Without a doubt, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan are pioneers of women’s soccer all over the globe, especially in America. However, the two of them aren’t getting any younger. With both the USWNT legends aging, it’s time for the youngsters to finally fill their boots. The USWNT has also been extremely supportive of including upcoming talents in the squad. Recently, Megan Rapinoe showered a young USWNT star with quite a few words of praise.

It also delighted the fans to see the level of respect and humility that Rapinoe still has, even at that stature. Also, this isn’t the first Rapinoe has praised and lauded one of her teammates.

Megan Rapinoe praises Naomi Girma

After majorly carrying the weight of American women’s soccer on her shoulders for so many years, injuries are unfortunately catching up with Rapinoe. The USWNT is currently competing in the SheBelieves Cup. In a recent press conference, the US Soccer legend didn’t hold back while she spoke about young Naomi Girma. She talked about the inclusion of young blood into the squad, considering the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

As transcribed by Fox Sports, Rapinoe said, “There’s very few players in my whole tenure that have stepped in. It’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s a first person team sheet type of player every single time”. The USWNT star also spoke about Girma’s underrated physical and mental attributes. She continued, “She’s a leader on the field, she’s calm, extremely smart. I don’t think her physicality gets talked about enough”.

However, Rapinoe then flagged the issue that it would be difficult for the youngster to nail a spot in the starting XI. The simple reason is that she plays in the same position as the USWNT’s captain, Becky Sauerbrunn. Rapinoe topped her statement off by saying, “She’s just f**king good…She’s going to be the future of the team for a long time”.

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All the recent praises just beg one question in the minds of the fans that don’t know a lot about the USWNT.

Who is Naomi Girma?

Naomi Girma is one of the brightest stars in the USWNT squad. Girma along with Rodman are the only two players in the current squad who were born after the Women’s World Cup in 1999. However, age doesn’t play a major role at all in either of their cases. Both youngsters have a good chance of making it to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad.

Despite being just 22, Girma already has the world at her feet. Last season, she became the first ever player to win NWSL Defender of the Year along with Rookie of the Year too.

The young center-back was also the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL draft for the San Diego Wave. However, the youngster is still getting used to the international scene. She might not be a starter in the upcoming Women’s World Cup but she definitely can make her presence felt when she’s brought on as an extra defender in order to defend a lead in the dying minutes of a game.

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Do you agree with Rapinoe’s comments? Do you think Naomi Girma will make it to the upcoming World Cup squad? Let us know your thoughts on the same in the comments below.