It in all probability was not the Chelsea debut Naomi Girma was anticipating.
The 24-year-old U.S. ladies’s nationwide group centre-back performed 59 minutes in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brighton at Broadfield Stadium on Sunday, 32 days after she turned the .
Chelsea’s $1.1million (£870,000) signing of Girma from the San Diego Wave broke the world switch document however her debut was reduce quick when the defender pointed to her calf earlier than limping off the pitch. A minor calf harm stored Girma out of america’ January camp and off Chelsea’s sport day squad till Sunday.
Final 12 months, Girma and her former aspect did not qualify for the postseason in November. She performed in USWNT’s friendlies in October and December however missed the 2 most up-to-date U.S. camps with the identical calf problem. It could have been unlikely for her to have performed the complete match on Sunday given the time without work, however how she was substituted didn’t appear preplanned.
Within the 56th minute, Girma attracted the eye of the Chelsea bench earlier than pointing to her left calf. As play continued, she ultimately sat down on the pitch the place she was seen by the membership physios earlier than being substituted for Nathalie Bjorn.
“We might want to assess her tomorrow,” mentioned Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor in her post-match press convention. “It doesn’t look too dangerous however we’ll in all probability have to have a scan tomorrow.”
Chelsea nonetheless leads the Girls’s Tremendous League (WSL) with 41 factors, 5 factors forward of Manchester United in second.
If Girma moved to England to expertise new opposition, she was disadvantaged of that in her first match as she lined up throughout from former Stanford teammate Madison Haley. It was a feisty, bodily battle that pushed Girma to the restrict, as eventual Participant of the Match Haley acquired the higher of her on a handful of events.
It’s not shocking that Girma has not but readjusted to the bodily calls for of the sport, having not performed for a membership since October 2024 or the U.S. since December 2024. The frustration for Chelsea shall be that they had been unable to get one of the best of her on the ball on Sunday.
Bompastor repeatedly emphasised in January that her need to recruit one other centre again stemmed from desirous to play with a again three formation. She used Girma’s return to health to try this instantly: Girma on the left, Millie Brilliant within the center and Lucy bronze on the appropriate.
This was a giant tactical change for Chelsea — one which can have been an excessive amount of to ask of a group getting back from worldwide obligation and scuffling with accidents to key gamers. Add in the truth that Girma was making her debut and Bronze will not be a centre again by commerce, and it was hardly surprising that Chelsea’s defence regarded in disarray.
With Chelsea struggling to construct out from the again in opposition to an aggressively-pressing Brighton group, Girma had little alternative to point out what she might do on the ball. Her rating in group statistics was influenced by the very fact she performed slightly below an hour however her passing numbers (above) had been far under what would have been anticipated. A number of components might have influenced that, together with the effectivity of Haley’s press; the sturdy relationship between the England trio of Brilliant, Bronze, and Keira Walsh; the unfamiliarity of Girma within the again line; or a mix of all of those.
“She’s studying concerning the league, studying concerning the group, her team-mates,” Bompastor mentioned. “The primary sport is all the time a sport the place it’s by no means simple as a result of it’s a aggressive league. Her opponent (Haley) had an excellent sport however she’s studying about every little thing. It was good for us to have her begin this sport, construct minutes and play with the group.”
Nonetheless, Chelsea spent $1m on Girma to win video games along with her now, in order that they might want to clear up these points rapidly or danger not getting one of the best out of her.
“I’m not fearful about it. It’s by no means simple to begin with new team-mates in a brand new league with a unique context,” Bompastor mentioned. “It takes time. She must construct up and I’m assured that she has quite a lot of high quality and we’ll get there.”
There isn’t any motive for Chelsea followers to panic. Girma’s high quality stays and it’ll present itself sooner or later. However the mixture of a niggling harm and a slate of essential matches arising rapidly means the strain is on for Bompastor to resolve precisely how her defence seems to be.
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US Girls’s nationwide group, Chelsea, San Diego Wave, NWSL, UK Girls’s Soccer
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