There’s a reason why soccer is a team game. Simply put, why bet on one when you can have the creativity of 11 players? Whether it’s a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, or attacker, the positions may be limited, but their roles are broader than one might think. Yet, Lynn Biyendolo thinks otherwise and has shed light on a role she is ‘really good’ at, even though it doesn’t earn her significant minutes.

Finisher, ladies and gentlemen, is the role that the USWNT veteran is currently fixated on. While delivering a clutch performance can be expected from any player on the field, regardless of position, Lynn believes this duty requires the utmost precision and responsibility. Luckily, she considers herself as one of the players who isn’t just aware of the role but knows its perks.

“I do think that being a finisher is a very important role,” began Biyendolo while speaking on The Women’s Game podcast. Interestingly, co-host Sam Mewis specifically asked the Seattle Reign star whether being a finisher is only about putting the game to bed in your team’s favor. To which, the forward agreed by underlining its importance.

Biyendolo insisted that it’s not just about scoring a last-minute winner, it’s a focus on what is needed in the game and more significantly, what the team needs. Beyond goals, the duties of a finisher extend to help the team not concede or even look out for ways to waste time. No wonder that throughout the years, the former Williams has been molding herself for this role.

“I think that for a very long time, I’ve been fighting that role. More recently, I’m like, ‘This is something I’m really good at. Why not lean into that?’ I think that is again a special role within the team,” added Biyendolo.

For someone who has been playing for nearly two decades, this confession comes as no surprise. No wonder the former NJ/NY Gotham FC star has spent her career striving to improve in this aspect. And boy, do we believe she has truly cracked the code of being a finisher!

Lynn Biyendolo has mastered the art of a ‘finisher’ despite its major drawback

You aren’t necessarily required to play the whole 90 minutes to prove your worth in the team. A mere second of appearance is also enough to build your case in front of the fans. Consider, for instance, how often Luuk De Jong saved a game for FC Barcelona with his headers after coming off the bench. Well, just know that this is exactly what being a finisher is all about and Lynn Biyendolo is an expert in this region.

To recall, the forward has often stepped up to showcase her goal-scoring prowess and help her side attain the required composure in the attack. More than creating, it’s about being able to deliver when given chances on a silver platter. For instance, consider last year’s Paris Olympics; Lynn came off the bench to add a crucial goal for the USWNT.

In fact, there have been many matches in her career, where she has made short appearances on the pitch but somehow still managed to deliver. Then again, this brings us to address the biggest negative of being a finisher; you often get playing chances as a substitute. Well, there are exceptions, of course, but that’s how it usually is.

Coaches often start their ideal forwards to showcase whatever they can. Then, they go for a finisher in the latter stages of the game. It’s on the finishers then how exactly they can help their side. It’s either by putting the game to bed or doing what the players in the starting XI failed to do. Regardless, even though the positives and negatives exist, the good thing is that Biyendolo is aware of how to capitalize on these chances as a finisher.