Neal: Naomi Girma returns to United States national team and rewards fans with her classiness

Footballers normally head straight for the locker room once the bus from the team hotel arrives at a stadium. Interactions with fans can be risky, even if security is ready to pounce if you just want to flick some lint off their shoulders.

United States women’s soccer team defender Naomi Girma stepped off the bus and was headed for the locker room at Allianz Field on Saturday when determined young fans kept screaming her name while holding out a gift.

“They were like, ‘Take this! Take this,’ ” Girma said. “So, I grabbed it.”

Girma looked at her right wrist as she spoke.

“I got a Girma bracelet,” she said. “I think it is really sweet when the fans come and bring us presents. And, honestly, we normally don’t stop on the way in.

“It’s a nice little [gift]. I feel like it’s a new tradition, probably since the Taylor Swift bracelet era.”

Girma wore a red, white and blue bracelet during the game, and went home with a second. The persistent fans were rewarded with an interaction with the most expensive women’s soccer player in the world.

After five months away from the program, Girma returned to the national team Saturday and marshalled the defense in a 3-0 victory over China. She went the entire 90 minutes and was even handed the captain’s armband for the final 13, impressive for just a 24-year old.

But Girma is that classy of a defender, with impeccable positioning and anticipation. That’s what Chelsea saw when it paid a record $1.1 million in January to the San Diego Wave for her talents. The transfer fee easily topped the old record of $805,000.

After recovering from a calf injury that forced her to miss a national team camp in January, Girma helped Chelsea win the Women’s Super League, FA Cup and League Cup.

It was not the strongest USA team on Saturday, as top players Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson (both on maternity leave) and Trinity Rodman (back) were unavailable. Also missing is my favorite player — for an obvious reason — Rose Lavelle (ankle).

There were some mainstays like Crystal Dunn and Lindsey Heaps with a bunch of players attempting to improve their status with coach Emma Hayes.

So Girma had teammates she isn’t used to playing with. Plus, Hayes has added some wrinkles to their approach while she was away. So these friendlies are serving a purpose.

In reality, those who are not used to playing with her got to see how one of the best defenders on the planet operates.

Even down a few regulars, Team USA was still able to dominate China, once an international power that has fallen down to minnow status. It’s stunning how the nation of 1.4 billion has a deteriorating program on its hands.

The Stars and Stripes possessed the ball for a whopping 70.1% of the match. Catarina Macario, who also received a bracelet before the game, pounced on a loose ball in the box in the 28th minute for the first goal. Macario set up Sam Coffey in the 35th and Heaps’ header in the 54th minute completed the scoring.

China was limited to four shot attempts, two on goal. Even if China believed at times that it could build momentum, Girma was sitting back as the final boss, a complete package of defense and who also initiated build ups with quick decisions and passes.

Coffey on Saturday referred to her as a security blanket.

“I think everybody sees it on the field,” Coffey said. “but off the field as well. She’s just a joy in this environment and just a light for us. We had missed her so much. And I thought she was exceptional today, as she always is. So it has been huge having her here.”

Team USA has another game on Tuesday in St. Louis against Jamaica before a pair of games against Ireland — one outside Denver on Jun 26 and the other in Cincinnati on June 29. Then there’s a July 2 battle with Canada in Washington, D.C.

Perhaps more bracelets are being made for Girma in anticipation of her arrivals.

“She didn’t realize how much she missed it until she drove up in the bus and saw the fans,” Hayes said, “But she’s a world class player and you can see that. And I think she brought something to our performance that I have been looking for. So, I’m delighted to have her back.”