Naomi Girma, a trailblazer in women’s soccer with her record-breaking transfer to Chelsea, faced an unfortunate turn of events during her first match for the club on Sunday. The highly anticipated debut concluded prematurely when the American defender was substituted due to an injury after 59 minutes in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw against Brighton. The specifics of the injury remain uncertain, and Chelsea’s coach, Sonia Bompastor, commented on the situation, stating, “We’ll need to assess her tomorrow, but it doesn’t look too bad, but we will see.”
Girma, who is 24 years old, transferred to Chelsea from San Diego Wave in January. The move was notable for its significant fee, reportedly reaching 900,000 pounds ($1.1 million), marking her as the first million-dollar player in women’s soccer. This transaction outstripped the previous world record set when Bay FC invested $788,000 in acquiring Zambia’s striker Rachael Kundananji from Madrid CFF the previous year.
During the Women’s Super League match at Brighton’s Broadfield Stadium, Girma was replaced by Nathalie Bjorn. Reflecting on Girma’s first match, Bompastor noted, “She’s learning about the league, the team, and her teammates. As you could see, the first game is never easy because it’s a competitive league. It was good for us to have her start this game, building minutes and being able to play with the team.”
Chelsea managed to secure a draw thanks to Lauren James, who scored the equalizer in the 61st minute. Earlier in the game, Chelsea had initially taken the lead through Sandy Baltimore’s goal in the 16th minute. However, Brighton’s Maris Olislagers and Vicky Losada turned the tables in the first half, putting Brighton ahead 2-1 with goals in the 22nd and 42nd minutes, respectively. Nevertheless, Chelsea maintains a strong position in the standings, standing five points clear of Manchester United.
