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Naomi Girma is going to play at home in Northern California with the U.S. national team later this month for the first time since a send-off game for the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Coach Emma Hayes announced Wednesday that Girma, who was born in San Jose and played at nearby Stanford, will be on the roster when the U.S. plays the first of three matches against Japan on April 11 at San Jose’s Pay Pal Park.
Her last U.S. national team appearance in her hometown was in a 2-0 victory over Wales ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
“Playing for the national team in the Bay always just feels like kind of surreal, and seeing a lot of people who come to support me, who were there when I was playing club soccer, just playing for fun, and being like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that we’re all here and we’ve made it this far.’ So it always is really special for me,” Girma said.
Girma's Stanford teammate Sophia Wilson was named to her first roster in 15 months after taking last year off for the birth of her daughter. Defender Tierna Davidson, who tore her ACL last season, will also return.
“I think it’s a great test for us,” Girma said about Japan. “They’re a great side, just won the Asian Cup. And I think they’re very organized in their defense, but then also in their attack and they bring something different to a lot of other opponents that we play. So I think it’s always a good test for us to measure ourselves against them.”
Girma plays professionally in England for Chelsea. She joined the Women's Super League club in early 2025 on a $1.1 million transfer from the San Diego Wave. This past weekend the defender scored her first WSL goal in a 4-3 victory over Aston Villa to move the Blues in to second in the standings behind Manchester City.
She made her debut for the national team in 2022. She has appeared in 52 games with the United States and played on the squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Wilson was left off the U.S. roster for the recent SheBelieves Cup as she worked her way back from maternity leave with her club team, the Portland Thorns. Wilson has played in 58 games for the national team, scoring 24 goals, including three at the Olympics in France.
After the match in San Jose, the series against Japan will move to Seattle's Lumen Field on April 14. The final game is set for April 17 at Dick's Sporting Good's Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
The roster by position with club affiliation:
Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United).
Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Angel City), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave).
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes).
Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns).
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
