ISLAMABAD, August 23 (Online): The United States women’s football team co-captain Lindsey Horan has stated that her side were not fully prepared heading into the recently-concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
The mega event, which was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, was won by Spain who defeated England 1-0 in the final.
US, who are four-time World Cup champions, produced their worst-ever performance at the tournament after they exited in the round of 16 with a shock 5-4 shootout defeat by Sweden.
Few days later, coach Vlatko Andonovski, who took charge of the side in 2019, also stepped down.
While talking to former teammates Tobin Heath and Christen Press on RE-INC’s YouTube channel, midfielder Horan said that when a new coach comes in, it is important to make full use of the limited opportunities they have to train together.
“When a coach comes in, it’s like, hey, how do we get the best out of every single individual player putting the most simplicity into a 10-day camp every few months and getting the best out of your team, and without overcomplicating everything?,” Horan said.
“Because yes, I could talk about the last four-year cycle, and we don’t need to get into every single thing, but that’s not what we did. We did not get the best out of every single individual.
“I don’t think everyone was fully prepared, and that’s on us as well.”
The US finished second in their group behind the Netherlands.
“Looking at those three group stage games, and you felt it in the team,” she added. “You felt this tense feeling, and people were just not enjoying their football or they weren’t enjoying individually playing.”
The US will host South Africa in back-to-back friendlies on September 21 in Cincinnati and September 24 in Chicago.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
