For the USWNT, the buck stops at captain Lindsey Horan. While it is USWNT’s forward trio and defensive wall Naomi Girma who has garnered the most attention this Olympic tournament, the one who led by example with her boosted spirits in the locker room was their captain. Speaking about the team’s milestone win in a post-game presser, coach Emma Hayes called the world’s attention to the “leader” Horan’s activities behind the scenes, prompting the latter to tearfully thank her former Chelsea boss.

First, Horan heaped praises on Emma Hayes and her coaching staff for leading Team USA to an Olympic gold, despite spending just two months in the US camp. After Horan’s speech, Hayes intervened and shed light on the former’s leadership acumen.

“This leader beside me, you don’t see all the work she does off of the pitch. You don’t see all the conversations she has, whether it’s to help nurture a young player. Or whether it’s to settle nerves or to remind people of their confidence or to push back on the things that matter most. And she has put performance first, she has put winning first,” said Hayes after their 1-0 against Brazil.

Continuing her emotional speech on captain Horan, Hayes added, “She took hard decisions with the players and I really admire that in her. I can see not only why she’s the leader of this team but she made my job so much easier because she was firm with everyone but also very fair.” Thereafter, she not-so-subtly urged soccer enthusiasts to give credit to Horan, when it’s due.  “I’m delighted for Lindsey because she deserves that and doesn’t get doesn’t always get the credit she deserves and it’s been an honor for me to work with her,” the British coach added.

Lindsey Horan immediately broke down in tears and hugged Emma Hayes, who assured her she meant what she said. For Horan, though, this appreciation comes at a truly exceptional time. From navigating endless controversies to treading unsteady waters followed by a worst-ever World Cup exit as co-captain alongside Alex Morgan, it’s not like Horan was in everybody’s good books.

And who can forget her infamous comments about the average American soccer fan, just months after taking over captaincy? In an interview with The Athletic, albeit innocently, the midfielder had angered fans by saying, “American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart… They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. (But) it’s getting better and better.” Naturally, an apology failed to impress audiences. Come the Paris Olympics, Horan’s job wasn’t just playing soccer. It was playing a beautiful game of soccer as she likes to put it.

And with that “beautiful” plan in mind, the USWNT captain has already set her eyes on the 2027 World Cup campaign in Brazil.

Emma Hayes’ stunning Olympic start inspires Horan and others for the next World Cup

Before coach Emma Hayes delivered her emotional speech about the USWNT skipper, Lindsey Horan expressed awe at Hayes’ capacity to lead Team USA to an Olympic gold in two months. “We just won in a major tournament against the best opponents in the world, and just so much credit to Emma and the staff because we felt the trust we felt the confidence we felt the belief from them,” she said.

The captain further added, “My gosh the the way this team is now and and seeing the potential for 2027. Yeah, it’s very exciting.” And let me tell you, the admiration is mutual—evident in Horan’s teammates’ own words.

You see, the 30-year-old captain has a special ability. Connecting with 10 different personalities is no easy feat, but like Emma Hayes mentioned earlier, it’s something Horan excels at. In midfielder Rose Lavelle’s own words: “I think Lindsey has been very good at connecting with every single player, checking in on every player.” “Players that have been here, players that are new, and making them know that she is available to talk, ask questions too,” the player said last month.

But then again, the captain is not one to take all the credit alone. “I need the leaders in this group as well to help me out. I think giving voices to them and making sure that they know that this is their team. I think some of those young ones, they make up a good chunk of their team and I think that’s important for them to know that I will need them and we are one. It’s not just me at the end of the day,” she had said during a conversation in May.

On a separate note, Emma Hayes had earlier said the young team USA stars weren’t seasoned enough to chase the World Cup in 2023. However, her opinions sitting here today point toward the opposite. When asked exactly when she knew her team was capable of glory at Paris, the coach confidently said, “from the very start”. Further speaking about how people like to “always look at negative experiences or setbacks as something that just shouldn’t happen”, she appreciated the work former USWNT head coach Vlad Andonovski had done.

Notably, Andonovski was criticized for his decision making capabilities, in-game adjustments, and player selection. With Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz forced to play roles they weren’t familiar with, his experimentations ultimately led to his exit.

However, like people say, all’s well that ends well. And for the USWNT, the road is only upwards from here, it seems. What do you think?