Is Naomi Girma suffering from a beginner’s curse? In her debut game for Chelsea, the USWNT defender picked up an injury within an hour of play. That setback kept her out of contention for several weeks, making it seem as if the universe had pressed pause—until last night, when she finally returned to make her UEFA Women’s Champions League debut in the semifinal opener against Barcelona. That, too, unfortunately, ended in the worst possible way, as the Blues were thrashed 4-1. While much of the backlash over the defeat was directed at Girma, others quickly came to her defense.
Big money, bigger expectations—exactly the kind of problem that Girma is facing. Being acquired by Chelsea for a record transfer fee in the history of women’s soccer, more than a million dollars, the expectations of not just performing but proving her price tag have also piled up.
Regardless, the recent unfortunate defeat had put the 24-year-old into a negative limelight. This only forced ardent Girma supporters to fight back against all the negative criticism that has been surrounding their favorite player.
B-E-A-UTIFUL
Alexia’s five-star backheel is transformed by Claudia Pina into Barcelona’s 4th goal against Chelsea!
Watch the game live on DAZN and join the DAZN FanZone! https://t.co/dIfKpURfZv#UWCLonDAZN #EnjoyTheShow pic.twitter.com/xsVNxF0Yc1
— DAZN Women’s Football (@DAZNWFootball) April 20, 2025
Fans reactions
“Y’all mad at NAOMI GIRMA because someone else on the team lost their mark and didn’t even try to recover ??? She can’t do everyone’s job and was subbed on late, so f— off with that bs“
“Can’t believe we’re living in a world where Naomi Girma is hated on… truly the worst timeline”
“Naomi Girma is one of the most universally liked individuals to ever wear the US crest. Never heard anyone say anything bad about her here so the fact that after 2 performances in Europe coming back from injuries she’s been met with such vitriol is wild to me”
“Naomi Girma hate is FORCED, idc how she played, it’s probably her club fault.”
“Naomi Girma deserves so much more than Chelsea and the annoying fans I’m with you my goat.”
(This is a developing story…)
The post Naomi Girma Gains Fans’ Support Amid Brutal Backlash Post Chelsea’s ‘Disastrous’ UWCL Semi-Finals Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
