Lindsey Horan caused a stir when she criticized both American soccer fans and NWSL players in a recent interview.
Ten years after her first international appearance with the US women’s national team, Horan earned the captain’s armband ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. But the tournament ended in disappointment.
The USWNT entered as two-time defending World Cup champions, but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden in a penalty shootout. A changing of the guard came shortly after: Vlatko Andonovski resigned as head coach in August.
Another big tournament is approaching, with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the horizon. Emma Hayes will take the reins as coach in May after completing her final season with Chelsea. Until then, co-captains Horan and Alex Morgan have work to do, if they remain in their leadership positions.
Horan came under fire in early February after revealing her opinion of American soccer fans and NWSL players in an interview with The Athletic. The 29-year-old midfielder plays for French club Lyon, although she played for NWSL side Portland Thorns for six years until a loan move took her abroad in 2022.
“American football fans, most of them are not smart. They don’t know the game. “They don’t understand it,” he said. “(But) it’s getting better and better.”
While soccer knowledge is growing in the United States, Horan continued, Americans often rely on commentators to guide their opinions. On the other hand, French fans know the game and are less dependent on the help of announcers.
“From what I have heard, people understand my game a little more, the meaning of my football and my way of playing. It’s French culture. Everyone watches football. “People know football,” Horan said.
Alexi Lalas, who worked as a soccer analyst for Fox during last year’s World Cup, criticized Horan’s statement on social media. The relative lack of popularity of soccer in the United States compared to Europe could mean that average American fans know more about the game, Lalas argued in a social media post.
So, not content with discouraging many Americans who don’t watch football, evidently the #USWNT now he has set his sights on discouraging many Americans who do watch football. Bold strategy. https://t.co/oBHEDTglj4
– Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) February 2, 2024
In fact, I think American soccer fans are possibly some of the most educated, interesting, and well-rounded fans in the sport. In a country where soccer is not king, American soccer fans have often had to seek out and discover the game, domestically and internationally. This proactive…
– Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) February 2, 2024
Additionally, Horan criticized how some NWSL teams handle pre-match photos to announce their starting lineup. While some teams take photos with players in simple poses, players on other teams pose in funny or silly ways.
What’s your favorite photo of Spirit’s starting XI? ? ?
? @WashedSpirit pic.twitter.com/81gFBH8V4O— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) May 11, 2023
“I want professionalism,” Horan said. “Those little things really irritated me. I don’t think I can do it, and maybe I’m wrong for saying that, I don’t know. It just bothers me. We put a lot into this game and sometimes it’s like a joke.
“We need to get back to football. Football is the most important thing.”
Carli Lloyd, Horan’s former UWSNT teammate and a Fox Sports analyst alongside Lalas, defended her former teammate.
Love this article… Proud of you. @LindseyHoran! ???
“We need to get back to football. “Football is the most important thing,” says Horan. So maybe we should remove some of the things for now. “We need to focus on the game, we need to focus on being the best we can be.” https://t.co/7NkwpVI74Y—Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) February 1, 2024
