USWNT fans are feeling the impact of an alarming Chelsea trend
By Kian Long
It is very common for USWNT players to venture out into different countries for their domestic playing contracts. Heck, some even travel across the pond to different continents. Right now, there are two USWNT players representing Chelsea in the English WSL… And let’s say, it hasn’t been fruitful for the USWNT.
Regardless of their form for Chelsea, who are the WSL champions and the most successful team in WSL history, USWNT fans have noticed that certain Chelsea players haven’t been showing up like they used to for the Stars and Stripes.
One USWNT fan started the conversation by saying “Is it just me or is [Naomi] Girma not playing as well since she has been at Chelsea? While playing at [San Diego] Wave she was flawless for the USWNT.”
It wasn’t just the OP who felt that way. Responses ranged from “I agree on Girma.” to “Do we need to save girma from Sonia [Bompastor]?”
Others even chimed in by saying that, ever since Alyssa Thompson joined Chelsea, she hasn’t been the same player she once was for the USWNT.
Standards have never been higher for Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson
There are multiple explanations for this alarming trend. While the natural tendency would be to point fingers at Chelsea as the common denominator, it wouldn’t make sense to do this. Chelsea has one of the best women’s teams in the world, and they’re not exactly out of form this year. If anything, representing the Blues should benefit the USWNT.
Naomi Girma’s decline in form could be as simple as ‘well, she’s still not fully 100% after her injury.’ Sometimes, as hysterical as soccer fans can be (trust me, we’re the best at that), analysis really is as simple as some USWNT fans pointed out.
It could also be a case that a lot of what Girma does for the USWNT happens out of possession. She is one of the best readers of play in the world, and sometimes, this can go unnoticed in an otherwise fast-paced game.
Girma can prevent danger because of what she reads in her mind. Therefore, she is not the type of defender to make last-ditch tackles because, well, she doesn’t need to. And that’s a good thing.
In terms of outward-facing contributions, Girma did make some questionable passes for the USWNT in the recent game against Japan (the first of the three, in San Jose). However, this is unlikely to be anything to cast judgment on. Even the best players in the world have lapses from time to time.
Alyssa Thompson’s slight lapse in form for the USWNT is more difficult to dissect, since she is the polar opposite of Girma. Where Girma is a relaxed defender, Thompson is an explosive winger.
Thompson didn’t set the world alight against Japan in game 1, but it was hardly a game that covered most USWNT players in glory. Where she did set the world alight, though, was only recently when she rocketed home a shot from outside of the box against Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup. That has to count for something.
To cut a long story short, not every lapse in form needs to be explained. Sure, (very) recent history doesn’t look great for the USWNT’s relationship with Chelsea Women. However, Girma and Thompson remain two pivotal players for Emma Hayes, and that’s not changing anytime soon.