In early May, Fox Sports soccer commentator Stu Holden bluntly told Fox News Digital that the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) would be a “failure” if they failed to reach the Olympic finals in Paris.
“you should [be] “I went into that tournament expecting to win and would consider it a failure if I didn’t make the final,” Holden said at the time.
Lindsey Horan, captain of the U.S. women’s national team, which will compete in her third Olympic Games next month, was asked by Fox News Digital whether she agreed with Holden’s comments.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
United States player Lindsey Horan sings the national anthem before the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group E match between Portugal and USA at Eden Park, Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland/New Zealand on August 1, 2023. (Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
She smiled and then answered.
“I’m happy about that because I think it gives a good idea of how he feels about our national team,” Horan said. Francis Ford Coppola Winery And earlier this week the Diamond Collection was released.
“Again, there’s no added pressure here. We keep talking about the process we’ve had to prepare for this Olympics, everything we’ve done. Now we’ll just move forward and take it one match at a time toward the Olympics. But at the end of the day, this is the U.S. Women’s National Team and we want to be on the podium at the end of the tournament and win a gold medal.”
U.S. Women’s National Team Captain Lindsey Horan explains why she’ll ‘always sing the national anthem’ ahead of the Paris Olympics
The clear goal for the U.S. women’s national team is to finish the Olympics with a gold medal, but in the past two trips that’s been easier said than done.
In Horan’s first Olympics, the U.S. national team lost to Sweden in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals, then in Tokyo, the U.S. failed to score a goal in a 1-0 loss to eventual gold medal winner Canada.
Although Horan made it onto the podium by defeating Australia in the third-place deciding match to win the bronze medal, it’s not quite the same thing.
The U.S. Women’s National Team also had a disappointing performance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, suffering a shocking loss to Sweden in a penalty shootout in the round of 16.
This has left the world asking the question: Is the U.S. Women’s National Team still the dominant force it has always been?
Lyon and United States’ Lindsey Horan during the loss in the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2023/24 Final between FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais at Estadio de San Mames on May 25, 2024 in Bilbao, Spain. (Jose Breton/Pix Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
U.S. women’s national team legend Carli Lloyd took to social media to say the world had caught up with the U.S., while Horan offered her own take.
“I think it’s a matter of how you interpret that statement, and I think some people have a hard time doing so,” Horan explained. “The rest of the world has caught up, and when I say caught up, I mean that they’ve now reached the level that we’ve reached in how many major championships. How many World Cup finals have we reached, how many major championships have we reached? How many times do you think the U.S. has been ranked No. 1 in the world?”
U.S. Paralympian Ezra Fresh talks philanthropy and role modeling ahead of Paris Games
“That’s what I want. I want the competition to get better and better, so that going to a major tournament and winning it becomes even more special. Again, I think it’s a matter of perspective. I’m really proud of the current form of women’s football, with so many teams getting stronger and so many games becoming more competitive. Playing Portugal at the World Cup may not have been the toughest game in the group stage, but it was a really tough game for us. So that’s the way I want to look at it.”
“But at the end of the day, we want the U.S. National Team to get back to the top, and we’re going to do everything in our power to get there.”
This is a new era for the U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team, especially with Alex Morgan not being selected for the Olympics by new head coach Emma Hayes, marking the first time she will miss a major international tournament since 2008. Of course, Megan Rapinoe has also finished her time on the pitch with the U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team, and Julie Ertz is moving on.
United States player Lindsey Horan, wearing number 10, looks on during the first half of the game against South Korea at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 4, 2024. (David Berding/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Click here to get the FOX News app
At 30, Horan is the veteran of a young but motivated team, and while transition and change are inevitable, the team’s goal remains the same: a gold medal in Paris.
Perhaps winning the precious metal will remind everyone just how dominant the U.S. Women’s National Team is.
Follow Fox News Digital X’s sports coverage,subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
