Golden’s Lindsey Horan named co-captain of USWNT for World Cup

It’s been a whirlwind last three weeks for Lindsey Horan.

An engagement, a new club team, and now? The soccer honor of a lifetime was confirmed Friday as head coach Vlatko Andonovski picked the Golden native as one of two captains along with teammate Alex Morgan for the United States Women’s National Team’s FIFA Women’s World Cup squad. The tournament will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20-Aug. 20.

Horan, 29, will become just the second-ever Coloradan to captain the USWNT at a World Cup, joining Denver native April Heinrichs who did so at the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991.

A veteran of the 2019 World Cup-winning team, she has captained the U.S. on nine occasions and first wore the armband in October 2021 for her 100th national team appearance. She’s made 127 appearances overall, scoring 27 goals. Horan recently made a permanent transfer to play for Olympique Lyonnais in France after spending the last two seasons there on loan from the Portland Thorns, where she helped win three trophies, including a Women’s UEFA Champions League in 2022.

U.S. Soccer confirmed that when both players are on the field together, it will be Horan wearing the armband.

“We have a lot of leaders on this team among the young players and the veteran players, and among those, Lindsey and Alex have vast experience in big games, and they understand what it takes to win at the highest levels,” Andonovski said in a statement. “They are ultimate professionals and understand all the factors that go into having a united and motivated team. I know they will represent us well on and off the field at the World Cup.”

She has worn the armband on big occasions such as the CONCACAF W Championship group stage versus Jamaica last year, as well as a friendly against England at a sold-out Wembley Stadium last October. Morgan most recently captained the team at the 2023 SheBelieves Cup and also wore it as she made her 200th cap in the USA’s final match of 2022.

The duo will take over for “Players’ Captain” Becky Sauerbrunn, who was expected to wear the armband but will miss the tournament with a foot injury. Only 18 players across the 38-year history of the program have ever worn the armband, and it will undoubtedly be a big test for the Golden native as she will look to lead the U.S. to a third consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup title.

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