Naomi Girma believes Friday night’s defeat to England was a great test for her and her U.S. teammates in an enthralling match that saw the European and world champions go toe to toe in front of 76,893 at Wembley Stadium.
After Lauren Hemp put the Lionesses ahead early on, Sophia Smith equalized but ultimately Georgia Stanway’s penalty after a VAR check decided things, with all the goals coming during a fast and frenetic first 45 minutes.
Twenty-two-year-old Girma was one of the standout performers on the night for Vlatko Andonovski’s side and continued her good form after a promising first National Women’s Soccer League season with the San Diego Wave FC, and the center back enjoyed the test of going against England.
“I think there are always areas I think we feel like we can improve in, especially after a loss,” she said, post-match. “I think we feel like as a team this is a game we can win, so it’s great preparation for the World Cup and it’s something we want to feel and we want to go through the test and the battle. There is stuff we can clean up, all the way through the team, including at the back.”
There’s a common belief the U.S. is in somewhat of a transition at the moment, with young players such as Girma becoming more…
