SAN DIEGO, Calif. — With the glimmer of a well-deserved Concacaf W Gold Cup trophy in the hands of the U.S. women’s national team, it’s easy to forget that just weeks ago, the journey into the inaugural tournament began with a statement of regret from team captain Lindsey Horan.
“First and foremost, I would like to apologize to our fans,” said Horan days before the start of the W Gold Cup. “Some of my comments were poorly expressed and there was a massive lesson learned for me.”
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The issue? It all stemmed from an interview with The Athletic in which Horan stated: “American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart … They don’t know the game. They don’t understand.” The context is key here, and as she went on to note in the February article, the Lyon midfielder seemed to want to highlight how the sport is understood at a higher level in France during her time abroad.
Had she worded things differently, it could have been seen as more of a fair point, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. Horan and her teammates were not only getting ready for a new tournament, but also looking to bounce back after their worst finish in a major competition, having exited the 2023 Women’s World Cup in…
