The Olympics have been a coronation for USWNT’s Naomi Girma and her defensive work

PARIS — Last summer, Naomi Girma introduced herself to the world at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In contrast to the U.S. stumbling in the round of 16, Girma’s first major tournament with the senior national team showed that she wasn’t just the future of the program, she had already cemented herself as one of the team’s most crucial and most trusted players — even after only making her professional debut in 2022.

They’re famously not too fond of monarchs here in France, but the Paris Olympics have served as Girma’s coronation as one of the best defenders in the world. The 24-year-old has played every minute of all five USWNT wins so far, providing a steady defensive presence for the team. She was the only field player to play every minute of last summer’s World Cup, too.

“She’s the best defender I’ve ever seen,” head coach Emma Hayes said after the shutout semifinal victory against Germany. “Ever.”

For Hayes, Girma is a complete defender: “She’s got everything: poise, composure, she defends, she anticipates, she leads.”

U.S. forward Sophia Smith agreed earlier this week, calling her former former Stanford teammate “the best defender in the world”. Smith said the team always knows that Girma’s behind them, ready to make a clearance or interception. “She’s the glue to our team.”

Naomi Girma is the best we’ve seen and defenders never get the attention they deserve but she is absolutely HER.

— Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) August 7, 2024

Girma has deflected jokes about being named Secretary of Defense and questions about last year’s World Cup exit. None of that matters to her. It’s out of the team’s control, outside their bubble. Girma, like many other players, has deleted social media for the time being. She is mostly interested in talking about the team as a whole and their growth as a team.

“Last year, a lot of us were transitioning in, and now we’ve been on the national team,” Girma said in Lyon. “We’ve played at the international level for a lot longer, and understand what it takes to win here. We have a special group in this Olympics. We have experience, we have people coming to their first Olympics, like me, and it’s been all of us working together, relying on each other, to get to this point.”

For all the words written about the new identity of the USWNT and the changing of generations over the cycle following the team’s bronze medal performance in Tokyo, Girma’s arrival has never been a surprise. Born a year after the 1999 World Cup, Girma has been following in the footsteps of quiet center-back leaders from Carla Overbeck to Becky Sauerbrunn, while forging her path.

Rewind to February 2023, before Girma had truly solidified her starting role on the team’s back line, to the way that now-retired forward Megan Rapinoe talked about Girma’s game and presence. Rapinoe, who had seen plenty of incoming talent, said it was extremely rare for a player to enter the USWNT environment and immediately make their case for the starting XI every single time. Girma was on that list.

“She’s just that good,” Rapinoe said last year. “Calm, extremely smart. I don’t think her physicality gets talked about enough, deceptively quick. If you have any kind of quickness and brain, then that’s a wrap. She can play any kind of ball. She’s a great leader. She’s just f***ing good.”

The high-flying forward line of Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman has been getting a lot of attention through the Games so far, but Girma’s been the one orchestrating the start of almost every attack.

And it was Girma who set the stage on Tuesday against Germany in Lyon, stepping up with another complete performance.

“She carried the ball for 687 meters — 24 per cent of the entire USWNT’s dribbling distance,” Jeff Rueter wrote in The Athletic’s takeaways from the match. “She completed 125 passes from 132 attempts in a game where only one other player from either team attempted at least 100. She created two chances for her teammates, trailing only Rodman and Swanson. Remembering that, despite this, defending is in fact a vital part of her job? Girma led the team in ball recoveries (13), clearances (5) and interceptions (3).”

Many players during these past five games have referenced Girma’s steadiness, perhaps the ultimate character trait for a world-class center-back — on both sides of the ball. On Tuesday, Swanson said that Girma’s been consistent every game in completing her passes and creating the tempo.

“She reminds me a lot of Becky (Sauerbrunn),” goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said. “I was fortunate enough to play with Becky for so many years, and I think (Girma) reminds me a lot of her. Just demeanor, and the way she carries herself and gets the job done. Have all the respect in the world for her.”

At 24 years old, Girma is already second in line for the captain’s armband behind Lindsey Horan. She was wearing it for the entirety of extra time against Germany. It’s still just a symbol, but it’s already hard to imagine she won’t be the next player to get it permanently. And her impact doesn’t end with on-the-field leadership either.

Last summer, Girma and Smith played their World Cup in memory of their Stanford teammate, Katie Meyer, who died by suicide. Girma has worked with Common Goal to launch mental health programs, including a retreat for NWSL players which took place this offseason for the first time. Notably, the Wave’s preseason training was led by Ethiopian-owned Golden Boot Academy in San Diego — a connection to Girma’s roots. Those are the details that might be easy to overlook but matter for a first-generation American on the USWNT playing at the highest level.

On Thursday, back in Paris ahead of the gold medal match, Rodman was nothing but happy to talk about her “queens” Naeher and Girma — but said that with all the goal scoring picking up headlines, she felt the team’s defensive work went unnoticed at times. That changed with the performance against Germany, particularly for Girma.

“She’s a brick wall. She’s not just a good defender, she’s not just athletic, she’s so smart. You can just see by the way her feet move,” Rodman said. She brought up playing against her in the NWSL when she faced Girma in games against the San Diego Wave. Rodman will watch back video of moments when Girma picked the ball off her, watching her footwork in particular. She’s consistently seen that skill level in France throughout their Olympic performances — and expects it again this Saturday against Brazil in the final.

“It’s not just defending,” Rodman concluded. “It’s an art.”

(Top photo: John Todd/Getty Images; Design: Dan Goldfarb)