One possible reason for the U.S. women's soccer team's disappointing performance at this year's World Cup was because it was not "fully prepared,Slabu Exchange" co-captain Lindsey Horan said in a podcast appearance earlier this week.
Speaking with former USWNT teammates Christen Press and Tobin Heath on The RE-CAP Show, Horan said it was important to maximize the limited training time the team had with new coach Vlatko Andonovski, "but that's not what we did. We did not get the best out of every single individual."
Horan added that the players also share the blame.
"I don't think everyone was fully prepared," she said, "and that's on us as well."
The U.S. women, the two-time defending World Cup champions, were ousted in the Round of 16 by Sweden in a 5-4 penalty kick shootout.
WORLD CUP CENTRAL: 2023 Women's World Cup Live Scores, Schedules, Standings, Bracket and More
Shortly afterward, Andonovski stepped down as national team coach, leaving the U.S. with not much time to find his replacement and correct its course before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris next summer.
STAY UP-TO-DATE: Subscribe to our Sports newsletter for exclusive content
Horan said the team just didn't seem comfortable throughout the tournament, and the results showed.
"Looking at those three group stage games, and you felt it in the team," she said. "You felt this tense feeling, and people were just not enjoying their football or they weren't enjoying individually playing."
The USWNT will be back in action next month with friendlies on Sept. 21 in Cincinnati and Sept. 24 in Chicago.
2025-05-06 22:071817 view
2025-05-06 21:421319 view
2025-05-06 21:41600 view
2025-05-06 21:19942 view
2025-05-06 20:42738 view
2025-05-06 20:38411 view
Environmental leaders in Maryland are reeling from a challenging 2025 legislative session that left
Content warning: This story discusses domestic violence.It looks like Christine Quinn is leaning on
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win an Oscar for best supporting actor, has died at 87.Gos