U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Horan is no stranger to high-pressure games, and the friendly against England on Saturday is no different.
“These are the games that we thrive in,” she said to gathered media a day before the fixture. “We love the pressured moments and I think it’s got to be one of the most entertaining games for you to see.”
Having won all three of their international friendlies since they were crowned Olympic champions this summer, there’s no doubt the USWNT have turned a corner under new head coach Emma Hayes.
Outlining what she’d like to see from her team under the lights at Wembley Stadium, Hayes explained: “I think for us, we like to layer on from camp to camp, the tactical developments to help us keep improving on both sides of the ball. So I always want to see that first and foremost.
“And when you don’t get a lot of time, you have to maximise that with the right type of things in training, so we’re intentional to do that. Ideally, we see some of that progression first. Secondly, just the development of our talent pool.
"This is not an easy environment to come and for some players, this might be their first, their second or maybe even third camp. The more settled they become, and more familiar with the way that we are playing to see their development, whether that’s from a starting position or they’re coming on from the bench.
“And most importantly, that we keep upholding the traditions that have made this program so successful, and that is to keep pushing the envelope, not just on the pitch but off the pitch. It’s another step for us against an opponent that’s going to test us, that’s really going to push us and I know the players are really excited about.”
Prior to traveling to France for the Olympic Games, former Women’s Super League manager Hayes had only taken on her new position for two months. Lyon’s Horan commended her ability to give the team “poise and confidence” during the tournament, before describing her as a “really special leader”.
“I think you have just a little bit of time to prepare for the Olympics,” she added. “And to be in these camps, the teachable moments are so crucial. I, you know, as a veteran, I’m still learning and I’m growing as a player and I think that’s the coolest thing for me.”
The U.S. will be coming up against European champions England, whose performances during their recent international friendlies have come under fire, while coach Sarina Wiegman has received criticism from some. However, Hayes believes the clash will be a “top tactical matchup between two sides”.
“There’s a lot of quality players and I don’t think there’s anything that separates England that we haven’t faced before,” said the former Chelsea boss. “We faced Germany in the summer, Japan and Brazil, a different side. That’s international football. This is going to be a great occasion at Wembley with more than 80,000 tickets sold.”
Commenting on the huge number of attendees expected to flock to northwest London on Saturday, Hayes was insistent it will certainly be a moment to “celebrate how far” women’s football has come.
“I know we’ve got a thriving league in the National Women’s Soccer league, much like the WSL,” she noted. “I think it’s fair to say that both countries are committed to women’s sport and developing the women’s game.
“As always, we talk about the things we need to keep doing to improve it, but I think we need to celebrate how far we’ve come and having 80,000 paid fans to watch a great matchup isn’t just a sign of great progress, but it shows the Three Lionesses are sustaining a lot and being able to play at Wembley so often.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT Captain Lindsey Horan Ready to ‘Thrive’ Against England in Friendly.
