USWNT completes perfect October window with shutout win over Argentina
10/31/2024 05:18 AM
Mark it down as "The Naomi Girma Game."
Having not scored a goal in her already illustrious professional career, Naomi Girma broke her scoreless streak with a brace to catapult the U.S. women's national team to a 3-0 win over Argentina on Wednesday night in Kentucky.
A focus for newly-crowned 2024 Ballon d'Or Women's Coach of the Year Emma Hayes in this window has been rotation, both as a courtesy to the players' NWSL clubs and with the purpose of providing opportunities for individuals who had not previously seen them at the international level. That continued on Wednesday night as Hayes gave defenders Eva Gaetino, Alyssa Malonso, and goalkeeper Mandy Haught starts in their international debuts — the first time three USWNT players all started their national team debut in the same game since four did so on March 7, 2007.
From the opening whistle, the USWNT dominated the game both in and out of possession with only 7% of the half being played in their defensive third. Despite that, the half-chances that came missed the mark by just inches until Girma was gifted a tap-in header for the first goal of her professional career by an Argentinian blunder defensively. Just before the half ended, Girma "assisted" an own goal for the 2-0 halftime lead.
"They hit the ball in, it took a deflection, and fell right to me. I'm happy I could get us on the board," Girma said at halftime. "I'm just looking forward to the second half so we can continue breaking them down."
The reigning NWSL Defender of the Year delivered on that promise within five minutes of the second-half kickoff as she scored the second professional goal of her career with a more difficult flicked-header finish into the top corner assisted by Malonson.
“Any time anyone gets their first goal it’s always such a joy and the whole team gets so excited so it was fun to get mine tonight,” Girma said postgame.
“You only had to look at her celebration to see,” Hayes said of Girma. “I’d said to her, she looked like a teenager jumping up and down, just scored a goal in front of all of her friends. Honestly, that’s what this team is. We have set ourselves a target to improve with our attacking set pieces. We really have post-Olympics.”
The USWNT held onto their ninth clean sheet in 13 games with Hayes at the helm to secure the 3-0 lead and a perfect window by scoring three goals in three games leading to three wins.
From the Olympic gold to six debutants (Emily Sams, Emma Sears, Hal Hershfelt, Mandy Haught, Eva Gaetino, Alyssa Malonson) a trio of first-time goalscorers (Alyssa Thomspon, Emma Sears, Naomi Girma) to a trio of 100 cap milestones (Emily Sonnett, Mallory Swanson, Rose Lavelle) to the best coach in the world, October has been absent of tricks but full of treats for the top-ranked women's team in world football.
