Win or Lose Against Sweden, It’s Been a Banner Year for Lindsey Horan

MELBOURNE – Ever since my disabilities took hold of me several years ago, I have been re-reading a soft cover book titled “The Art of Healing: Notes for Life.” It is authored by a gifted writer, Sanhita Baruah. One of my favorite quotes in the book is “Good things take time, great things take a little longer.”

Last week, while having the privilege of covering Team USA’s 2023 Women’s World Cup opener in Auckland, New Zealand, I was watching Lindsey Horan joyously warm up with her teammates through my camera lens.

I was certainly pinching myself and reflecting on that insightful quote. And I have to believe that on any given day, Horan thinks the same: Good things take time, great things take a little longer.

Lindsey Horan attended Colorado’s oldest high school, Golden High. It is home to the Demons, probably because the spirits that the local native Arapahoe Indians believed lived in Clear Creek Valley.

The top knotch high school’s fight song goes sometimes like this:

We are the Demons ever Glorious; We always fight with heads held high. And we will BE triumphant ever again, Because that’s the Golden Way! Fight on! Fight on!

I can envision Horan singing the song at a school assembly or at a rambunctious pep-rally. 

And we often see Horan fighting on with her head held high on the pitch.

Her many accomplishments as an athlete and good citizen are proudly on display in her home town’s history museum.

She developed her soccer skills within the respected Colorado Rush Youth Soccer Club. 

Horan’s soccer talents caught the attention of both university scouts and professional teams. She elected to pursue the latter and played for the Paris-Saint Germain Football Club for the four seasons, right out of twelfth grade.

“Colorado Rush obviously was my youth club and they’ve given me a lot.”  She credits the clubs professionalism.and nuturing environment for her development and personal growth. 

Rush instills these eleven values into its membership: Accountability, Advice, Empathy, Enjoyment, Humility, Leadership, Passion, Respect, Safety, Tenacity and Unity.

“I think the way that they teach their players on how they need to be, their core values is something that really prepares us for where we’re at today, and really prepared me.”

Horan enjoys making appearances at Colorado Rush field house in West Denver especially during the Christmas season.

The club hosts a winter camp for college-age men being recruited for the Flatiron’s Colorado Rush Pro Development team that Joe Webb directs.

“Anytime that I can go back and see these young players or go play with the boys who can, you know sometimes kick my butt, I want to. It’s just really cool system we have… The amount that they gave me, I always want to give back and I think I could say as a young player there we had a bunch of alums that would always make their way back and make appearances and have someone, especially us young players, to look up to. I feel like I’ve always wanted to be that for someone else.”

Horan raves about her youth-era mentors Tim Schultz and Eric Bushey. Bushey is the current head coach of Colorado Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro.

Schultz persuaded her to tryout the club’s U-12 Nike team. She did and her potential shined in training sessions, games and in regional tournaments.

As an international football organization, Rush Soccer has developed relationships with numerous clubs throughout the world. One could say that they are a feeder program not only to universities but also to professional teams. 

While she was still in high school, Schultz learned that Olympique Lyonnais Féminin FC was interested in having her come in as a trialist. Horan and her parents were a bit apprehensive, however, with the support of then the club’s technical director, Eric Bushey, they traveled to France and the trial was game on. 

Bushey has stated previously, that the outcome was all the result of Horan’s solid tryout and the good work then Rush Soccer Board President and Frenchman, Jerome de Bontin.

Lyon offered her a contract, however, after considerable deliberation, she passed on the offer, well until another time in her promising future.

She returned to Colorado and graduated from high school. Sometime during her senior year, Paris Saint-Germain FC came courting, and so, with a six-figure proposal. She weighed all her option, including attending a D1 college, and decided to pursue her dream to play professionally in Europe.

In July 2012, Horan signed on and she launched her career.

The overall experience was trying for the then youngster, and a far cry from everyday gratifying. Much has been discussed and written about Horan hardship while a member of the PSG organization.  

Through it all, she did score 46 goals in 58 appearances.

Perhaps she turned to her family and closest friends, her faith, the fight song or the values that she was taught by her Rush Soccer Club mentors to get through many difficult days in Europe.

Whatever, whichever, she persisted, and fulfilled her four-year contract and obligations, then outright left Paris and moved to a more welcoming club, coaching staff and women’s league in the United States. 

Horan joined the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Portland Thorns in 2016. Here she bolstered self-confidence, mojo and love of the world’s game. The team’s passionate fan-base embraced her, as did greater Portland and beyond.

In 88 regular-season games Horan scored 25 goals and delivered nine assists. In 2018, she was crowned the league’s Most Valuable Player. She was a two-time NWSL Best XI selection (2018, 2019) and earned NWSL Best XI Second Team honors twice (2017, 2021) and was the 2017 NWSL Championship game MVP. 

She helped the club capture two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), an NWSL Championship (2017), NWSL Challenge Cup (2021).

At the same time, she was soaking up the moments while making a name for herself when wearing the Red, White and Blue colors for the senior Women’s National Team. 

First it was head coach, Jill Ellis, who believed in her and gave Horan the green light to express herself on the pitch. Today, it is Vlatko Andonovski who the believer. He demonstrates that by now consistently inserting her into the team’s starting lineup.

Horan has come miles since her first cap in March 2013 against China PR. So far that last month Andonovski named her a co-captain of his World Cup side.

During her second attempt to develop into an American star in Europe, she has brought her accomplishments, grit and values to Olympique Lyonnais FC.

In 2022, she was loaned out to Lyon on a 18-month deal. Last month she inked a contract that will keep her there until June of 2026. The Thorns gave her the blessings and in turn will benefit byway of €250,000 transfer fee, plus a player-performance bonus that could ultimately deliver a tidy sum of over $325,000 to the organization.

In return, Lyon secured the services of the Great Horan who helped them win the Division 1 Féminine league now twice, the 2022-23 Coupe de France Féminine, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. 

When the transaction was completed, Thorns’ general manager. stated, “Since Lindsey left on loan for France we have remained in contact and continued the dialogue about her return to Portland.” She added, “In our discussions, Lindsey expressed her desire to remain there long term and continue that journey. She has our full support, and we are grateful for all the success she has helped bring to this club.”

Within days of the deal being closed, Horan received yet another proposal. This time the offer came from her soulmate, Tyler Heaps who asked for her hand in marriage while he was down on his left knee.

Heaps is head of sporting technology & insights at AS Monaco. He caught the attention of Horan when he was director of sporting analytics at the United States Soccer Federation.

In a matter of a hours, Horan will once again stand tall when The Star-Spangled Banner is played, then pull up her captain’s armband, and go into her two-way mode of tenacious operation for the Lady Yanks. 

This is Horan’s second World Cup tournament. In 2019, she was on the winning end of the field when the final whistle blew. The U.S. defeated a tough Netherlands team 2-0.

U.S. Soccer produced this video that speaks to the genuine Horan:

During the Women’s World Cup, millions of eyes have been tracking the team’s #10. The jersey number that her mentor, Carli Lloyd, passed on to her last October before she retired from international play.

Horan hasn’t looked back since the momentous day. If anything, she has stepped up her game and responsibilities both on and off of the field.

And that makes perfect sense, for as they say in Rush clubhouses: “Where the Trails of Passion and Purpose Meet, Begins the Path to Victory.” 

Play On, Lindsey Horan!

Photo Credit: John Babiak.

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