USWNT defender Girma absent from San Diego Wave game due to…
As the Olympics draw near, the U.S. women’s national team might have reason to be concerned about Naomi Girma. The standout center back for the San Diego Wave, who has risen to prominence as the most crucial defender for the USWNT in the past year and a half, was absent from her team’s recent match against the Seattle Reign, which they lost 2-1 despite the Reign playing with 10 players.
Girma was sidelined due to a thigh injury, as indicated in a league availability report released the night before the match. This update came shortly after Wave head coach Casey Stoney stated that there were no new updates regarding injured players in a press conference on Thursday.
Concerns about Girma’s condition arose a month ago when she sustained an injury during the SheBelieves Cup match against Japan. Although she returned to play in subsequent matches, including a win against Bay FC, she was forced to miss a game against Racing Louisville due to the same injury.
Girma is not the only notable absence from the Wave’s lineup. Teammates Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper, both of whom are part of the USWNT, were also unavailable due to injuries, along with Sweden’s Sofia Jakobsson and teenage midfielder Melanie Barcenas.
Following the match, Coach Stoney mentioned that both Girma and Dahlkemper are uncertain to play in the upcoming match against the Utah Royals on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the USWNT is gearing up for a pair of friendlies against South Korea later this month, which will be the first matches under new head coach Emma Hayes. These games will serve as the final tests before Hayes selects the squad of 18 players for the Olympics later this summer.
