“Defenders are the unsung poets of the beautiful game, scripting victories with tackles, not goals.“ Yet, despite their heroics, it’s often the goal-scorers like Trinity Rodman who take center stage. Naomi Girma, a 24-year-old defensive powerhouse, knows this all too well. Despite her brilliance, she continues to be undervalued, as seen not just during the Ballon d’Or snub but again in her placement on The Guardian’s Best 100 Female Footballers list.

This sentiment was echoed by former USMNT legend Alexi Lalas, who voiced his disappointment at the 24-year-old ranking compared to Trinity Rodman’s fifth place. Girma’s resume speaks volumes. As a key figure for both USWNT and San Diego Wave, she’s been a model of consistency. Her standout moment came during the Paris Olympics, where her defensive brilliance helped the USWNT clinch their fifth Olympic Gold. Notably, the team didn’t concede a single goal in the knockout stages, an achievement Girma played a crucial role in.

Alexi Lalas and David Mosse recently delved into ‘The Guardian’s Best 100 Female Footballers,‘ sparking an interesting debate. Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas shared his thoughts, particularly on Naomi Girma, and why he believes she deserved a much higher spot among the USWNT players on the list. “So this is where I can argue within the U.S. framework because Naomi Girma, who we have talked about over the last couple of years and has come on and established herself as in pen in the lineup and as important as anybody out there.”

While acknowledging the attention attacking players like Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Lindsey Horan often receive, he emphasized Girma’s critical role as a defender, arguing she’s just as impactful, if not more. “I can argue that Naomi Girma in the position that she plays is better and more important than the Sophia Smith, then the Trinity Rodman, then the Lindsey Horan and she has done it now consistently for a number of years.”

“So Naomi Girma at 10, I can argue that’s much too low. I guess it would be if you’re looking at one to ten here and she should be ahead of others out there.“ At number 10, Girma’s placement felt too low for Lalas, who firmly believes she should have ranked higher than some of her USWNT peers like Trinity Rodman. Do you agree with him? Should defenders like Girma get more recognition, even in lists often dominated by goal-scorers?

Interestingly, while the Men’s Top 100 list includes only Christian Pulisic, the women’s list boasts five USWNT players in the top 10—a testament to their global impact. But here’s the real question, who does Alexi Lalas believe is the greatest American soccer player of all time, across both men and women?

Bold choice by the USMNT legend after naming the greatest American soccer player ever

On the same podcast, Alexi Lalas didn’t shy away from making a bold claim about the greatest American soccer player ever. Reflecting on the Hope Solo documentary, the former USMNT star shared his surprising pick. Interestingly, Lalas didn’t stop there. He suggested that Naomi Girma, with time and consistency, might one day earn the title herself.

“I answered and said, yes, I can absolutely make an argument that Hope Solo because of how good she was and how much better she was than everybody else at her specific position at that time, I can argue that she is the best American soccer player, man, or woman that has played in history. And who knows, maybe Naomi Girma will go down, as we get further and further.”

So, what do you think? Is Hope Solo truly the greatest American soccer player of all time? Or could the next generation, led by players like Girma, redefine that conversation?