"The best defender I've seen." Naomi Girma continues to grow in stature
After another excellent showing against Germany, USA head coach Naomi Girma had bold, but justified, praise for the 24-year-old San Diego Wave defender.
“Naomi is the best defender I’ve ever seen. Ever.”
The definitive words of USA head coach Emma Hayes post-match after clinching a spot in the Paris 2024 gold medal match at the first time of asking.
Hayes was the first to point out in the immediacy of their tight battle with Germany this was a squad effort, going as far to praise the character of alternate players such as Hal Hershfelt, Jane Campbell and Emily Sams, but there are a few among her star-studded squad who have managed to stand tall among the rest.
At one end, there’s Sophia Smith, who Hayes enthused over post-match for what she has brought to this Olympic Games after the critical match-winning goal against Germany which broke the 90-minute plus stalemate, but at the other Girma has been outstanding throughout.
Not to take away from Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn and co, or goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher for her last-gasp reaction stop which undoubtedly stopped the game going to a penalty shootout, but the 24-year-old San Diego Wave centre-back is just getting better and better and better.
As I put it to her post-match, it was like watching a player with a football magnet attached to her, because no matter what Germany threw into the box, every single ball seemed to find Girma.
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Against Germany, she won two of her four aerial duels, made two key interceptions, six clearances (the most on the pitch) and regained possession 13 times (again, the most on the pitch, and by a distance).
It’s not by chance either that Girma found herself in the right positions at the right time, it’s an innate quality and reading of the game, even if the defender herself was keen to praise her teammates’ contributions too after the game.
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