The U.S. women's national team have begun the World Cup as the favorites to once again defend their crown after winning four years ago in France. The players who emerged victorious in that tournament will forever be acknowledged for their remarkable contributions, but as the summer competition unfolds, a transformation is taking place within the squad's composition.
Only nine players from the 2019 squad were retained and will feature in 2023. Although injuries played their part in preventing certain players from being selected, it is still a relatively inexperienced squad. Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarina Macario and Mallory Swanson will miss out because of long-term injuries; Carli Lloyd retired from international duty; others were simply not selected due to age or form, replaced by newer counterparts. This puts a bigger emphasis on the experience of the retained players to lead their younger teammates such as Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson and Sophia Smith, who are navigating their way through their first major tournament.
Enter Lindsey Horan.
Few players capture the imagination on the pitch the way she does. The Lyon midfielder has entered this World Cup as the engine and leader of the midfield in what looks to be a new, era-defining time for the USWNT. Given the changes in the squad and the lack of stress testing, Horan must be a multifaceted player who can come up with solutions for any problem they face and counteract the variety of styles they will come up against.
- Meet the USWNT: What you need to know about all 23 players
- Group by group predictions, picks
- Women's World Cup: Schedule | Rosters | News
Horan might just be the most important player for the USWNT at the World Cup. Here's why.
Midfield composition
The USWNT's games in the lead-up to the World Cup saw coach Vlatko Andonovski rotate his midfield to find the best combination. Horan, Andi Sullivan, Rose Lavelle, Ashley Sanchez and Kristie Mewis are tried and tested. Julie Ertz's return to the team left her as the expected first-choice defensive midfielder, she started at center-back against Vietnam. Savannah DeMelo had never appeared for the senior national team before being selected to the World Cup squad.
It's notable that despite such tumult, Horan started every game but one.
The general approach from opposition teams will be to sit back, soak up pressure and play the U.S. on the counterattack. The major reason for this is to limit space to work in and force the U.S. into finding alternative solutions. Just looking at the USWNT's group stage opponents, you can already see the stark difference in approaches they might take. The Netherlands will look to play a more aggressive style of football with intense pressing measures along with quick counterattacking methods, whereas Portugal will likely heavily defend their 18-yard box, an approach Vietnam used in the Americans' 3-0 win on Friday night.
Football, however, is not a linear sport -- it's an ever-evolving game that presents different scenarios that need to be dealt with in the moment to steer the team toward the game plan. The U.S. will encounter changing scenarios from the first minute of every game and will need to be at their tactical best to navigate such situations. This is where Horan becomes such an important contributor in making the midfield click.
Her position is usually on the right of a midfield three, as Andonovski often plays with a flexible structure with the central midfielders given decisive roles in creating offensive opportunities. There's one aggressive, attacking midfielder playing closer to the box and one deeper player anchoring the midfield and protecting the back four. The third player is the pendulum that balances the two by providing whatever is required in between. Considering the wide players are often inside forwards who prefer to play closer to the box and take on the opposition full-backs, it is the responsibility of the central midfielders to become the creators-in-chief and devise passing and ball-carrying chances for the forwards to latch on to.
Progression and creativity
Movement and spatial awareness are essential at a midfield position, especially one that requires you to control the game. Players who can think fast and react quicker than their opponents can often execute moves that others might not see immediately. Horan is able to constantly lose her markers and create space for herself, but she is also the only player who actively moves into deeper areas to unsettle disciplined defenses and push them out of position.
It's from here that Horan is able to open up passing lanes and play those progressive passes or carry the ball herself. This explains why she is both an elegant ball carrier and a passer. She's able to get into positions early and not rely on just a single trait to complete a move.
These combined skills appeal to this U.S. midfield. Against Vietnam, Sullivan was tasked with shielding the back four and retaining possession, while DeMelo was given license to get forward and engage the opposition central markers. Horan's role from the right requires her to play as a deep-lying playmaker, controlling the tempo and providing the skills required for any given situation.
The statistics reflect Horan's profile. Her standout traits are progressive passes and carries, which shows that she loves to have the ball at her feet and does something meaningful with it. In the past year, Horan ranks in the 97th percentile for progressive passes at 8.10 per 90 minutes and in the 90th percentile for progressive carries at 1.92 per 90, according to FBref. The role not only requires immaculate technique but power and vision to find and create goal-scoring opportunities as well.
Take this passage of play against Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup: Horan receives possession on the right flank, coming up against a well-drilled side. Although there are three Brazilians blocking her view, Horan spots a vacant area on the right side of the opposition box with Sanchez in space to receive and create a chance. Just before delivering the pass, Horan steps back and threads through a delicate pass, taking out the Brazilians on that side. Sanchez picks up possession with ample time before sending in a low cross towards the six-yard box.
Opponents will no doubt try to nullify the U.S.'s three forwards -- Smith, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe -- who each prefer to play closer to the penalty area, particularly Smith, who thrives on line-breaking passes in behind the defensive lines. With space at a premium and congestion in and around the central areas, Horan will be relied upon to create in these types of opportunities, eventually allowing Morgan & Co. to finish off better goal-scoring chances and ultimately breaking down defenses.
Horan's spatial awareness can be viewed from another angle too. She can leverage the strengths of her teammates while still influencing the game off the ball. When teams are looking to close down the central areas, Horan has to find alternative solutions if passing opportunities are unavailable. She's quick on her feet and recognizes when things need to be changed and proactively takes up less obvious positions by making off-ball runs. The 29-year-old registered 6.18 progressive passes received, putting her in the 97th percentile, according to FBref. That marks her as someone who wants to be in aggressive positions to get the ball.
There is another example from the game against Brazil that sees Lavelle dribble through midfield, attracting several players toward her position, leaving the wide spaces vacant. Horan ghosts through from the middle toward the right flank and it's here the Lyon midfielder receives a pass in acres of space without any pressure from a Brazilian defender. Horan is able to send in a near-post cross to Morgan and although the striker fails to finish, Horan's smart movement and timing creates a chance out of an improbable situation.
The upcoming Netherlands match should prove decisive for the outcome of the group, and it's where Horan could take advantage of the aggressive movements of the Dutch midfield, potentially exploiting the spaces left in and around to attack their back four.
With a new generation of USWNT players coming through the system, Horan's leadership and experience will be more important than ever. She has been a creative spark throughout her career, and will once again need to step up if the U.S. are to reach the final stages of the World Cup.