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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