USWNT Icon Alex Morgan Backs Ex-Teammate Naomi Girma Amid Chelsea Fans’ Brutal Backlash

“We do a lot of work back there that goes unnoticed,” Naomi Girma once remarked, highlighting how defenders often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. That sentiment rang especially true during the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominations, where the USWNT star was notably snubbed despite her standout performances. But what a turnaround it’s been—Girma went on to make history as the most expensive player in women’s soccer after signing with Chelsea. However, her move hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped, with backlash from her new fanbase. Stepping in to show her support was none other than her former teammate, Alex Morgan.

Recently, Girma sat down for a brief interview with American magazine Esquire. During the conversation, the 24-year-old was again quizzed about the role that she plays, often failing to garner the attention it should. “Defenders can go under the radar, but it’s such an important part of any team,” said the former San Diego Wave defender.

Fortunately, the growing interest among the younger generation in becoming defenders is on the rise—and Naomi believes this trend could help improve the lack of recognition defenders often face. “We’ve seen a trend toward defenders getting more recognition, the center backs and outside backs-their names just getting bigger. Hopefully, it can be an exciting thing for young players to want to be a defender too—to be the ones who stop goals and not just the ones who score them,” she added.

Interestingly, these words from the interview were shared by The Attacking Third’s official Instagram page in a carousel post. Eventually, this caught the eye of Alex Morgan, who quickly re-shared this passage in her stories. Additionally, she also wrote a commending message for her former San Diego Wave and USWNT teammate that read, “Go on Naomi Girma!!!”

Clearly, Morgan is thrilled to hear these words from the San Jose, California-born defender. And little does the iconic forward relate to Naomi’s situation; after all, the two have shared the locker room for years. Even if there used to be a time when Alex got recognized for her goal-scoring antics and skills, Girma hardly used to get praised for her crucial interceptions and tackles while maintaining the integrity of the backline.

On top of that, the current situation sees her face intense scrutiny from her new club fans. Since arriving in London, Girma has struggled to find consistent playing time. Her WSL debut was cut short just 59 minutes in, as the former San Diego Wave star was forced off due to a setback that sidelined her for several weeks. She eventually returned in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal against Barcelona.

However, her comeback couldn’t have gone worse, with Chelsea suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat. The loss sparked a wave of criticism aimed at Girma, with many pointing to her stats—2 games, 70 minutes, 4 goals conceded, 0 tackles won—and questioning the $1 million investment. Thankfully, there were also plenty who rallied in her defense.

While it’s fair to expect strong performances from her, people need to understand that she may need time to adjust—especially given her recent injury struggles, not to mention the off-pitch challenges she’s facing.

Naomi Girma opens up on the ‘cultural’ shock at Chelsea

When you choose to leave your comfort zone and relocate halfway across the world, challenges are bound to follow. For Girma, many of those hurdles have come from the noticeable cultural differences between the U.S. and the U.K. Despite sharing a common language, she still finds certain words and phrases difficult to grasp. That said, Naomi has been embracing the experience.

“The staff and players at Chelsea have made the transition feel really smooth for me. Stepping into a culture where you can feel that people care about each other, genuinely want the best for each other, and want to win is something that always feels good,” said the former Standford Cardinals star in an exclusive interview with Forbes.

It’s good to see that despite enduring some challenges, Naomi Girma has the support of the entire Chelsea family. Let’s hope that those against her also cut some slack for their star signing.

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