Naomi Girma steals the show with a brace as USWNT defeats Argentina 3-0

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Naomi Girma, one of the best defenders in the world, scored her highly-anticipated first professional goal – and then a stunning second – as the U.S. Women’s National Team concluded the October international window with a third win in three games, a 3-0 triumph over Argentina in a friendly at Lynn Family Stadium.

Girma’s first goal, a short-range header late in the first half, lifted the top-ranked Americans to a deserved lead before a sellout crowd of 13,543 in Louisville, Ky., where they hadn’t played since 2004. An own goal (Girma had the last U.S. touch) and then Girma’s second, on a well-placed header shortly after halftime, put the match out of reach.

The victory was the USA’s sixth in six all-time meetings with Argentina and it followed a pair of dramatic 3-1 wins over Iceland in Austin, Texas on Oct. 24 and Nashville, Tenn. three days later.

The win also wrapped up a successful and celebratory window, during which this summer’s Olympic triumph was honored, seven players made their USWNT debuts and three scored their first goal. Defender Emily Sonnett earned her 100th cap in Austin and on Oct. 28, head coach Emma Hayes was awarded the Ballon d’Or’s inaugural Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy as Women’s Coach of the Year.

With so many players eyeing the final round of the NWSL regular season that begins on Friday, Hayes deployed an overhauled starting lineup that featured 10 changes from the Oct. 27 win over of Iceland. Among the starters in Louisville were USWNT debutants Mandy Haught, the 25-year-old Utah Royals goalkeeper; central defender Eva Gaetino, the 21-year-old former star who’s now at Paris Saint-Germain; and Alyssa Malonson, the 25-year-old Bay FC left back. It was the first time in 23 years that at least three starters won their first cap in the same game.

Fresh off her historic one goal, one assist USWNT debut in Nashville, forward Emma Sears was given her first start in the stadium where she plays professionally for Racing Louisville FC. And midfielder Rose Lavelle, who grew up in nearby Cincinnati, captained the squad for the third time in her career as she was honored for earning her 100th cap in June. Striker Jaedyn Shaw was the only repeat starter from Nashville to Louisville.

The U.S. faced an Argentina side ranked 33rd in the world and is eight months out from next summer’s Copa América Femenina. Las Albicelestes also fielded a relatively young side, starting three teenagers, five players who came in with fewer than 10 caps and just one, captain and center back Aldana Cometti (85), who had more than 50.

The refreshed USA kicked off with high energy as it sought to build chemistry and its smothering counter press was effective early in keeping Argentina hemmed in. It was up to the midfield of Lavelle, Lindsey Horan and Hal Hershfelt to find the combination that might unlock the deep-lying visitors. A couple of impressively mazy dribbling runs by Sears, who was playing on the right flank, also created some promising first-half havoc.

Ultimately, it was a long, 37th-minute free kick from Lavelle that helped kickstart the USA and get Girma her cathartic goal. Lavelle’s dangerous delivery dropped between Cometti and Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra. They nearly collided as Cometti stretched to volley the ball back into the six-yard box, where Girma was all alone to head it home cleanly. The third-year San Diego Wave star’s first professional goal came in her 42nd USWNT appearance.

The USA doubled its lead in the 44th minute on a play featuring the same trio. A Lavelle corner kick set the table, and this time Girma met the ball at the near post and headed it toward the center of the goal mouth. Cometti was there and tried to clear it, but wound up firing it into the unguarded net.

Lavelle left to applause a couple minutes into the second half and was replaced by Korbin Albert. The ovation had barely subsided when Girma sparked another one with her second goal of the night, and of her career. This one required a more difficult finish as Malonson fired a cross from the left and Girma, while moving forward, ducked her head, lunged and headed the ball from about 10 yards out, lopping it into the upper right corner of the net.

Malonson became the second American in two games to notch an assist in her National Team debut, following Sears from three days earlier. That had never happened in program history.

The USA remained in comfortable control for the remainder of the evening and finished with an 18-4 advantage in shots and a 69%-31% lead in possession. The USA is now 17W-1L-3D in 2024 and 12W-0L-1D under Hayes.

The USWNT will reconvene in late November ahead of a pair of high-profile friendlies against decorated European powers. On Nov. 30, the USA will face 2023 Women’s World Cup runner-up and 2022 European champion England in a showdown between the sport’s two top-ranked sides at Wembley Stadium in London. Three days later on Dec. 3, the Americans will close out 2024 with a visit to 2019 World Cup silver medalist and 2017 European champion Netherlands, ranked 11th in the world, at ADO Den Haag Stadium in The Hague.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA – Naomi Girma, 37th minute: Rose Lavelle’s high free kick from about 45 yards out fell between Argentine center back Aldana Cometti and goalkeeper Solana Pereyra. Cometti volleyed the ball out of the air as Pereyra was racing over to catch it. It popped toward Girma, who was racing into the six-yard box. She nodded it unopposed into the empty net. USA 1, ARG 0

USA – Own Goal (Aldana Cometti), 44th minute: Rose Lavelle’s corner kick from the right was flicked by Naomi Girma at the near post. Argentina center back Aldana Cometti got her foot to it but could only redirect it from close range into the unprotected net. USA 2, ARG 0

USA – Naomi Girma (Alyssa Malonson), 49th minute: A long cross from Sears floated all the way through the penalty area and reached Ashley Sanchez on the left. She turned and knocked it wide to an overlapping Alyssa Malonson and her low cross was redirected beautifully by Girma, who headed it into the upper right corner from about eight yards. USA 3, ARG 0 FINAL

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The U.S. closes the year with a record of 11W-1L-3D on home soil, outscoring the opposition 36-9 in while keeping nine clean sheets.
• The U.S. has won all six meetings with Argentina, outscoring the South Americans by a combined 35-1 with shutouts in the past five matches.
• It is the first time since Nov. 27, 2021, that the U.S. has had three or more players earn their first cap in the same game. In that match, Casey Murphy, Ashley Sanchez, Morgan Weaver and Bethany Balcer all made their international debuts as the USA defeated Australia 3-0 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
• Withthree debuts tonight, the USWNT has now had 10 players earn their first cap in 2024, the most in a calendar year since 2013 when Christen Press, Kristie Mewis, Julie Ertz, Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, Ashlyn Harris, Morgan Brian, Erika Tymrak, Leigh Ann Robinson and Amber Brooks all debuted.
• The seven first caps this international window – two in Austin (Hershfelt and Ryan), two in Nashville (Sams and Sears) and three in Louisville (Gaetino, Haught and Malonson) — mark the first time since 2001 that the U.S. has had seven or more players earn their first cap in a single international window.
• The last time the USWNT had seven or more players debut in any three-game stretch was late in 2016 when Andi Sullivan, Casey Krueger, Abby Dahlkemper, Ashley Hatch and Lynn Williams all debuted on Oct. 19 against Switzerland. Kealia Ohai debuted four days later on Oct. 23, and Jessica McDonald earned her first cap in the USA’s next game against Romania on Nov. 10, 2016.
• Haught became the 27th goalkeeper to earn a cap in USWNT history and just the third in the past five years (Aubrey Kingsbury in 2022, Casey Murphy in 2021).
• Haught became the ninth goalkeeper in USWNT history to record a clean sheet in her debut and the third consecutive goalkeeper to kick off her international career with a shutout.
• Malonson is the 17th player in USWNT history to register an assist in her first cap.

– U.S. WOMENS NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Argentina
Date: October 30, 2024
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky.
Attendance: 13,543 (Sold Out)
Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. ET
Weather: 72 degrees, clear

Lineups:

USA: 21-Mandy Haught; 8-Hailie Mace (23-Emily Fox, 61), 4-Naomi Girma, 22-Eva Gaetino (12-Emily Sams 70), 25-Alyssa Malonson (20-Casey Krueger, 70); 19-Hal Hershfelt, 16-Rose Lavelle (Capt.) (3-Korbin Albert, 48), 10-Lindsey Horan (9-Mallory Swanson, 61); 26-Emma Sears, 15-Jadeyn Shaw, 2-Ashley Sanchez

Substitutes Not Used: 1-Alyssa Naeher, 5-Jenna Nighswonger, 6-Lynn Williams, 11-Sophia Smith, 14-Emily Sonnett, 17-Sam Coffey, 18-Casey Murphy

Head coach: Emma Hayes

ARG: 1-Solana Pereyra; 14-Catalina Roggerone, 6-Aldana Cometti (Capt.), 3-Milagros Martin (8-Margarita Gimenez, 86); 13-Sophia Braun, 16-Sofia Dominguez (18-Carolina Troncoso, 73), 5-Vanina Preininger (4-Anela Nigito, 87), 2-Adriana Sachs; 10-Dalila Ippolito (17-Marianela Szymanowski, 63), 9-Kishi Nuñez (11-Yamila Rodriguez, 63), 15-Maricel Pereyra (20-Chiara Singarella, 87)

Substitutes Not Used: 12-Abigail Chaves, 19-Agostina Holzheier

Head coach: Germán Portanova

Stats Summary: USA / ARG
Shots: 18 / 4
Shots on Goal: 6 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 9 / 1
Fouls: 9 / 12
Offside: 5 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Karen Hernandez Andrade (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Jessica Fernanda Morales (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Elva Gutierrez Martinez (MEX)
4th Official: Alex Billeter (USA)

Woman of the Match: Naomi Girma