after the defender pulled up with an apparent hamstring strain.

Dahlkemper, meanwhile, faces a battle to make Emma Hayes’ final 18-player roster for this summer’s Olympics, with multiple players vying to partner Girma at center back. Candidates like Tierna Davidson and Alana Cook have both lost time to injuries of their own this year.

Hayes will begin her tenure as the U.S. manager in the coming weeks, with friendlies against South Korea on June 1 and June 4 representing the one and only set of matches before the Olympic roster is announced.

Shaw questionable, Morgan remains out

The Wave had further updates on USWNT regulars, but the news for Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan was more mixed.

Shaw limped off in the final seconds of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with NJ/NY Gotham FC with a possible ankle injury, and per Stoney, her status is still up in the air.

Stoney said Shaw is “day-by-day at the minute, so we won’t know [until Friday’s game],” leaving open the possibility that the star attacker could make a quick return from an incident that initially looked more worrisome.

Morgan, meanwhile, remains out with an ankle injury suffered during a loss to the Orlando Pride on April 19.

“Alex is still out,” said Stoney. “She’s been running. She’s been doing technical work this week. She’ll be available when she’s available.”

For her own part, Morgan last week posted on social media that she hopes to return “very soon.”

San Diego has two NWSL matches before Hayes is expected to announce her squad for the games against South Korea: Friday’s clash at Bay FC, and a trip to face Angel City FC on May 23.

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USWNT defender Girma misses San Diego Wave match with injury

Girma’s return from an injury on USWNT duty has hit a speed bump

With the Olympics looming, the U.S. women’s national team may need to start worrying about Naomi Girma.

The San Diego Wave center back, who has emerged over the past 18 months as the USWNT’s most important defender, was not in uniform as her side fell 2-1 to the 10-player Seattle Reign at Lumen Field on Friday night.

Girma was listed as out with a thigh issue on a league availability report published Thursday night, not long after Wave head coach Casey Stoney had said she had “no updates” on her side’s list of injured players.

“Still waiting on a few decisions,” Stoney told reporters in a Thursday press conference.

Girma’s status had become something to monitor a month ago, when she pulled up with an injury during the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup win over Japan.

One week later, the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year would sit out San Diego’s 0-0 draw with Racing Louisville due to the knock. However, she would return after that, starting both a 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride and this past Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bay FC.

Girma is joined by some big names on the list of Wave absentees. USWNT teammates Alex Morgan (lower leg) and Abby Dahlkemper (thigh) were also unavailable for Stoney’s side in Seattle, as were Sweden winger Sofia Jakobsson (lower leg) and teenage midfielder Melanie Barcenas (hip).

After the match, Stoney told reporters that Girma and Dahlkemper are both “questionable” to play on Wednesday, when San Diego hosts the Utah Royals.

The USWNT, meanwhile, will announce a squad for a pair of friendlies against South Korea later this month in what will be Emma Hayes’ first matches as head coach. Those games will be the the final tests before Hayes selects her 18-player roster for the Olympics later this summer.

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USWNT coach Kilgore offers positive Girma injury update

It appears Girma has avoided the worst-case scenarios when it comes to her thigh injury

It appears U.S. women’s national team defender Naomi Girma has avoided the worst-case scenarios when it comes to her thigh injury.

Girma was removed from Saturday’s SheBelieves Cup win over Japan in the first half, as she pulled up while running and was unable to continue after receiving treatment on the pitch.

Speaking to the media ahead of the SheBelieves Cup final against Canada on Tuesday, interim head coach Twila Kilgore indicated that the 23-year-old hadn’t suffered a serious injury.

“Naomi had a thigh strain and is day to day right now,” Kilgore said, without offering an indication whether Girma would be available for the Canada game.

Even if she is unavailable for the match against the Reds in Columbus, it appears that Girma won’t miss an extended period — a major relief for club and country.

The San Diego Wave star has become one of the first names on the team sheet for the USWNT, winning the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after a standout year for the national team.

Girma has also been named the NWSL Defender of the Year in both of her pro seasons thus far, helping the Wave win the NWSL Shield last season.

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USWNT star Girma taken off with injury in SheBelieves Cup game vs. Japan

The USWNT and San Diego Wave could have a real concern on their hands

The U.S. women’s national team and San Diego Wave could have a serious injury concern on their hands.

Naomi Girma was forced off in the first half of the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup match against Japan on Saturday, as the team’s standout defender suffered a reported thigh injury.

In the 16th minute, Girma was chasing a long ball in behind and pulled up with what appeared to be a muscle injury. The center back immediately signaled to the bench that she required treatment.

Girma was treated on the pitch, but was unable to continue and was replaced in the 18th minute by Abby Dahlkemper, her teammate for club and country.

On the TNT broadcast, sideline reporter Melissa Ortiz said Girma was being evaluated for a right thigh injury.

Following the match, U.S. coach Twila Kilgore confirmed that, telling reporters that Girma was “being evaluated for a right thigh injury, and we’ll know more shortly.”

Should Girma be forced to miss a significant amount of time, it would be a major blow for club and country. The 23-year-old was named the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after establishing herself as the USWNT’s most important defender. At the club level, Girma was named NWSL Defender of the Year for the second straight season.

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USWNT player ratings: Defensive spine shines in gut-punch penalty kick defeat

The USWNT finally played like themselves, but soccer can be cruel

Soccer has always been a cruel sport, and today it came calling for the U.S. women’s national team.

After three underwhelming performances in the group stage, the USWNT finally looked like themselves against Sweden, bossing one of the best teams in this World Cup.

Unfortunately, they found goalkeeper Zećira Mušović having one of the games of her life, and when she wasn’t making a big save, the errant finishing that has plagued this team appeared again, and the result was a penalty kick elimination after a scoreless 120 minutes.

It was a heartbreaker for the U.S., who missed a shot in the shootout that would have seen them advance, and then had to watch Sweden’s winning kick require a VAR check to reveal that the ball had crossed the line by a nearly imperceptible margin.

Still, when it comes to ratings, this was by some margin the best performance from the USWNT at this World Cup as a team, and for many players as individuals.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Lack of ideas as U.S. barely survives Portugal

Lots of not-great, and some quite bad!

The U.S. women’s national team, by a margin of about three inches, survived a feisty Portugal side to get through to the knockout round of the World Cup.

That’s about all the good news there is to discuss. The USWNT were totally unable to solve the Portuguese midfield diamond throughout a troubling 0-0 draw, struggling for possession and also lacking chances to break out in transition.

The stats may show the USWNT holding a 17-6 shot advantage, and this is another game in which a U.S. opponent were held without a shot on goal. However, anyone that watched the match would be able to tell you that the Portuguese troubled the U.S. from start to finish, seeing the game’s best chance end with Ana Capeta hitting the post deep in stoppage time.

It was a dispiriting and disappointing showing in which no player really looked like they’d been given a platform to be their best. If the USWNT is to go on and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups, this has to be by far their worst performance of the tournament.

Here’s a breakdown from a game in which no one looked particularly good.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Disappointing showing vs. Netherlands ends in draw

A good start and finish sandwiched some worrying stuff for the USWNT

The U.S. women’s national team was far from its best against the Netherlands, struggling for a long spell in the middle of the match before recovering for a 1-1 draw.

Jill Roord’s goal on the first shot conceded all tournament by the USWNT deflated the group, and until Dutch star Daniëlle van de Donk clattered into club teammate Lindsey Horan, it was starting to get hard to see a way back in for the favored Americans.

However, Horan — after a fairly heated argument with van de Donk in the seconds that followed — powered home a header, and the U.S. took the game over for the final half-hour.

The good news? Those final minutes were the “real” USWNT. The bad news? They arrived for a reason the team can’t control, and since a winner didn’t arrive (nor did any substitutions after Rose Lavelle’s entry at halftime), the flaws on the day aren’t going to be papered over by three points.

With all that in mind, let’s dig into who delivered, and who didn’t.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Smith stands out as U.S. eases past Vietnam in World Cup opener

Smith was at the center of most of the USWNT’s best in their win

It may not have been the blowout some expected, but the U.S. women’s national team started the World Cup off with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.

A first-half brace from Sophia Smith — one goal was clinical, the other needed a fairly hefty slice of luck — set the USWNT on their way. After some missed chances, including an Alex Morgan penalty kick that was saved by Vietnam’s Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Lindsey Horan added the third on an assist from Smith.

In the context of Vietnam’s recent results, including only falling to Germany 2-1, it’s a decent result. It’s also not the rout that fans may have thought was coming, though on another day the goals may have been flowing with just a touch more sharpness from the attacking players.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.