Given what we saw when the U.S. women's national team played Argentina earlier this year, it was easy to predict a multi-goal win in Wednesday night's friendly in Lousiville. It's safe to say no one could have predicted which goalscorer would steal the show, though, and, based on the smile on her face, that included the goalscorer herself.
Naomi Girma scored her first two goals for club or country on Wednesday night, leading the USWNT to a 3-0 win over Argentina. She wasn't just involved in those two, though, as she very well could have been credited with a third, as her header glanced off an Argentina defender for an own goal. In that sense, Girma was a little bit unlucky... she deserved a hat-trick.
Who could have seen that coming? A calm, steady defender, Girma had never shown this in her career. She hadn't found the net at any level since her college days at Stanford. You could understand, then, while her smile was so big all night long.
Girma's first came in the 37th minute, as she pounced to head into an open net. Seven minutes later, her glancing header on a corner from Rose Lavelle - who was celebrated on the night for previously getting her 100th USWNT cap - banked off Argentina's Aldana Cometti, making it 2-0. Moments into the second half, it was three, with Girma placing a header from an Alysa Malonson cross.
"The ball just fell right in front of me, it was so great," Girma said. "I was like, 'I don't think I can miss this.' It fell right on my head."
And with that, an expected result was sealed being an unexpected goal explosion. Girma stole the show, but she wasn't the only one with a memorable performance. Three USWNT players - Malonson, Eva Gaetino and Mandy Haught - earned their first caps, and none looked out of place. With the three debuts, the USWNT now has 10 players who earned their first cap in 2024, the most in a calendar year since 2013.
Meanwhile, Lavelle and Lindsey Horan, who both had significantly more caps than the rest of the starters combined, created plenty from the midfield.
This was Girma's night, though. So often, she operates near-perfectly in the shadows. Not this time, as the defender stole the show in a game she'll never forget, and in the process, capped a perfect 3-0 camp for the USWNT (following back-to-back 3-1 victories over Iceland). That also kept USWNT coach Emma Hayes unbeaten in her first 13 matches in charge of the program, including the gold medal at this summer's Paris Olympics.
"We were all just laughing and so excited," Girma said of her first international goal. "Anytime someone gets their first goal, it’s such a joy and the whole team gets so excited, so it was fun to get mine tonight. I’ve always wanted it … Being our Olympic victory tour, and Rose 100th, so many celebrations, it’s fun to add that on top of it."
GOAL rates the USWNT's players from Lynn Family Stadium.
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