Four USWNT Stars in the WSL: Girma Waits for Minutes, Thompson Still Scoreless

In the 87th minute, Alyssa Thompson left the pitch in Chelsea's match against Birmingham City. No goal, no assist recorded on the stat sheet. A few metres away, Naomi Girma sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes, never called upon. The two images sat side by side on the same afternoon, and together they told a story the 2-0 scoreline could not: American internationals in the Women's Super League are moving through a transition, where their influence is no longer measured by familiar numbers.

Last season, people talked about Thompson in goals and about Phallon Tullis-Joyce in clean sheets. Three matchweeks into the new campaign, those headlines have become far rarer, even as four American players continue to shape games in their own way. The most telling issue right now is minutes played, not goals or clean sheets.

The WSL has become a staging post for American women's football. Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United have all brought in senior national team players, turning the English league into a proving ground ahead of major tournaments. The pressure is shared across four parties: players must justify their value, clubs must manage workload, and the national team must account for every minute.

Four stories below reveal that shift more clearly than any table.

Girma and a gap called minutes

The biggest story around Naomi Girma is the time she has not played. Three matchweeks in, the American centre-back is still waiting for her league debut. In the 2-0 win over Birmingham City, she was an unused substitute.

Her chances have instead come in the Champions League, where she played all 180 minutes of the two qualifying legs against Real Sociedad and scored in the 5-2 first-leg win. Those outings show she can still contribute. Her absence from domestic action leaves questions about her place in Chelsea's plans. The London club has yet to see the best of Girma consistently, and that limited role is worth watching from a USWNT perspective.

Girma anchors the American defence, and with the Women's World Cup drawing closer, regular minutes would be a welcome step for one of the team's most important players. The most important part of any deal is never written into the contract; it is whether the player actually gets on the pitch.

Thompson and effectiveness without goals

A year ago at this stage, Thompson was on the brink of becoming one of Chelsea's most prolific young scorers. This year the story is different.

Thompson has yet to score, but she has been effective and arguably more complete as a player. Against Birmingham City she produced a strong 87-minute performance. She did not find the net, yet she had plenty of chances and was directly involved in the move that opened the scoring in the eighth minute.

Thompson forced a save from Birmingham City goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley from close range, and the rebound became the opening goal for Lexi Potter. She kept influencing the attack, had another shot blocked, set up Ellie Carpenter for an effort, and delivered the cross for Sjoeke Nüsken's first-half header off the bar. Chelsea won 2-0 with 72 percent possession, and Thompson was central to that dominance without appearing on the personal scoresheet.

For the USWNT, club-level consistency matters most, even when it is expressed differently than before.

Tullis-Joyce and six saves

Tullis-Joyce was one of Manchester United's standout performers in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, making six saves as her side faced 17 shots. Her biggest stops came against Stina Blackstenius and Caitlin Foord, keeping United ahead until Arsenal's stoppage-time equaliser.

With seven USWNT caps and five clean sheets, she has established herself in Emma Hayes' goalkeeper pool. Performances like this against strong opposition only strengthen her case for a regular starting role.

Her distribution remains the biggest area for improvement. United's direct style plays to her strengths, but offers fewer chances to develop the composure and passing range needed to act as an extra defender when building from the back.

Coffey, 28 minutes that changed the tempo

Sam Coffey came on in the 62nd minute of Manchester City's 4-2 comeback win over Liverpool, replacing Laura Blindkilde Brown as City looked to regain control after falling behind 2-1.

The American midfielder played the final 28 minutes. She recorded no goal or assist, but brought fresh energy to midfield as City pushed on and scored twice late. Being the steady, reliable player a coach can turn to when a match needs settling is a value of its own. Making an impact does not always mean getting on the scoresheet; sometimes it means helping teammates find rhythm and giving those around you a platform to push forward.

Coffey has played just 71 minutes across City's first three WSL matches, all from the bench as she works her way into a crowded midfield. From a USWNT perspective, the question is how that role develops, and whether these contributions can help her make the case for a starting spot.

The contrarian view: press releases do not tell the whole truth

I once followed a season in France where player injuries were announced according to the communications department's schedule. Clubs share only what suits them, and every remaining silence is filled with speculation. Limited medical information leaves fans and media in the dark, while the club keeps full control over how the story is framed.

Girma not playing in the WSL could be load management, or it could be a signal about the pecking order. Nobody in Chelsea's press operation confirms either. At 58, I write more slowly so I can hear what people do not say in a press conference.

The second blind spot lies in how we read a forward. Goals are a convenient metric, easy to count, easy to headline. But a player who forces a save from which the goal then comes is not credited in the ledger. Statistics record consequences, not causes. Thompson created that cause in the eighth minute.

The next pieces on the board

There are nights when you see history change colour, and you realise you have grown old. At 21, Thompson is redefining her value outside the box. At 26, Girma is waiting for a starting place she should not have to wait for. The next matchweek will answer the simplest and hardest question: who is genuinely in Chelsea's plans, and can a centre-back hold World Cup form on two Champions League games alone?