USWNT defender Naomi Girma as $1m transfer pioneer should surprise nobody

In soccer, defenders struggle to achieve the kinds of milestones that put them in the conversation as their sport’s best player. Their teammates are almost all better positioned for statistical records: goals scored by forwards, assists dished out by midfielders, or clean sheets kept by goalkeepers. Now, one of the best defenders in the world has found a unique way to make her case, with Naomi Girma set to make the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer history. On Tuesday, the San Dieg