USWNT's Hayes calls Girma best defender I've ever seen - ESPN

LYON, France — The forwards on the United States women's national team have gotten much of the attention during the run to the Olympic gold medal game, but Naomi Girma — the ever-present force in the heart of the team's defense — might be the team's most important player.

Without Girma's steady demeanor and always-on-time tackling in the past two knockout games, the Americans almost surely wouldn't have been in position to pull off their pair of dramatic victories.

«Look, she's the best defender I've ever seen,» USWNT coach Emma Hayes said after the team's 1-0 semifinal win over Germany on Tuesday. «I've never seen a player as good as her at the back. She's got everything, poise, composure, she can defend, she anticipates, she leads. [She's] unbelievable.»

Against Germany, Girma was everywhere: clearing crosses from in front of goal, back-stopping when Crystal Dunn surged forward, starting offensive moves (she began the sequence that led to Sophia Smith's winning goal) and tackling near goal whenever it was necessary.

Girma and the USWNT defense has allowed just two goals over five games at these Olympics, with shutouts in their past two matches.

Veteran goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher likened Girma to USWNT legend Becky Sauerbrunn, who made 219 appearances for the national team and was the rock of the team's backline.

«I think the world of Naomi,» Naeher said. «I think she plays just with a calmness and a steadiness and she reminds me a lot of Becky honestly — just [her] demeanor and the way she goes about and carries herself and digs in deep and gets the job done.»

Girma, who was part of the team that crashed out of the Women's World Cup a year ago, said she's most pleased to see the USWNT returning to the levels that she and