The USWNT won their first match after the Olympic gold medal victory in Paris. They faced Iceland and three goals by Alyssa Thompson, Jaedyn Shaw, and the ever-present Sophia Smith brought home the victory. Iceland got one goal back but felt powerless to stop the USWNT. In the meantime, fans called out Lindsey Horan for poor performances as fans saw her misplacing passes. But, not dwelling too much on the negatives, Naomi Girma appeared in an interview with Sam Mewis to discuss the new captaincy role. Moreover, she loved Lindsey’s input.

Girma, 24, made 39 appearances for her country and this new leadership role will be perfect for the USWNT going forward. Marshaling the defense in the team, Girma became one of the first names on the sheet and will play a role. Hence, she spoke to Mewis regarding the captaincy decision and how Lindsey Horan easing her in.

She stated, “To wear the armband is such an honor for this team. And to be like given that trust too was really special for me too. It was just like a really cool moment and Lindsey was like, ‘Here you go Nay, you deserve this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, thanks Lind.’ And to know that my teammates trust me means the world.”  

It’s great to see Horan support her teammates and show how good she is at motivating them. Although her form doesn’t paint a great picture on the pitch, she paints a nice picture off the pitch.

Naomi Girma embraces the new captaincy role!

Girma loves the new captaincy role and she continued, “I don’t know if I thought about it like that much in that moment. But I think after, it was definitely like, I think kind of surreal. It’s obviously such an incredible honor and I think the legacy of the team, the captains that have been on the national team have been such like impactful players and people.”

If you look into the history of USWNT and various captains, we might say those ‘big characters’ helped them gain confidence in the dressing room. The role of a captain is often understated in the soccer world. Fans usually say they don’t understand the role of a captain but it is much more than that.

For starters, Horan took her side to the Olympic gold medal in Paris. Likewise, the recently retired Alex Morgan was also another player who captained the side for a long time. The most capped USWNT players Kristine Lilly and Julie Foudy are other famous leaders.

Therefore, Naomi Girma has a new role to savor. She is one of the finest players on the squad. Hence, we can’t think of another player to lead the team other than Girma right now. With a clear picture of what’s in front of her, let’s go, Naomi. You deserve it!